Optimist Clubs take on COVID-19

When the world stopped for COVID-19, Optimists around the world went to work. They made masks, collected food and helped children learn at home. Each Club chose projects that would best serve their own communities. We don’t know how long the pandemic will last, but we do know Optimists will be working.

Clubs take on Covid

Kenyan Optimists form partnerships to provide masks and clean water.

The Optimist Club of Kisumu, Kenya decided early during the crisis to focus on the less privileged in the city from the Nyalenda neighborhood, who were unable to afford protection products. Their goals were very ambitious; distribution of 1,000 masks and 1,000 sanitizers, creation of 20 fresh water stations and food for 200 families. “Many of these people were unable to leave their homes to collect food and other supplies because of curfews and government lockdowns,” said Kisumu Optimist President Barack Otieno Odhier. “It’s the reason the Club decided to work with the business community and the government on the project in Nyalenda.”

The project carried a price tag of 650,000 Kenyan shillings, or about $6,000 US, which prompted the Club to approach a friend of the President who is a philanthropist. In turn, he contacted a few of his friends and they agreed to underwrite the majority of the cost of the project, Odhier says. Club Members first went into the neighborhood to register people for distribution while the masks containing the Club logo were in production. There are also now water-distribution stations throughout the Nyalenda neighborhood and some of the money raised from the business community is going to be used for food distribution efforts to those affected by recent flooding in southwestern Kenya.

Twin City Area Optimist Club of Missouri kept students engaged

by sponsoring daily art challenges on the website for the local newspaper the Jefferson County Leader. Challenges included blind drawing, homemade playdough, cardboard sculpting and plastic weaving. Participants were eligible to win a $20 gift card from a local business. Meanwhile, members of their JOI Club made face mask holders for hospital staff.

Arnold-Imperial Optimist Club of Missouri donated 10

Chromebooks to local students who needed the devices for distance learning.

The Optimist Club of Spalding

in Jamaica gathered supplies for the Spalding Police Department The Optimist Club of Falmouth and exercised a new form of in Jamaica distributed 25 care greeting since shaking hands was packages containing food and discouraged by health officials. hygiene items to pregnant teenagers

Daniel Boone Optimist Club

of Pennsylvania had to cancel three major events this Spring, and redirected the funds it would have used for those projects to churches providing for citizens’ immediate needs. Four churches in the region received contributions of $1,000 each. and teenage mothers.

Lafayette Breakfast Optimist Club of Indiana staged book

readings. The club developed a slate of twice-weekly readings by members of the community and posted the video to the Club’s Youtube page. Selections ranged from classics like Green Eggs and Ham to recent hits like Rosie Revere Engineer.