Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs School Supplies

Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs - Helderberg Kiwanis fills a truck with school supplies for needy students - Altamont Enterprise, September 2, 2010

Helderberg Kiwanis fills a truck with school supplies for needy students

By Zenie Gladieux

Every year, in late the July, Helderberg Kiwanis is in touch with the Hilltowns Community Resource Center to get information on children who will need help with back-to-school supplies in the fall. HCRC selects the children and provides a list of the child's favorite color, shoe size and the supplies that he or she will need to begin the new year properly equipped.

These sheets are passed to the Kiwanians, who hit the stores to try to meet all those needs. In the process, they learn who the most popular superhero is, what "skater sneakers" are, and how many multicolored binders can be crammed into the average backpack.

This year, the club and its family members provided 24 children with new backpacks, new gym sneakers, folders, pens and pencils, ring binders, loose- leaf paper, scissors, erasers, and rulers. There are also more unusual things like sketch pads, calculators, tissues, and smocks. And many of those backpacks have other things tucked in, like toothbrushes, socks, deodorant and packages of. M & Ms.

In the process, they learn who the most popular superhero is, what "skater sneakers" are, and how 'many multi-colored binders can be crammed into the average backpack.

On Aug. 25, the Kiwanians brought their gifts to their weekly meeting at The Highlands Restaurant and posed by the truck full of items they had provided.

The Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs meets every Wednesday at The Highlands Restaurant on Route 156 in Knox and welcomes new members. For more information, call me at 894-8589.

Photo Caption:

Helping hands: The Helderberg Kiwanis filled this truck with school supplies for two dozen needy Hilltown students. Shown are, from left, President Bev Filkins, Russ Pokorny, Dan Driscoll, Ray Lauenstein, Homer Warner, (in back) Anna Wolfe, Zenie Gladieux, Deb Vadalabene, Jan Van Etten, Bev White-Adams, Helen Lounsbury, John Elberfeld, Fleda Kolp, Fran Porter, Amy Pokorny, Marty Herzog and Pauline Williman. Missing are Lew Buckman, Russ Gladieux (photographer), Mary Kinnaird, Ann and Ernie Viebrock, and Don Whitlock.

— Photo by Russ Gladieux

Altamont Enterprise - Thursday, September 2, 2010