“Building our community one child at a time” For the past Century! The Downtowner Newsletter of the Kiwanis Club of Allentown June 1, 2019 ________________________________________________________________________ May 9 Meeting At our May 9 dinner meeting, we welcomed guest speaker Christine Duddy, Director of the Cay Galgon Life House, a facility in west Bethlehem that serves pregnant mothers who are homeless or in an abusive relationship. It is housed in a former convent, with seven bedrooms available for temporary housing. It was named after Cay Galgon, a champion for unborn children who raised a child with Down Syndrome. The center has been in operation for 7 years. They have 10 staff, 8 of whom are part time. There are two social workers on site. They provide case management services, help the moms attain their GED’s or other educational pursuits as well as job preparation skills training and job placement. There are parenting and life skills classes held on site for the moms in residence as well as other mothers who participate in day programming. Last year the center assisted 450 families. Services are by appointment only. The center provides diapers, wipes, and clothing as needed for the newborns. Much of their support comes from area churches, some of which have “Diaper Drives” or similar donation efforts. United Way funding is pending. Since many of us have never heard of this program, they are now focusing on community outreach. Christine has been speaking to many civic groups to increase awareness of the important services they provide. Groups can get involved by donating money or items, volunteering at the center, or to participate in their “Baby Bottle Campaign.” We will consider participating in this campaign as a service project in an upcoming month. The Cay Galgon Life House is another important resource in the Lehigh Valley for pregnant moms and their children.
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“Building our community one child at a time” For the past Century!
The Downtowner
Newsletter of the Kiwanis Club of Allentown
June 1, 2019 ________________________________________________________________________
May 9 Meeting
At our May 9 dinner meeting, we welcomed guest speaker Christine Duddy, Director of
the Cay Galgon Life House, a facility in west Bethlehem that serves pregnant mothers
who are homeless or in an abusive relationship. It is housed in a former convent, with
seven bedrooms available for temporary housing. It was named after Cay Galgon, a
champion for unborn children who raised a child with Down Syndrome. The center has
been in operation for 7 years. They have 10 staff, 8 of whom are part time. There are two
social workers on site. They provide case management services, help the moms attain
their GED’s or other educational pursuits as well as job preparation skills training and job
placement. There are parenting and life skills classes held on site for the moms in
residence as well as other mothers who participate in day programming. Last year the
center assisted 450 families. Services are by appointment only. The center provides
diapers, wipes, and clothing as needed for the newborns. Much of their support comes
from area churches, some of which have “Diaper Drives” or similar donation efforts.
United Way funding is pending. Since many of us have never heard of this program, they
are now focusing on community outreach. Christine has been speaking to many civic
groups to increase awareness of the important services they provide. Groups can get
involved by donating money or items, volunteering at the center, or to participate in their
“Baby Bottle Campaign.” We will consider participating in this campaign as a service
project in an upcoming month. The Cay Galgon Life House is another important resource
in the Lehigh Valley for pregnant moms and their children.
Mother’s Day Project
On May 10, Enos Martin and Terry Kennedy visited Lehigh Valley Children’s Center’s (LVCC) Walnut Street center and worked with 2 classes and 35 children in decorating flowerpots, planting seedlings in the pots and creating Mother’s Day cards. At the same time, Bob and Cindy Ashcraft led children at the LVCC Early Learning Center in the same activity. In all, nearly 70 LVCC children participated in this annual service project. The kids were thrilled to give their moms flowers and homemade cards for Mother’s Day.
ELC Classroom Mother’s Day Flower Pots
11th Annual LVCC Picnic
After nearly two weeks of rain, we lucked out on May 16 for our 11th Annual LVCC Picnic at the Allentown Rose Garden Pavilions. We had sunny skies and cool temperatures with only some damp grass to worry about. By 8 AM, Keith Reynolds and his helpers were already there, blowing up helium balloons and getting signs and games ready. Our club’s volunteers helped with tablecloths, decorations, and other tasks in preparation for the children’s arrival. The first LVCC bus arrived by 10 AM. The children piled out with each classroom wearing a different colored t-shirt. Over 70 Key Club volunteers from William Allen, Allentown Central Catholic, Salisbury, Emmaus, Parkland and Whitehall High Schools began to arrive and were assigned either as escorts for individual classes or to activity stations.
Parachute Game Backpack Art
Science Station Our New Wash Stations
This year, the picnic had 7 activity stations, including a parachute game, an obstacle course, a tag game, bubble making, foam building blocks, a science station with a couple of experiments, and an art station where children drew on drawstring backpacks that they took home with them. After rotating through the activity stations, the children headed for wash stations that were purchased this year through individual donations and a grant from our Foundation. They worked very well! Meanwhile, Executive Hot Dog Chef Enos Martin began grilling, as other volunteers assisted in preparing the picnic lunch. It was an amazing assembly line as hot dogs were placed in buns and plated with potato chips, a fruit snack, and cookies. Our Key Club volunteers served plates to hundreds of hungry children piling into the pavilions. After lunch, the children filed into their busses for return to the centers. While some classes waited, they were treated to a round of “Musical Pass the Ball” led by Keith Reynolds.
The Allen Canary and Friends
We would like to recognize and THANK volunteers from our club, including Keith Reynolds, Enos Martin, Joyce Crosby, Ricki Stringfellow,Tracy Davis, Deb Lamb, Jeff Burnatowski, Young Chang, Mary DiFebo, Katie Hutchinson,Todd Siegfried, Terry Kennedy, Deirdre Govan, Eleana Belletieri and Tom Harp. And we would like to thank our Key Club volunteers, and school mascots the Allen Canary and Salisbury Falcon for joining us. This picnic is a HUGE undertaking, and it could not go as smoothly as it did without our volunteers. It was a fun and memorable day for everyone involved! And once again this year, Keith and Jessica Reynolds outdid themselves with countless hours of planning, shopping, and leadership in organizing the picnic. Thank you Keith and Jessica for all of your hard work! It paid off with another fabulous picnic for the children.
Sleepy Cat Mixer
Please plan to join us on Thursday, June 6 from 5-7 PM for a membership mixer at the Sleepy Cat Urban Winery, 1840 W. Allen Street, Allentown. We would like to thank Tracy Davis for organizing this event. A flyer has already been forwarded to our members. We are encouraging our members to invite a family member, friend or coworker to join us. One of the functions of the mixer is to recruit new members for our club. We need to grow as a club in order to have greater impact in our community. So please plan to come to the wine mixer for a good time, and consider inviting a new member prospect as well!
Service Leadership Programs
The Allentown Central Catholic Key Club just completed the installation of a reading corner in the physician’s waiting room at Sacred Heart Hospital. Through several student raffles they raised enough money to purchase books, book racks and posters. On May 17 they set up the reading corner at the hospital. They plan to visit the site on a regular basis to tidy up the area and replenish books.
The Salisbury High School Key Club volunteered at the Lehigh County Special Olympics event at Whitehall High School on May 11. They joined our other sponsored Key Clubs, including Allen and ACCHS by volunteering for the LVCC Picnic on May 16.
The Raub Middle School Builders Club made special “flower pens” to give to their moms or grandmothers for Mother’s Day. They also had a pizza party to celebrate the completion of the school year.
Flower Pen Enos Martin and Raub Builders Club
In April, the South Mountain Middle School Builders Club had a bake sale as a fund-raiser to cover pizza parties for home rooms that collected the most supplies for animal “goodie bags” that were donated to the Lehigh County Humane Society shelter. Those bags were given to people who adopted pets at the shelter. In May, one of the students acquired 50 small baskets and the club packaged 25 gift baskets for new cat owners and 25 for new dog owners. Builders Club members will walk over to the shelter and present them with the “goodie bags.” They will then get a tour and an educational presentation from the Humane Society.
Packaging the Goodie Bags Gifts for Adoptive Pet Owners
The Washington Elementary School K-Kids Club had a toiletry drive for the homeless population and collected over 1,100 items! The classroom with the most donations was treated to a party. On May 29 the club visited the Senior Center at Casa Guadalupe in Allentown. They mingled with the senior clients, learned about their life histories, played games with them, and helped serve refreshments. It was a great intergenerational learning experience!
Casa Guadalupe Senior Center Game Time!
The Ramos Elementary School K-Kids Club finished another productive year. And, we are in the process of chartering a NEW K-Kids Club at the Union Terrace Elementary School! Two teachers there have volunteered to serve as faculty advisors to the club, and Deb Lamb has graciously agreed to serve as our club’s advisor. Our Service Leadership Programs continue to grow, providing leadership and service opportunities for students in the Allentown School District.
A Glance Into Our Past
100 Years Ago – June 1919 At our club’s June 27th meeting at Hotel Traylor, Hamilton Holt, editor of the New York Independent, spoke about the peace conference taking place after the end of World War I as observed during his recent trip to Europe. The New York Independent was a weekly news magazine that strongly supported abolitionism and women’s suffrage. Philip Blake, Allentown Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the Kiwanians about a proposal to send a special car throughout the west as far west as Salt Lake City advertising the advantages of Allentown. Member Harry Koch gave away a $1,000 burglary insurance policy which was won by Bruce Traylor and also gave away a desk ruler to each member. In addition, Francis Hunsicker gave away a Muriel cigar wrapped in a special Kiwanis wrapper to each member present at the meeting. 75 Years Ago – June 1944 On June 22nd at the Americus Hotel, the 8th annual Son and Daughter meeting featured the original voice of “Popeye the Sailor Man”, Harry Foster Welch. Welch was an American radio and voice actor, who portrayed the voice of Popeye on radio, also toured the nation doing live Popeye portrayals. Marilyn Schadt, the daughter of Kiwanis president Warren Schadt, presided over the meeting. 50 Years Ago – June 1969 James W. Snyder, Jr., chairman of the club’s International Relations Committee, announced that the club would sponsor a 13-year old girl at the Adams Girls’ School in Almora, Utter Predesh, India. The girl was the daughter of an Indian farmer who appealed for assistance to assure her education. The Club made a monthly contribution towards her education through its Foundation. In addition to their education, the girls raised vegetables and spices in their garden and had to provide constant irrigation. 25 Years Ago – June 1994 The Club awarded two $1,000 scholarships to two senior girls at Allen High School and Central Catholic High School. Lisa Held, the Allen winner, planned to attend Cornel University. Central Catholic’s Mia Hoffman planned to enroll at the University of Richmond. Lisa Held would go on to graduate from Cornell University in 1998 and receive her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2004. Mia Hoffman received her degree from the University of Richmond and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
- Enos Martin
Division 18 News
The Kiwanis Club of Emmaus will hold its 46th Annual Pancake Festival on Sunday, June 2nd, 8 AM to Noon at the Emmaus Fire Company #1, 6th & Broad Streets, Emmaus. Tickets: $7.00 per person, children under age 10 eat free. All the pancakes you can eat! For tickets and information: (610) 395-4818 or www.emmauskiwanis.org.
The Kiwanis Club of Allentown would like to invite members of other clubs in Division 18 to join us on Thursday, July 11 for a dinner meeting featuring guest speaker Joe Garrera, Executive Director of the Lehigh County Historical Society. Joe is a distinguished Lincoln scholar, and his topic will be "The Statesmanship of Abraham Lincoln." In these times of political upheaval and hostility around the world, there are lessons about "statesmanship" that Lincoln could impart on global leaders. These principles can apply to our domestic politics as well. This will be an inspiring topic for all of us to learn from.
The dinner will take place at the Shanty on 19th, 613 N. 19th St., Allentown beginning at 6 PM. You can join us for a "Social Hour" from 5-6 PM for an adult beverage if you like. Cost of dinner is $15. Contact Tom Harp at [email protected] or 610-428-1427 no later than July 9 with your reservation.
Upcoming Meetings and Activities
SERVICE PROJECT - Bundles for Babies” knitting project at Atria Senior Assisted Living in Bethlehem. Tuesdays at 3:00 PM in Atria’s activity room. SOCIAL ACTIVITY – Thursday, June 6, 5-7 PM, Wine Mixer, Sleepy Cat Urban Winery, 1840 W. Allen Street, Allentown. Flight of wine is available for $5. Glasses of wine may be purchased. Light appetizers will be served. MONTHLY CLUB MEETING - Thursday, June 13, 12 noon at the Shanty on 19th. Speaker will be Tashina Khabbaz from VAST (Valley Against Sex Trafficking). SOCIAL ACTIVITY – Sunday, June 16, “Allentown Kiwanis Day at the IronPigs.” 1:35 PM game. Dugout Suite. SOLD OUT! BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING – Wednesday, June 26, 5 PM at the J.S. Burkholder Funeral Home.
June Birthday
16 – William Hengeveld
- Tom Harp, Editor
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