Project Shoe | Sept 12, 2020

Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates Project Shoe 2020

Project Shoe continued in September for the 36th consecutive year, thanks to the resourcefulness and creative solutions of KRHE members and Skechers. Richard Sherman, who initiated Project Shoe over 35 years ago, coordinated with South Bay representatives from Volunteers of America, the Boys & Girls Club and the LA Airforce Base to give twenty-five 1st and 2nd graders from each group a gift certificate for school shoes and a back pack filled with supplies. An inspirational message from Kiwanis of RHE (in English and Spanish) was included with every certificate. Each recipient was encouraged to sign a contract to “pay the gift of their shoes forward” by doing something to help a family member or friend.

Thanks to donations to Kiwanis of RHE from local donors, members, and the generous support from Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office, the Kiwanis tradition of “helping one child at a time” has been preserved.

We remain socially distant, but Kiwanis connected!

KIWINS’ Ethan Ro: Thoughts as He Prepares for College

Hello Mr. Sherman,
As my high school experience comes to a close and I begin preparing for college, I’ve been trying to properly thank everyone who has helped me get where I am now.
From the very beginning of my adventures with Kiwanis, you were there for me. At first, I was a bit intimidated by how much of an endeavour running a club was, but with your guidance, it became a manageable and enjoyable challenge from which I grew greatly as a result.
I’ll always treasure the memories I made with KIWIN’s, but I always especially enjoyed our annual Christmas party at the Boys and Girls Club. It truly was one of the events I looked forward to the most. Just seeing members from both Pen and PV get together to create a perfect afternoon for those children really inspired me and showed me firsthand the positive effects of our work. It’s one thing to send money or supplies off to some organization but it is a completely different thing to personally show up to an event and see the smiles of the children as they rush to meet Santa himself.
My high school experience truly would not have been the same without you and I wish you all the best for the future.
Sincerely,
Ethan Ro

Hello Mr. Gable,
As I will be leaving soon to start college, I’ve been trying to properly thank everyone who has helped me get where I am now.
I have always enjoyed listening to your speeches and absorbing the wisdom inside of them, but one phrase of yours in particular has continuously stuck with me throughout high school.
“Be the type of person who others want to see succeed.”
I will admit that I didn’t fully understand it at first, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that having support like that from another person requires an incredible amount of mutual trust and admiration. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly when you said that to me, but I know it was some time before the start of my senior year, the last year in which all my friends would all be together. From then on, I strived to become that type of person by cultivating meaningful relationships with other people who I truly did want to see succeed. Because of your advice, my relationships with my friends have become stronger than ever and our final months together were far more meaningful as a result. Even though our senior year ended abruptly, it was still one of the best high school experiences I have had and I owe a large amount of that to you and the life advice you have shared with us over these past years.
It has truly been an honor having your support and I wish you all the best for the future.
Sincerely,
Ethan Ro

In Recognition of the Importance of the Mentors of the Boys and Girls Club

Kiwanis Club of RHE Scholarship Awards

June 7, 2020

 

Dear Karina, Yesenia, Diana and Eduardo,

There are no adequate words to acknowledge the work you do every day to support the young people in our community. The Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates previously has recognized the importance of the Boys and Girls Club’s support for children and young people, but this year your impact is even more visible.

In the absence of a scholarship luncheon, I asked the students to identify the people they would like to acknowledge on their Kiwanis celebration slide. You will find an overwhelming B&GC presence in the attached slide presentation.

You, and the mentors you recruit, are amazingly effective in guiding students who face so many adversities to become talented, positive and forward-thinking individuals with a vision of improving the lives of others. The bottom line:  you create miracles every day!

Although we cannot meet in person at this time, I look forward to our continued communication and collaboration on behalf of the young people in our community. Please feel to contact me at any time ([email protected], or [email protected]).

On behalf of the Scholarship Committee and all the members of the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates, I want to express our deep gratitude to you for joining us in this year’s celebration of our youth.

Sincerely,

Joyce Campbell
Joyce Campbell, PhD, PT, Chair
Scholarship Committee
Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates

Scholarship Luncheon Canceled

Notice:

The Scholarship Luncheon scheduled for June 7, 2020 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus.  We hope that all will stay safe  and healthy during these trying times.  All scholarship award recipients will be notified by mail with the scholarship and a letter of congratulations.

Ken Dyda
President

Kiwanis Club of RHE Children’s Christmas Party

On Saturday, December 7th, the Kiwanis Club of Rolling Hills Estates held their annual children’s Christmas party at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the South Bay in Harbor City.  Fifty children from low socioeconomic families attended the event.  The children, grades 1 and 2, were selected from the Boys and Girls Club and Volunteers of America.

Although each child received a gift, the theme of the party was, it was better to give than to receive.  Before the gift giving and to reinforce the theme, each child made two tree ornaments, one to give as gift.  This year’s project was a Christmas bell and an angel.

Before lunch of pizza and fried chicken, the children participated in a series of games.

Of course the highlight of the party was the arrival of Santa Claus.  Santa introduced Mrs. Claus and his helper elf.  As each child received his or her gift Santa asked them what they were going to do in return for the gift.  Mrs. Claus gave each child a candy cane.

Supporting Santa and Mrs. Claus were Kiwanis members, Key Club and KIWINS students from Peninsula and Palos Verdes High School.