As one of the most active clubs in the Hudson River West Division, the Chester Kiwanis Club is quite devoted to our community – both local and global. We promote the long-standing objectives of Kiwanis: service; advancement of national, community and individual welfare; and strengthening of international good-will. Established in 1975, The Kiwanis Club of Chester has been serving the community for 48 years.
Sounds like a lot of good we do, right? Well, it is, and to make it all happen, we raise funds through a few fundraising activities each year, as well as individual donations. We run a rose sale, Super Bowl football and NCAA pools, our annual fish and chips dinner the first Friday of Lent, and our annual 5K race held on Memorial Day weekend each May.
When we come together for our meetings and events, we are not just a group of volunteers, it is a group of like-minded friends, old and new, who are choosing to be involved. Being a Kiwanis member can be rewarding in so many ways. The greatest gift you could ever give yourself is the gratification in knowing you are contributing your help, time, and effort to neighbors in your community, near and far, who are in need. Giving something back to your community, helping others and celebrating in fellowship brings the highest level of self-satisfaction you will ever know.
We are not asking you to volunteer every day or even every week. We are asking you to invest your skills in this community by helping kids who most need your guidance, mentoring and friendship. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteering will give you the ability to solve problems, strengthen communities, improve the lives of others, connect to others, and transform your own life. Most importantly it provides the kids with an opportunity to grow up in a community where they are happy, healthy, safe, and loved.
Want to know more? Wondering what you can do to help? Please join us at Valkyrie Coffee Roasters located at 23 Main St., Chester, on Saturday, July 15, from 10 to 11 a.m. Kiwanis members will be there to share a delicious cup coffee or tea with you and answer any questions you may have about volunteering with this amazing organization.
Sue Bahren on behalf of the Chester Kiwanis