Fighting to Save Children in Africa
Recently
the Capital District Board of Trustees voted to discontinue
the printed version of the Capital Builder. This decision
comes on the heels of a recent survey to which many club
members responded with some excellent arguments both
for and against doing away with the Capital Builder...by Clarence Renshaw, President, Botetourt Kiwanis
Thanksgiving 2008 marks
the twentieth anniversary of a special relationship
between the Kiwanis Club of Botetourt, the students
at Botetourt Technical Education Center, and more than
600 grateful people in Botetourt County. For the past
two decades, the students and members of the community
service organization have joined together to help make
Thanksgiving and Christmas brighter holidays by collecting
and buying food to present to needy individuals and
families in the County.
Jim Bushong, a retired technical education instructor and former assistant administrator at BTEC, estimates that approximately 650 county residents have benefited from the generosity of the students and Kiwanians. Bushong, who is also a long-term member of Kiwanis and a driving force behind creation of the partnership, notes that students donate canned goods and non-perishable items - "By the ton!" - to supplement frozen turkeys and other fresh groceries purchased by Kiwanis to present to the grateful recipients. Kiwanis has contributed fresh foods worth approximately $20,000 to the program over the years.
This year the partnership was able to aid eight recipient groups, ranging from elderly individuals to large families, an increase from five families each holiday that were aided in the past.
Bushong indicated that the County's Social Services office, and other agencies, note that the number of people in need this holiday season has taken a significant jump over past years. "In these tough economic times," Bushong observed, "even the smallest donation of money or food we can spare can help someone somewhere." He encourages everyone to be generous as possible to all the many organizations working to bring holiday spirit to neighbors in need." Pictured: Kiwanis members Chuck Geiger, left, and John Brown, prepare to deliver food to a needy Botetourt family for Thanksgiving. A turkey and other fresh foods such as breads, milk, juice, eggs and produce, bought by the local Kiwanis Club was complimented by a variety of canned goods collected and donated by students at Botetourt Technical Education Center to create a generous supply of holiday groceries.
