Original send at 7 a.m. failed. Resending. - Editor

Good afternoon ! This week in Kiwaniscope - Saturday, festive holiday breakfast with surprise guests. In the news, read about Kiwanians at the Weston Women's League family gingerbread event, how Kiwanis, social services, and Scouts combined forces to score a holiday trifecta for Westonites in need, a thank you for Kiwanis's grant to Weston Social Service's holiday program, how Kiwanis is helping a Weston High School student participate in a high-impact service project in the Dominican Republic, and how Kiwanians comfort kids; through its Pediatric Medicine Support Grant Program, the Kiwanis Children's Fund awarded grants for three worthy Kiwanis club projects in 2023.

– Editor

MEMBERS’ MILESTONES

Happy birthday to Rone Baldwin! Rone's birthday is tomorrow.

Also, this coming Tuesday is the 27th anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Weston sponsoring the Weston High School Key Club, which Kiwanis International chartered on December 19, 1996.

This Saturday, December 16, 2023

Holiday breakfast meeting. 🕎🎅🏻 $20 pp

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

HOLIDAY BREAKFAST THIS SATURDAY

Social Events Committee Co-chairs Karen Chrisley and Jacqui Morrison have been busy planning a festive holiday breakfast by Chef Bill with adult libations.

There will be a visit from Santa, songs of the season, greenery, and giant Christmas balloon prizes to be awarded.

Surprise visitors are also planned — prepare to be entertained!

NEWS

WESTON KIWANIANS SUPPORT WWL GINGERBREAD EVENT

60 Weston children and their families got into the holiday spirit last Saturday afternoon at the Weston Women's League's (WWL) Family Gingerbread Event and Weston Kiwanians were on hand volunteering to help make the event a success.

Children received a constructed gingerbread house for decorating with assorted candies, applied with icing from a pastry bag. (Eating icing straight from the pastry bag was not encouraged, but was observed.) There were hors d'œuvres, a charcuterie board, pictures with Santa, and bar service for adults.

When purchasing tickets, WWL encouraged families to consider contributing to the Family & Children's Agency a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies.

Karen Chrisely, Ellen Uzenoff, and Bob Uzenoff greeted families and distributed the gingerbread houses for decoration.

60 children with their parents, 30 at each of two family-style seatings, decorated gingerbread houses to take home with them.

Santa and families enjoy holiday favorites sung by the Westones, Weston High School's a capella choral group.

HOLIDAY TRIFECTA - KIWANIS, SOCIAL SERVICES, SCOUTS

By Tom Failla

Kiwanis, Town of Weston Social Services, and Scout Troop 788 combined to make the holidays special for 20 Weston families with festive handmade fresh evergreen and bow-decorated Christmas wreaths. Our Community Service Committee, led by Allison Lisbon, arranged to get the wreaths to the families.

Wreath sales are the major Scout fundraiser, and Kiwanis is providing funds for 20 wreaths for the holiday giveaway. Scout Senior Patrol Leaders Joe Travers and Jeremy Goldstein will join us this Saturday at our holiday breakfast to receive our $750 donation.

Tom Failla and Allison Lisbon are co-leaders of the Community Service Committee. -Editor

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING WESTON SOCIAL SERVICES HOLIDAY PROGRAM

By Allison Lisbon

On behalf of our Weston neighbors in financial need, I'd like to thank you for your generous donation of $5,000 on December 2, 2023, to the Weston Social Services Fund. We are grateful for the Foundation's commitment to Weston's neediest neighbors. This donation helps fund our December Holiday program. 

The Weston Social Services Fund was established to help Weston residents in times of financial distress, with basic necessities throughout the year. The Weston Social Services Department relies on these donations to purchase and pay for food, heat, utilities, home repairs, school supplies, and other necessities. Donations like yours are vital to providing our neighbors with some relief during these especially difficult times. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Allison Lisbon, MSW, LCSW, is co-leader of the Community Service Committee. The above is from a letter to our foundation in her role as Director, Department of Social Services for the Town of Weston - Editor

KIWANIS SUPPORTS WHS STUDENT'S SERVICE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Thanks to the generosity of Weston Kiwanians, a Weston High School student will be joining his/her peers on an impactful service project making a difference in the lives of a community in the Dominican Republic, addressing the second leading cause of death of children under the age of five (94% of these are preventable with proper sanitation.)

In February 2024 Weston High School (WHS) students will travel to Duveaux, a poor rural community in the Dominican Republic southwest of the capitol, Santo Domingo, in a project organized by Builders Beyond Borders (B3).

Student participants in B3 are required to perform at least six hours of community service in Fairfield County and to pay their own way, $3,500, to be eligible for the service trip, which is to a different country every year. One otherwise qualified WHS student was $700 short of the needed amount for the February 2024 trip.

Town of Weston Social Service Director Allison Lisbon brought the need to Philanthropy Committee Chair Reed Ameden and Foundation President Keith Johnson shared this need with members at a November breakfast meeting where President-elect Tom Watson was presiding. Tom designated happy bucks that day to address the shortfall. Members opened their wallets and came up with almost $600. Our foundation treasury provided the balance, and foundation treasurer Dan Lerner and club President Amy Jenner presented the check for the needed amount to Town of Weston Social Services Director Allison Lisbon, MSW, LCSW at the breakfast meeting Saturday, December 2.

B3 will collaborate with Xiomara Fortuna (a well-known Dominican singer and composer who heads a foundation known as Fundación Iniciativas de Cultura y Desarrollo, which translates roughly to Culture and Development Initiatives Foundation) and the families of Duveaux to provide this community with a very basic need – latrines.

This project will benefit the families currently living in Duveaux. Lack of latrines is a serious health concern - the numbers are staggering – 70% of people living in the Dominican Republic lack proper/adequate sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, improper sanitation is the second leading cause of death of children under the age of 5 (94% of these are preventable with proper sanitation). 

The nearby pictures are from the previous B3 service project in the Dominican Republic in 2018.

There is real need here. This project has the potential to eliminate (and/or greatly reduce) unnecessary deaths and illnesses that are so prevalent throughout poor communities in the Dominican Republic. These latrines/bathrooms, along with education about proper sanitation will make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for these families.

Builders Beyond Borders will be making a difference at a very basic level – providing sanitation and the beginning of a healthier lifestyle. They will work alongside the families that will be receiving latrines during construction. Each family will need to provide some “sweat equity” in order to be a recipient of one of the B3 latrines. The families are eager to share typical Dominican style food, music and their traditions with B3 and look forward to learning more about our culture and American traditions.

NEXT WEEK AND BEYOND

Next Saturday, December 23, 2023

NO MEETING

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

NO MEETING

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Breakfast and Annual Club Meeting for Elections (NO SPEAKER)

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

Foundation Annual Meeting

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 9:30 a.m. (immediately following the annual club meeting for elections.

Club Board Meeting

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 10 a.m.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Breakfast meeting.

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

Foundation trustees and officers monthly meeting

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 10 a.m.

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Breakfast meeting. NO SPEAKER - food drive today.

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

Food Drive

Weston Shopping Center 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Breakfast meeting.

Norfield Congregational Church parish hall 8:30 a.m.

NEW ENGLAND AND BERMUDA DISTRICT

NEW ENGLAND AND BERMUDA DISTRICT EVENTS

Midwinter Conference, March 8-10, 2024, Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Kiwanis Cruise Boston, Bermuda, Bar Harbor, Boston sailing May 17-24, 2024, on the Norwegian Gem

District Convention, August 15-18, 2024, Springfield, Massachusetts

KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL

2024 CONVENTION

Denver, Colorado

July 3-6, 2024

Kiwaniscope is published weekly for the members and friends of the Kiwanis Club of Weston on Thursday mornings September through June by the Kiwanis Club of Weston, Connecticut, Inc.