Local Services
Menlo-Atherton High School Football Program Receives $10,000 Kiwanis Club Grant
John Pinkston (left) of the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club presented Menlo-Atherton High School Coach Chris Sanders a check for $10,000 at a luncheon in mid-January. Most of the funds will help send promising players to football camps during the summer. The Club made two other donations of $5,000 each in 2018 and 2019 to support the football team.
Menlo Park Kiwanis Club members around the table are (facing the camera from far left) Bill Zonner, Doug Scott, Brian Rigonan, Coach Chris Sanders, Tim Wright and Bruce Wellings. Others (with their backs to the camera from far left) are John Pinkston George Chaltas, Louise Dedera, Jan Gabus and Tom Curran.
Kiwanis Grants Help Several Organizations
Our club recently gave a total of $45,000 in various donations to support Grateful Garments. Generations United, There With Care and the Menlo-Atherton Football Scholarship Program.
In addition, Club members will participate in several volunteer activities during the holidays.
Menlo Park Kiwanis Club Spreads Holiday Cheer To Many This Year
Menlo Park’s Kiwanis Club recently announced its support for two new local programs—Able Works and RISE (Reaching & Inspiring Success through Education).
“We are making a $7,000 donation to Able Works to support its programs that provide culturally relevant life skills and financial education programs to high school students during a critical time of their lives—to help students transition from high school to college, junior college, or career,” said Louise DeDera, Kiwians Club President.
The Kiwanis club also will continue to support Menlo Atherton High School’s Key Club, a student service organization. “In fact, we just volunteered on Saturday with its members to put together more than 10,000 food packs, each containing 6 meals. Menlo College provided the facility for us to assemble the packets, and they are being distributed this holiday season to local residents in need by RISE Against Hunger,” she continued. The club also donated $3800 to RISE, covering the cost of the event, and treating the volunteers to pizza at the end.
Able Works, RISE and the Key Club are all focused on making the lives of children and families better—exactly like the programs Menlo Park’s Kiwanis Club members actively support and participate in, such as scholarships for Menlo Atherton High School graduation seniors, Generations United, and Special Games.
“While providing much needed grants to organizations is gratifying, we are exploring many more ways to volunteer with Able Works, the Key Club, Special Games and other organizations in the coming year,” DeDera added. “That’s my agenda for our club in 2023!”
Donation Helps Bring Comfort And Joy To Children
Quilts for Kids received a $2500 donation from our Kiwanis Club in June 2023. This enabled the non-profit group to purchase batting and thread to create many more quilts for deserving children.
Quilts for Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming fabrics into patchwork quilts to comfort children facing serious illness, trauma, abuse, and natural disasters. Bonnie Stearns, a quilter from the group seated at the end of the table, explained the organization’s purpose and how it works to our members so we could make an informed decision about our support for Quilts for Kids. Nate Hills’ wife Sharon is shown holding one of the quilts some lucky child will receive.
Join Our Meetings
If you are interested in learning more about our group or joining it, please fill out the contact form.