Kiwanis Club has successful bottle drive
Lori Stillwell was grateful as she looked at the mountain of returnable bottles and cans that people turned in to the Clinton Township Kiwanis Club to which she belongs. But she also knew sorting and bagging them all was going to be a big job.
Residents had responded to Kiwanis fliers, and advertising from the township offices. There were two drop-off points where people could donate their bottles and cans this summer. And drop off they did.
With the help of young people from Kiwanis and other youth organizations, the donations were sorted. They sorted, according to numbers and materials, for hours on several days. A beverage distribution company agreed to take it from there because Kiwanis is a charitable organization.
The Kiwanis collected 170,030 containers, put them in 1,080 bags, redeeming $17,003 worth of recyclables. They are turning that money back over to charities that are suffering because of the COVID-19 situation.
“We filled two 53-foot semis from Ruehle’s Towing who donated the trucks,” Stillwell said. “It took us eight, 10-hour days to sort all the cans and bottles. Students from the Dakota High School and Macomb International Key Clubs and Henry Ford came out. Then we had the Sea Cadets from Selfridge, and the Jermaine Jackson organization in Mount Clemens wanted to get their kids out to help.”
Stillwell found the company that would take the massive collection from the Kiwanis club.
“They were very specific though. There had to be exactly 240 cans in each bag,” she said. Other containers were sorted by liter size.
“It took a long time. I thought we were never going to get it done. We didn’t think the collection was going to get that big. Some days we’d have six volunteers, other days we’d have 18 volunteers, and we worked during the hottest week we’d had so far,” she said.
But they had to replace proceeds the club would have had from a canceled golf outing and charity poker effort.
“We needed to replenish that fund in order to give back to the community. We give $60,000 away yearly to the community and the four Kiwanis Key Clubs we sponsor, plus an AKtion Club.”
The Clinton Township Kiwanis Club sponsors Key Clubs – that cultivate leadership skills – at Chippewa Valley, Dakota, the International Academy of Macomb and L’Anse Creuse North high schools. About 350,000 Key Clubbers donate more than 12 million service hours annually in more than 5,000 clubs in 44 nations. An AKtion Club comprises people who have intellectual and other disabilities.
The club supports the Michigan District of Key Clubs, and the Michigan District of Circle K Clubs at the college level. Key Club scholarships normally total $15,000.
Helping out Girl Scout Troop 13353 of Almont, the club used $500 of club money and $500 of its foundation money to buy 250 boxes of cookies and donated 125 each to nurses and doctors at McLaren Macomb and Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals.
The club has approved donations of $25,500 since March and has a long list of the causes they have helped.
The McLaren Hospital Foundation received $500 from the club and $500 from its foundation. McLaren’s Foundation used the money to purchase personal protection equipment and other safety items for first responders and hospital staff. McLaren employees were treated to lunch at a local banquet hall.
The club gave $250 to William Kummerl of Chippewa Valley High School to make face shields for first responders to COVID-19.
“He has been 3D printing masks on his own, and we wanted to give the $250 to him to offset his costs,” Stillwell said.
Stillwell asked John Gallagher of the Clinton Township Fire Department to see what help they and the police needed in regard to COVID-19
and learned first responders needed hand sanitizers and PPE. The club provided $1,000 for gallon-size containers of hand sanitizer and pump bottles from a Detroit brewery.
They helped pay for a first responder luncheon at a local restaurant for 260 MedStar employees and Clinton Township Fire Department Emergency Medical Services.
The club supports the Clinton Township Police Honor Guard.
For a week this summer, the club partnered with Maceri Produce Company that received a federal grant to distribute produce to low income and needy families. Kiwanians helped load fresh produce in the trunks of vehicles of folks who drove up to get food for their families.
Members serve community meals six times a year to those in need at the First United Methodist Church in Mount Clemens.
“We will be collecting nonperishable food for our annual food drive in November, foods that are donated by students in the L’Anse Creuse and Chippewa Valley School Districts. We serve over 500 families with this drive,” Stillwell said.
The Kids Coalition Against Hunger food packaging program is on hold for right now due to COVID-19 restrictions on events where people are in close proximity.
Other entities that benefit from the Clinton Township Kiwanis Club include: Chippewa Valley Education Foundation, L’Anse Creuse Community Action, Coalition Dialogue Day, Lutz School for Work Experience, New Haven Community Schools, Parkway Christian Schools Art Fair and a children’s Christmas Party.
“Our party is held in partnership with the L’Anse Creuse and the Chippewa School Districts. Music, food, crafts and plenty of fun is our focus for the entertainment of local children,” Stillwell said. “We donated $250 to the Jermaine Jackson Center to help pay for play equipment and supplies for the kids in their area.”
A few other organizations the club supports are: MCREST for people experiencing homelessness and the Macomb Warming Center, Family Youth Intervention, the Fowler Center camp for special needs children, Michigan Special Olympics, and Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan. A $1,000 donation went to Painted Wings for research on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
They give to Wreaths Across America for winter wreaths on the grave of veterans, and recently contributed to burial expenses for a Korean War veteran.
“An 87-year-old veteran died when his trailer caught fire. There was no money to pay for expenses, and our $200 helped defray costs,” Stillwell said. She said the Marine Corps League Macomb County Detachment was a partner in that project with money and a service.
Every Tuesday at 8 p.m., patrons of Freddy’s Bar and Grill at 40000 Garfield Road, Clinton Township help the club with its Jack of Spades game. There are 30 of 54 cards left at $5 each.
“The total winner would take home about $8,700. Every week the pot grows,” Stillwell said. “Last week, the health department was there to make sure everyone was wearing a mask and doing what they were supposed to be doing.”
Members have been meeting via Zoom and hope to find a restaurant again when meeting in person is possible.
For information about joining or helping the club, contact Stillwell at 586-2957957 or clintontownshipkiwanis@gmail.com.
New Baltimore Lions Club collects recyclable cans and bottles
The New Baltimore Lions Club is collecting empty cans and bottles, 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at Curves, at 35453 23 Mile Road, New Baltimore. Call 586-296-2363 for information or pickup.