Kiwanis club back and ready to serve children in city

A Kiwanis club is back after serving children and organizations in Lorain for nearly 101 consecutive years.

Originally established in the city in 1919, the club intends to improve the lives of the youth and children throughout the city.

Newly elected Lorain Kiwanis president Giovana Kallas said the goal of restarting the Lorain chapter is centered on serving others.

“It’s about bringing the group back to serve the community and the children,” Kallas said.

Although the group has been established in the city for so long, there was brief time at the end of 2019 where the group was inactive, said Ron Wooledge, former president of Lorain Kiwanis and a current member.

Wooledge said Kiwanis is truly dedicated to helping children.

“I’ve been in the club for 27 years, and I’m retired,” he said. “I like to help children.

“We’ve done a lot of good things in the Lorain club over the years, and hopefully, we continue to do more good things for the children.”

Meetings will take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.

The first meeting of each month is from noon to 1 p.m. and the second meeting is

from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Membership fees for the club are $125 for 18 months. Normally, the fee was $200.

Kallas said she hopes

to encourage the youth to continue their service projects and acts of charity for children in the organization’s youth club, Key club. A household name for clubs in high school, Key club

stands for Kiwanis Educating Youth, and encourages young people to service the community.

Kiwanis offers scholarships for graduating Key Club members which can

be found through the Lorain County Community Foundation according to Wooledge.

Other chapters such as Elyria, have partnered with organizations and projects

including Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Safety Town.

“Kiwanis is really a children driven organization; so what we usually do in the community is for the children,” Wooledge said.

LYRIC AQUINO — THE MORNING JOURNAL Lorain Kiwanis Board of Directors members include: from Left, Captain Jimmy Susa of the Salvation Army Lorain Corps; Brandon Wysocki: President Giovana Kallas and Secretary Nikki LeGalley, who posed March 12at the first Lorain Kiwanis meeting.