kiwanis club of galena

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.

One of the things Kiwanians excel at is providing support for those in need. Last week, a former member of our club lost her home and most of all her family’s personal belongings. We voted at our meeting on Tuesday to make an initial donation to St. Vincent De Paul to help her with finding a home and buying essentials for the family.

During our next three meetings all of our Happy Dollars proceeds will be given to the famliy as well. Please be kind and generous with cash or checks to help out this needy family during the holiday season