Kiwanis takes over after-school program, welcomes volunteer readers

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

A l y n H e r r i n g , s i n c e Hurricane Ian, the after-school program, sponsored by Lee County Parks and Recreation at Matlacha Park, is no longer being offered

“We heard about this in our Kiwanis Club, raised the funds, along with other Kiwanis Clubs around the district, and we are sponsoring the after-school program at Pine Island Elementary School now So the children that used to go to the Parks and Rec program are now doing the after school program at the elementary school,” Herring said.

Beginning Jan 10, when school began after Christmas break, this endeavor was taken on by Kiwanis Clubs all over the district, including the Pine Island Kiwanis, Herring said, explaining the club’s mission to incorporate reading to the children by local first responders On Wednesday afternoons, as many as four members of the Pine Island Kiwanis Club will be reading to kids when they attend the after-school program, she said

“We are starting out with our members and then we are going to try to bring in the Fire Department and EMTs, as well as others,” Herring said, adding that it will be an opportune time to bring in more members.

Those involved in this mission, along with Herring, are Kiwanians Tonya Player and program director Gus Hawkins The Pine Island Leaders of Tomorrow (PILOT) program has also invited Kiwanis Club members to read to the elementary-aged kids in their program Both organizations invite adult readers to volunteer

Mike

Silberg and Leoma Lovegrove have been married for 44 years They said their courtship to marriage process was like a whirlwind that has yet to come to a full stop

“I picture our marriage like the scene from ‘Ben Hur,’ when he was being dragged by the chariots Leoma said, ‘let’s go let’s do this,’ and I’m the kind of person that

Still very much caught up in one another, the couple has found a balance in their opposing personalities that

“Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time Kiwanis is sponsoring the after school program and we’re also going to be reading to the kids once a week as a district mission and we’re hoping to spread it to the PILOT program,” Herring said.

If you’re interested in reading to children in either or both programs, please contact Nichole Pichon (PILOT) 239-677-9492 or Gus Hawkins (Kiwanis) 219-2014150