Our club recently was looking for opportunities to continue serving our community through the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining social distancing. Our minds immediately went to our local essential employees that are going to work everyday and keeping our community moving. “Delivering a small token of our gratitude allowed us Kiwanians to make essential workers feel appreciated,” said James Rust Jr. We decided to distribute goody bags to these workers to show our appreciation for their hard work and to provide a bit of cheer during their surely tiring days.

While we would have loved to get together and put together these goody bags in person, we had to take a more cautious approach to this project. The items were purchased, and then Jeff and Brenda Long tackled packing all 197 bags. “It felt very satisfying to be involved in such a positive and encouraging club project.”

Once packed, the bags were divided up into larger bags for easier distribution. Numbers had been collected so we knew how many good bags each business needed. On Friday, April 17 the bags were distributed by Sharon Rust, James Rust Jr., and LeRoy Cotton to local essential businesses, fire departments, and township buildings. Sharon said, “Seeing the appreciation in everyone’s face was a ray of sunshine during this dark time.” Each delivery was met with a smiling face.

Our club continues to think about how we can continue community service during this time. Have you or your Kiwanis Club participated in social distancing service recently? Do you have ideas for service projects? We want to hear them! Comment below!