The Sacramento Valley Chapter has been volunteering at the local Kiwanis Family House for the past two years and plans to continue volunteering for many more years to come. Kiwanis Family House provides temporary housing and support to families while their loved ones are being treated at the nearby UC Davis Medical Center. There are some families that stay a few months, while others stay a few years, but there is no limit on how long these families can stay at the shelter.
As the Community Chair for the Sacramento Valley Chapter, I helped organize a day of giving on November 11, 2017. On this day, chapter members and their families attended Kiwanis Family House and dedicated their time to chores inside and around the facilities. Our chapter helped by cleaning common areas, organizing supplies, gardening, and painting outside.
Not all families are lucky enough to go home with their loved ones, but thanks to Kiwanis they are able to spend quality time together while they concentrate on their loved one’s medical care. Kiwanis Family House currently offers 32 bedrooms and RV/Trailer hook-ups behind their building. The majority of the workers are volunteers who are dedicated to improving the community and believe in the Kiwanis Service Motto, which is: “Serving the Children of the World.”
At the end of the day, there is not a better feeling than lending a hand to the people in need. In addition to volunteering, Kiwanis accepts many household items, which we have decided to collect at our holiday chapter meeting.
All this would not have been possible without the support of the chapter board members: Lili Gonzalez, Chris Abare, Gloria Vassaka, and the support of our chapter members. We hope this is only the beginning of what our chapter can accomplish for our community.
I would like to send a special thank you to everyone who participated!
