Publication select ▼
STERLING HEIGHTS — There is a new service organization in town, and others are invited to join in the cause.
Last summer, a group of residents with the desire to help families in need became the Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community, which was formally chartered on Sept. 23 in Dodge Park.
The Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community’s elected officers are President Michelle Wood, Vice President Kara Black, Treasurer Connie Delling, and Secretary Linda-Ann Heldt. Helping to get the group off the ground is Cindy Greening, governor, Kiwanis Michigan District.
The club’s goal is to unite caring people to serve children in the Sterling Heights community. Volunteers partner with schools, youth organizations and local nonprofit groups to provide essential needs, support education and offer compassion.
To join, members pay dues. At their last meeting Nov. 11, the Kiwanians discussed several ways they can help the community. Ideas included adopting a family at Christmastime, helping local food pantries, organizing book drives, and supporting foster children. One recent project was volunteering for the Kids Coalition Against Hunger Nov. 8 at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Macomb Township. All money raised through the group goes right into the charities they are helping.
“Let’s just keep doing good work,” Wood said. “There is a lot of need out there.”
During the meeting, Wood encouraged the members to help spread word about the club via social media, business associates, restaurant bulletin boards, churches, personal connections, and attending city meetings.
Wood has always volunteered her time. A big part of that was helping out at her son’s school even after he graduated.
“It’s to give back to the community,” she said. “I cannot believe the amount of nonprofits there are, which is great.”
“It’s where her heart is,” her husband Cody Wood said. “We jumped in to do this.”
Heldt is also a Key Club advisor. Key Club is the student-led, high school organization that performs service. One mission is to collect new and gently used shoes. Once collected, the shoes are sent to various countries, including Haiti and Guatemala, where they are refurbished and made available to residents. For more information or to get involved, go to Collecting Shoes for Charity on Facebook or call Heldt at (586) 491-0720.
Maria Momeyer and Saima Khalil are the two newest members who joined the Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community during the Nov. 11 meeting.
“I just love what they’re doing, volunteering and helping everyone in the city,” said Momeyer, of Sterling Heights. “It’s very active. I didn’t realize they help so many groups. I just like to help anybody anywhere.”
Khalil, also of Sterling Heights, is an attorney who sometimes works with families experiencing economic challenges.
“When you’re OK, I think you should give back to people in the community,” she said. “I think right now more than ever we need to support families.”
The Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at Ike’s Restaurant, 38550 Van Dyke Ave. The next two meetings are scheduled for Nov. 25 and Dec. 9. Potential members are encouraged to confirm the location via the Facebook page.
Toward the end of the meeting, the group passed around a bank in the shape of a “K.” Known as the “Happy Dollar” activity, everyone put in $1 each and shared a positive story. The money goes into the administration fund.
For more information about the Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community, contact Wood at (586) 676-8240 or Delling at (586) 713-3978. Also, check out the Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community Facebook page.
The Kiwanis Club of Sterling Heights Community is part of Kiwanis International. Kiwanis was established in 1915 and is in 85 countries. According to the Kiwanis fact sheet, each year, members devote more than 7.7 million hours to service and conduct more than 1.3 million projects. The average Kiwanian impacts the lives of 106 children. For more information, go to kiwanis.org.
