Matt Oldenburg, City Engineer for Galena, visited our club this week to give an update on everything that’s going on and the list is long. IDOT Spring Street Project, Lead Service Replacement, Street Improvement Program, Sidewalk Recplacement, Commerce Street Parking Lot, Infrastructure Program and Well Tower 7 Repaint Project. All part of an ongoing Captial Improvement Plan for the City. Bet you thought they just fixed things as they broke!
Thanks Matt!
This week Terry Townsend, a longtime Kiwanian, passed after a long illness. She was a true example of someone who believed in our mission “Serving The Children Of The World”.
Terry originally joined the Kiwanis Club of Park Forest in 1995 and held several positions in that Club including Lt. Governor. She joined the Kiwanis Club of Galena in 2018 and was always eager to welcome new members. Terry was often the first to sign up for service projects as pictured here on Peanut Day in 2023.
Follow this link to read Terry’s obituary where you can learn more: https://furlongfuneralchapel.com/theresa-terry-townsend/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet
Jenna Diedrich, Director of the Galena Public Library visited with us on Tuesday and shared all that the GPL has to offer. With programs for children, young adults and adults, they provide a varitey of offerings that are of interest to all.
Pictured, Jenna (l) accepts one of our monthly donations from Club President Stacy Bouldoukian. For more information on library programs go to: https://galenalibrary.org/
Our local Culvers has been especially supportive of our fundraisers these past few years. They have provided frozen treats for our Fourth of July and Galena Country Fair events, enabling us to fulfill our mission to “serve the children of the world”.
In April they will support us again by hosting a Share night where proceeds from the evening’s sales will be donated right back to us. Whether you stop by to eat or volunteer to serve or clean up it’s a win-win for our club and Galena.
Battle Buddy Boxes For Veterans is a program that began in January 2023. Spearheaded by Valerie Slayton and her husband Earl, It is intended to give veterans a sense that there are fellow Americans that still care about their needs and appreciate what they have done for our country.
Pictured above, a typical box contains personal items that are intended for veterans that enter a hospital, nursing home, or need a pick me up. This program is local and supported by donations. If you would like further information, or know of a veteran in need, contact Valerie at: battlebuddyboxes1@gmail.com
Pictured above left to right: Earl Slayton, Club President Stacy Bouldoukian and Valerie Slayton, Adjutant/Vice Commander AL Post 193. Our club presented Battle Buddy Boxes with a donation of $100.
This week, Alegra Koser, Executive Director of Tyler’s Justice Center for Children shared information about the organization. Established in 2002, after the tragic death of a local infant named Tyler, who was only two months old when he died as a result of child abuse, they provide a variety of services to children and their families. Pictured above are: Club President Stacy (l) and Alegra Koser (r). For more information visit their website at: https://www.tylersjusticecenter.org/
Their mission: Tyler’s Justice Center is dedicated to lessening a child victim’s trauma by providing a sensitve, collaborative response to the investigation, prosecution and treatment of child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse cases.
The beginning of a new year is always a great time to set our intentions for the year ahead. If one of your intentions is to join a group in serving our community, we would love to have you come and visit to find out what we are all about.
We meet on Tuesdays at Noon at Prairie Ridge for lunch and fellowship. Come and join us as we “serve the children of the world”.
Is another intention to set a goal to run a 5 or 10k? Follow the QR code to sign up for the Galena Kiwanis River Trail Run on April 20th. Early registration discounts will help you set a date to achieve your personal goals and contribute to this year’s service project.
We will take a holiday meeting break next week and get together again on January 2nd at our regular time. See you next year!
We had a chance to celebrate the holidays this week. Members brought treats and gifts to share. Thanks to Joanne and Mike for coordinating the gift exchange. It was a welcome break from the holiday rush. Wishing everyone a safe and happy season.
We will get together next week at our usual meeting place to celebrate the holidays. Bring a treat to share, a wrapped white elephant gift to exchange, and pause for a moment to relax and enjoy each other’s company during this hectic time of year.
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