“Kids,” is all Tom Nevans said when asked about the basis for the Iola Kiwanis Club, but the outreach of the group touches many lives. WHEN IT BOILS down to it, “it’s all about the community,” Nevans said.
Kiwanis was started in 1915 in Indianapolis, and the name is a native-American word that roughly translates to “we trade” or “we share our talents.”
And share they do.
The group meets every Tuesday in the Allen Community College boardroom, and recently gave The Register an opportunity to sit in on one of their meetings. Club President Shandie Wrench started the meeting with prayer and news in the organization. Then, it was all business. They spoke about the need for disabled-access playground equipment in Iola, and what they can do to garner grants for the equipment.
“We literally build things,” Andy Dunlap said about what sets Kiwanis apart from other groups. He and Nevans said the club is all about being a part of the community and making it better.
“Locally, we invest more of our time,” Dunlap said. “It’s a more personal way to invest ourselves.”
Nevans said Kiwanis has been used as a “focal point” in the community from time-to-time. For instance, in the 1980s several community members in Iola thought the city needed Jaws of Life (hydraulic vices used to rescue people involved in car wrecks). A man, whom the group members left unnamed, said no one would listen to him.
“It was just one man,” Dunlap said.
But, he came to the Kiwanis group and within one month they had $25,000 raised to purchase the safety equipment.
“The community has to accept you to get anything done,” Roger Carswell said. “They trust us.”
And this trust has translated into a Kiwanis more active than ever.
The group has been involved in numerous aspects of the community. They run the train out in Riverside Park, set up bell-ringing stations for the Salvation Army and contribute scholarships to Allen Community College.
From an national and international standpoint, Kiwanis’ effect reaches all around the globe. John Shields, lieutenant governor for Kansas Kiwanis District Three, gave a Power Point presentation to the group during their meeting, explaining just how much the group does in the world.
He said more than 600,000 members worldwide have worked to make people’s lives better. Partnered with UNICEF, Kiwanis helped to “virtually eliminate” Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) in developing countries. According to Shields’ information, approximately 70 percent of those in developing countries have access to iodized salt today.
A project currently under way for Kiwanis International is Eliminate — a project meant to eliminate neonatal tetanus. The disease kills one in every nine newborns, mainly due to a lack of sanitation during the birth process. The disease is prevented through a series of three vaccines, which cost about $1.80 per mother. Kiwanis hopes to raise $110 million by 2015 to protect 61 million mothers and their babies.
Whether it is a community in Iola, or across the world, Kiwanis does their best to make lives better. President Wrench said nothing they do would be possible without the help of the community, however.
“It has really been humbling,” she said.
The group said local businesses have been “extremely helpful” whenever they need to raise money for different causes. It all comes down to the trust.
“They know it is going to help someone in the community,” Nevans said.
None of the money raised by the group is used for club expenses, it all goes to the community.
“Money we collect here, we like to spend here,” Carswell said.
Whatever the cause, the group concurred they enjoy the camaraderie of helping people. Nevans said it is nice to help those in need, even though volunteer groups don’t always receive recognition for their work. But, sometimes it’s good to be known in the community as people who care.
“It’s nice to have some quiet recognition,” Nevans said.
Kiwanis outreach is global
