NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 27, 2009) – Kiwanis International, in 1994, made a pledge to help protect children from the scourges of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in its first Worldwide Service Project. Now, with the majority of the world’s children protected against IDD, Kiwanis is inviting organizations, institutions and individuals to propose a project to become the global service organization’s second worldwide service initiative.
“Today more than ever Kiwanis is needed to help ensure that families and children have food, clean water, a safe and secure shelter,” said Canady.

Solutions, Canaday added, will require many hands, many nations, many years, but small differences can set in motion a cascade of significant change.

“One hand outstretched becomes two becomes four, becomes eight. Borders, boundaries and cultures are crossed and change becomes a cause, a commitment and, eventually, a cure,” said Canaday.
 
In 1994, Kiwanis committed to help protect children against IDD, the leading preventable cause of lifelong mental and physical disabilities. Today, the organization, with its 8,000 clubs in 70 nations and geographic areas, is taking the next step in its journey to change the world for children and communities—Kiwanis is asking its members and others to propose its next Worldwide Service Project.

“Kiwanis has achieved its goal to virtually eradicate Iodine Deficiency Disorders,” said Rob Parker, CEO of Kiwanis International. “Today, our partner in that effort, UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) estimates the number of households consuming iodized salt has jumped from 20 percent in 1990 to more than 70 percent today.
 
“There remain a few pockets of need and we will remain vigilant to keep moving that needle upward, but it’s time now to begin to identify the next Worldwide Service Project where the helping hands of Kiwanis can help improve the life of children and communities,” said Parker.

Kiwanis’ Worldwide Service Project is a directed program that engages all of its youth and adult members to make a positive difference in the world by helping children in need.

• Involve a child-focused issue or problem
  
• Be compelling and relevant
  
• Involve both a global and a local level of participation and impact
  
• Include hands-on service and fundraising
  
• Address a virtually solvable problem or issue
  
• Support Kiwanis membership growth
  
• Lead to life-changing experiences

Make recommendations via the Kiwanis International Web site at: www.kiwanisone.org/wsp. Please provide the following in your proposal:

·         Describe your project and how it matches the criteria (500 words or less)
·         How does the project align with Kiwanis’ mission? (200 words or less)
·         How can youth participate in the project? (200 words or less)
·         What percentage of the project involves hands-on service? (100 words or less)
·         What percentage of the project involves fundraising? (100 words or less)

The guest speaker was National Weather Service (NWS) weather forecaster Mike Monefusco from the Wakefield Office.  NWS has 4,700 employees and resides under the Department of Commerce.  NWS provides 1.5 million forecasts each year putting out 150,000 weather alerts.  In a typical year, NWS tracks six hurricanes, 170 tornados, 5,000 floods and 10,000 violent thunder storms.  500 people die each year in the US from weather related injuries.  The Wakefield office  has 10 forecasters and 23 employees and provides forecasts for five airports.  Click Here to view Wakefield Radar Map.

There was a big turnout for the social meeting at the residence of Dixon and Gemma Handwerk.  The weather was perfect and the food plentiful and delicious.  The Kiwanis Club of Chester typically meeting at the home of three different members during the summer season.  Click on the photo above to view more pictures from this event.
 

Several Kiwanis Club of Chester members participated in the James River Clean-Up project at Dutch Gap in Chester in honor of Kiwanis One Day.
 

The Kiwanis Club of Chester in conjunction with the Chester Village News again sponsored the Concert on the Green held at the Chester Village Green featuring the 392nd Army Band.  The weather could not have been better and a record attendance was set.    [Video]  [Photos]