IN THIS ISSUE Message from Editor Service Spotlight NYC Common Pantry January Divisional Bowery Mission Board Member Profiles Member of the Month Emily Li LTG Quote Collection Governor’s Project International Project District Projects Upcoming Projects Contacts
Bulletin Editor Sophia Zhang Hey Hunter Key Club! Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a relaxing intersession! It’s time for semester 2 and Key Club has many exciting projects! February is also election week, so get excited to vote for your 2016-17 board! Remember to hand in your LTC check as soon as possible. Even though January was a short month, many key clubbers attended events, such as the NYC Common Pantry and Bowery Mission. Yours in Service,
Sophia Zhang
S e c i v r Se NYC Common Pantry January Divisional Bowery Mission
t h g i l t o Sp
NYC Common Pantry By: Kerry Wong//Key Club Member With the number of homeless people reaching record levels and the full time minimum wage salary being less than $19,000 a year, about half a million people in New York City will struggle to have a full meal tonight. About half a million people will have to go to bed hungry – unless they are able to receive some sort of help. The New York Common Pantry is a soup kitchen on 8E 109th Street that feeds about 200 people every night. With a ―no questions asked‖ policy, anyone can receive a free meal that consists of hot food, vegetables, bread, dessert, and juice or water. People are also allowed to get leftovers to take home if they want after everyone is served. On January 15th a group of about 10 people from Hunter volunteered at the pantry. One volunteer was stationed at the front of the room to help hand out tickets while everyone else worked in the kitchen in an assembly line fashion. That day, the pantry served mac & cheese, chicken, veggies, bread, an assortment of salads, cupcakes, and juice. After the dinner service, we helped the staff sweep, mop the floors, and wash the tables and serving area. I’ve always regarded soup kitchens very highly, so this experience was especially meaningful to me. While it seemed as though I could never work fast enough to serve the steady stream of people that flowed in or waited for leftovers, it was a great feeling knowing that every meal that was handed out allowed one more person to go home with a full stomach.
January Divisional By: Whitney Yu//Key Club Member On January 14th, schools in division 11 convened in Hunter College High School’s auditorium at 6:00 for the January Divisional. During this divisional, delegates from each school had to vote for the new Lieutenant Governor. At 6:19 the meeting was called to order and Emily Li led the Key Club pledge. Each of the clubs provided an update of the events they had done or planned, such as volunteering with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine or hosting a bake sale to raise money. Soon after, Emily Li from Hunter College High School, the retiring LTG, opened the stage to LTG candidates. Each candidate had to be nominated by 2 people and then give a speech not to exceed 5 minutes in which they would discuss their plans as LTG and answer questions. 5 candidates were nominated and they all gave their speeches. Being LTG essentially means supervising and managing the division 11 clubs. Overarching themes in each candidate’s speeches included increasing communications amongst clubs in division11 and with clubs outside of the division, implementing new and more service projects, and hosting more meetings with club leaders to discuss updates and future prospects. After hearing the 5 candidates’ speeches, 2 representatives from each club submitted their votes. Each club was allowed two votes. After the votes had been cast, Kalvin Chi from Stuyvesant Key Club was voted as the new division 11 LTG! Congratulations!
Bowery Mission
By: Kalley Huang//Key Club Member
On January 11, 2016, members of Key Club, Circle K and Kiwanis united to serve over 200 people free dinner at the Bowery Mission, an organization in Downtown Manhattan that has helped countless homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879. They prepared for dinner by performing tasks such as cutting bread and making salad and served people from the community. The menu included rice, chicken, pasta, potato salad and coleslaw. In addition, they served fresh and handmade sandwiches, wraps and salads from Pret a Manger, a chain of restaurants that donates any and all food that is not bought during the day to local soup kitchens like the Bowery Mission. At the end of a two hour shift, attendees also helped to clean up and prepare the kitchen for the following day. Anybody can help at the Bowery Mission! For more information, see: https://www.bowery.org/volunteer/.
President Jackie Weng By: Andy Chen//Fundraising Head Jackie Weng is a senior at Hunter College High School and she served as a secretary and this year’s president. Her undying dedication and support for Key Club is shown through her hard-work during board meetings, on her emails, and during award season. She is easily one of the best Presidents Key Club ever had! Q: What is your spirit animal? Why? A: I don’t have a spirit animal...Unless you want to put a cat with Gucci bags...Actually, grumpy cat. I’m grumpy cat because my eye bags are awful (and genetic-my sisters also have bad eye bags, so thanks mom!) Cats are my favorite, and I think my face is permanently stuck in grumpy cat mode. Q: Who is your inspiration? A: I would have to say my mom. I haven't had the easiest life with divorced parents and I blame her for a lot of it, but I recently realized how much crap she has to
deal with for the rest of her life because of me, and I admire her ability to persevere and stay strong when everyone else is criticizing her. Q: As you're leaving Key Club and moving onto bigger things in the future, what is one piece of advice you would impart to the younger generations of Key Clubbers? A: It's really easy to get caught up with numbers (service hours, money raised, etc.), but the most important thing I learned is to build better relationships with organizations with long-term projects and with fellow Key Clubbers. Volunteering for random projects to rack up hours is ok, but having the volunteer coordinator at Room To Grow or Better Chinatown know and trust you as a dedicated volunteer is just as (if not more) important. Also, don't be afraid to talk to people from other Key Clubs! You would be surprised at how much we all have in common, regardless of what grade or school we are in.
Publicity/Scrapbook/ Awards Co-Head Pauline Esguerra By: Clara Lee//Key Club Member Q: Why did you decide to become Scrapbook and Publicity Head? What has this position taught you? A: I wanted to become Scrapbook and Publicity Head because I wanted to promote Key Club to the rest of Hunter. It's such an amazing club, and I'm really glad that we gained a lot of new members this year. Also, making the scrapbook and winning awards during LTC make being a part of Key Club even more fulfilling and exciting. Q: What is your favorite thing to do as Scrapbook and Publicity Head? A: I've really liked the past two scrapbook meetings we've had in club. It was really fun to see everyone working together and making something that celebrates all of our past events and accomplishments as a club. I'm also really looking forward to LTC, where we'll hopefully win some awards! Q: What has your experience sharing the position with another person been like? A: Being a co-head has been really great! Sophia is super hardworking and dedicated, and we work really well together. Having two different opinions for things is actually more helpful than it is challenging. It's definitely made the job easier and even more fun. Q: How long have you been a part of Key Club for? A: I've been an active member of Key Club since 9th grade. Q: Why did you join?
A: Like a lot of other people, I joined Key Club because a lot of my friends were already in it, and because I thought the service events were really fun. Since then, I've gained a lot of new friends from a lot of different grades and a bunch of fun memories I wouldn't have had before. Q: What has being a part of Key Club taught you? Any particular experiences (projects, events) that stand out? What was your favorite event and why? A: Being a part of Key Club has taught me how much of an impact I could actually have on my community. One event that made me realize this was a Kiwanis event with Friends of Rockaway in Long Island. Together, we worked on building a new home for a couple whose house was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Events like that where you actually see the huge effect you're having makes me remember why I joined Key Club in the first place. Q: How have you changed, as a person and as a leader, throughout your time at Key Club? A: Ever since I've joined Key Club, I've definitely branched out more and become more confident. Being on board this year has been such an amazing experience and has made me appreciate Key Club more than ever. I'm much more comfortable talking in front of a classroom full of people, and it's partly because I consider everyone there my friend! Q: Are you planning on running for a different position in the upcoming elections? If so, what position? What would you tell members interesting in/ planning on running for Scrapbook Head? A: I want to apply for Projects Head next year instead of run for a board position because I think Projects Head is one of the most important positions in Key Club. He/she finds all of our service projects and keeps in touch with the volunteer coordinator of every event, so I want to be the one to make sure that this runs smoothly. Some of my best memories in Key Club come with these projects, and I want all of our members to have the same fun that I did. I would tell anyone interested in applying for Scrapbook Head to go for it! It's a lot of fun and it's a really rewarding experience.
Member of the Month Kerry Wong By: Sandra Yu//Key Club Member The Key Clubber of the Month award was awarded to sophomore Kerry Wong for the month of January. Kerry describes her feelings after just having found out that she was the member of the month as ―shocked and thankful.‖ Having achieved ―Key Clubber of the Month‖, Kerry looks to receive the ―Most Distinguished Sophomore‖ as well this year. She believes her experience with joining Key Club is an awarding one where she learned to ―branch out‖ in comparison to last year where she ―didn’t really try out extracurriculars just because [she] was too scared to.‖ To Kerry, Key Club as a ―community because we’re all working towards the same goal‖ and one that ―restores her faith in humanity‖ when faced with the ―negativity of the world.‖ She especially liked Room to Grow, an organization that helps children that are born into poverty by giving donated toys and clothing to their families. She says that she just ―really liked the cause and what they do.‖ Kerry says that ―if there are any more opportunities, [she] would definitely go.‖ Q: Why did you join key club? A: I volunteer at a nursing home and that really inspired me to join Key Club. I live in a somewhat isolated place so there aren’t a lot of places for me to help. I thought maybe by joining key club i would have more opportunities to help out in my community Q: Which event was your favorite event this year? A: My favorite event was Room to Grow. Honestly, I just really really liked the cause and what
they do. Room to grow was a really nice organization, because they help out families with children that were born into poverty. I volunteered there twice already and if there are any more opportunities, I would definitely go. Q: How do you feel about being member of the month? A: I was so shocked and thankful when I saw my name on the email. I know there are so many people who are deserve to be member of the month and it meant so much to me that I was selected. Q: What are you looking to accomplish this year? A: I guess my most current goal is getting Most Distinguished Key Clubber and Sophomore award. I’m also aiming to be the treasurer but if not, I would really like to be one of the project heads. Q: What are you most proud of doing this year? A: I think probably branching out. Last year, I didn’t join as many clubs as I did this year. I didn’t really try out extracurriculars just because I was scared. I’m really proud of myself for getting over those fears and going to those events and getting to know people that I didn’t really know well. Q: How has key club changed or influenced you? A: Definitely. I’ve been exposed to so many different organizations and places that just help out which is really nice. There is so much negativity in the world right now and they just restore my faith in humanity. As it sounds cheesy, it’s true. I’ve also become a lot closer with a lot of ppl which I’m really happy about and it feels like a community in a way because we’re all working towards the same goal. It also helps me manage my time a little more because i have to go out to events Q: What are some favorite hobbies that you enjoy doing in your free time? A: Well I love to sleep. Other than that, I really like to write even if I don’t show it to anyone. I also really love to read and swim. Track is okay.
Lieutenant Governor Emily Li By: Whitney Yu//Key Club Member Emily Li, a senior, is a key clubber; however, she is not your usual key clubber-- she is the Lieutenant Governor of Division 11 in the New York District of Key Club. Serving as the lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2016, Emily Li has been tasked with overseeing the 9 key clubs that are situated within Manhattan and the Bronx, holding monthly divisional meetings when key clubbers from division 11 gather together to listen to updates and discuss future prospects or events. She also offers advice to key club members, officers, and leaders. Additionally, she helps presidents run their clubs smoothly! Emily ―ran for the position because [she] wanted to help other key clubbers in division 11‖ and she also wanted ―to make the division better.‖ During her term as lieutenant governor, she started a monthly service project with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine. Every month, key clubbers go to Chinatown and carry food from restaurants
to food and homeless shelters. This project aims at saving food and providing food for the hungry New Yorkers. Her favorite aspects of being the lieutenant governor is talking to all the different leaders and members of division 11 and learning about what the different clubs are doing. While her job may involve a lot of fun socializing, it is also a lot of work. She devoted time and effort each week to ensure that all the clubs were running smoothly. She says, ―there’s a lot of work to do behind the scenes that no one really sees.‖ Emily is a hardworking individual, which is not only shown through her work in Key Club, but also through her undying dedication to debate and school work. However time-consuming being LTG was, Emily says it was all worth it because she learned a lot as a LTG - she learned how to prioritize and plan large events as well as embrace how big Key Club actually is. She made numerous friends, not only in other schools, but also across the state. Each month, she traveled to Albany to attend a New York District board meeting, where she learned about how she can become a better LTG as well as create new friendships with people who live in upstate New York. Her advice to anyone who wants to be lieutenant governor? ―Don’t procrastinate‖
What’s your favorite I like divisionals because I get to meet people from other Key Clubs. - Kalley Huang Room to grow was fun. I like the organizing. It's a great charity and it's fun work. I like the sorting and organizing and it’s so nostalgic seeing the baby clothes and toys. It's easy to get there too. - Whitney Yu I think my favorite Key Club moment was last year when I served as projects head. It was the tulip bulb planting event at the West Side Community Garden, and it was one of the first events that I had ever organized during my term as projects head. The event organizer was actually the mother of a Hunter alum, so she was very kind and made me and the other volunteers feel very welcome. We planted for several hours and the coordinator and the other adults spoke to us about small snippets of their lives. I always remember that event because I felt that I had established a rapport with the event coordinator and she still contacts me even now, when I'm no longer in charge of finding events. Christopher Chiang
Collec Emly G Clara Le Club M
I feel like the talent show is kind of a school-spirit/pride type of thing, and I like how it gives kids the chance to be in the spotlight for a few moments of their lives. The performances are great, and there’s a lot of school spirit. - Fatema Alam My favorite event was Room to Grow. This was my favorite event because I
cool and fun to volunteer with. Also the atmosphere at the event just brough
Manhattan that looked just like what I would picture to be Santa's Workshop
metallic door in one of the most urban cities of the world. I was practically a
would receive the gifts. The event was truly incredible and fantastic, like a d
e Key Club Event? Key to Your Future was my favorite event because it was informative and taught things like proper attire for interviews, what to say during said interviews, and details regarding financial aid. - Rosemary Chen
cted by Guo and ee//Key Members
My favorite volunteering event with key club was the light the night walk two years ago. we were assigned to hand out t-shirts and colored lanterns that people could light up during the walk! We volunteered alongside a few military men, which was intimidating at first but they ended up being really sweet and funny. Although it ended pretty late on a school night, it was definitely worth it to see the sunset next to the Hudson River and all the lanterns that lit up at night. - Pauline Esguerra My favorite event is Bowery Mission soup kitchen because I get to volunteer with our sponsoring Kiwanis club and I can see all the people that I'm helping. - Jackie Weng My favorite event was volunteering for the New York City Asian American Student Conference (NYCAASC) because there was great food and a free t-shirt. The conference was also really great. The speakers and workshops were well organized, and as a member of the AAPI community, it was really mind-opening and wonderful to hear first-person accounts of combatting social injustice and issues relevant to that. - Jespar Chen
got to volunteer with so many of the sophomores; They were all really
ht me back to my childhood. I mean, here was a secret apartment in
p! The lighting, the shelves of toys, and racks of clothes all hidden behind a
an elf sorting the Christmas gifts that would bring joy to the families who
dream come true. -Andy Chen
Governor’s Project Hello New York District Key Clubbers! My Governor’s Project this year is the broad initiative of Hunger. The reason that I chose this project was because I felt as though there could be service, fundraising, and advocacy that could be done for the project. For service, I encourage you to hold a pancake breakfast with your sponsoring Kiwanis Club, hold a can drive at your school, volunteer at your local food pantry, or make a meal at The Ronald McDonald House. As for the fundraising, New York District Key Club has found a new goal to focus on. We have discovered The Giving Circle, which is a non-profit organization based in Saratoga. The Giving Circle works locally, nationally, and internationally to seek out communities in need and connect them with the resources they need to thrive. One of The Giving Circle’s main projects is to build farms in Uganda. These farms cost $10,000 to build, and would feed all of the inhabitants of the town as well as the children the attend the school and the orphanage. Additionally, the food grown can be sold at the market which creates jobs for the members of the community. If every club raised $50, we could be able to achieve this goal and have the farm be named, ―The New York District Key Club Farm.‖ I want you to take a moment and just really think about the impact that this could have. I spoke with the founder of The Giving Circle, and he said that this farm is a matter of life or death for these people. We are not only saving the lives of the people that currently live there, but we are impacting generations of individuals. Kids that used to have to stay home from school to work for food will now be able to gain an education and provide that for their families. I don’t know about you, but I feel incredibly excited and empowered that we have the opportunity to have this kind of impact. I hope that you will join the New York District in taking the opportunity to make a difference in the World. Yours in Service, Hanna Nichols District Governor New York District
International Project With The Eliminate Project, Kiwanis International and UNICEF have joined forces to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. This deadly disease steals the lives of nearly 60,000 innocent babies and a significant number of women each year. The effects of the disease are excruciating — tiny newborns suffer repeated, painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light and touch. To eliminate MNT from the Earth, more than 100 million mothers and their future babies must be immunized. This requires vaccines, syringes, safe storage, transportation, thousands of skilled staff and more. It will take US$110 million — and the dedicated work of UNICEF and every member of the Kiwanis family. Kiwanis and UNICEF joined forces to tackle iodine deficiency disorders, achieving one of the most significant public health successes of the 20th century. Now, they are eliminating MNT from the face of the Earth. And in doing so, the project will reach the poorest, most neglected mothers and babies with additional lifesaving health care. The end of this one disease means the beginning of better health for so many families.
District P
The Thirst Project The Thirst Project sets out to ―build a socially-conscious generation of young people who end the global water crisis‖. The New York District Key Club now donates money to The Thirst Project in order to build water projects around the world, bringing clean water to impoverished countries. The clean water reduces the risk of waterborne diseases, and is a matter of life-or-death for people living in third-world countries. The diseases harm children the most, since children have far weaker immune systems than adults do, so building water pumps in their neighborhoods helps us reach the Key Club International goal of helping children. Website: https://www.thirstproject.org/ Email: info@thirstproject.org
Pediatric Lyme Disease Foundation Lyme Disease was brought to Kiwanis’ attention during 2000-01 when New York District Kiwanis Governor John Gridley vowed to do something to help children afflicted with this terrible disease. The Lyme Disease Project was quickly set up to help pay for medical treatment for children with this disease. Unfortunately most insurance companies do not pay for its treatment, which is very expensive. Lyme Disease is caused by bacteria usually transmitted by the deer tick. It is a scary possibility to consider for New York State residents who enjoy spending time outside during the summer months. Lyme Disease may affect the brain in many ways. The most common is a disturbance in thinking. Other symptoms that occur frequently include headache, mood swings, irritability, depression and marked fatigue. The spirochete which causes Lyme Disease can invade the central nervous system within days to a week of initial skin infection. the majority of people who aretreated early with antibiotics do well and incur no long-term problems. Peoplewho are not treated until later may have a more complicated outcome. Website: http://www.kiwanis-ny.org/lyme/
Project Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center The Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center is designed to help treat and protect children. It is a Kiwanis-Hospital association that was created in order to provide the funds and staff necessary to create a trauma center with extensive medical assistance and safety. Kiwanis helps to provide treatment as to meet the needs of families with children suffering from trauma (e.g., transportation). Trauma takes the lives of 25,000 children each year and leaves another 120,000 children permanently disabled. An estimated 25% of these deaths and disabilities could be prevented with proper and prompt care. Kiwanis needs Key Club’s help to reduce the number of lives cut short! Website: http://www.kiwanispediatrictraumacenter.org Kamp Kiwanis Kamp Kiwanis is a program located in Taberg, New York, which provides children aged 8 to 14 (including those with special needs) with a unique camping experience. Kamp Kiwanis allows children to just be themselves, no matter what their situation, and encourages them to participate in team building exercises and activities, including boating, sports, and campfires. Kamp Kiwanis costs nothing for the children that attend. Through donations, the Kamp sponsors adults and children, allowing them to experience the program regardless of their financial position. Email: kamp@kampkiwanis.org Website: www.kampkiwanis.org The Eliminate Project With The Eliminate Project, Kiwanis International and UNICEF have joined forces to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. This deadly disease steals the lives of nearly 60,000 innocent babies and a significant number of women each year. The effects of the disease are excruciating — tiny newborns suffer repeated, painful convulsions and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and touch and die in approximately one week. MNT is highly preventable. Together as a Kiwanis family and with UNICEF, we hope to raise a total of 110 million US dollars for The Eliminate Project by 2015, which will also be the 100th anniversary of Kiwanis International. Together we can eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus from the face of the earth. Website: http://theeliminateproject.org/
Email/pm the board members for more information about specific events!
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14 China-
Mon
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1 DKC App 2
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due
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4 LTC
8 Firecrack- 9
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19 Room to 20
er Ceremony & Cultural Festival
15 LTC
22 NYC Common Pantry
28 Brook- 29
lyn Lantern Festival
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Checks due
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town Parade Awards due and Festival
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Grow
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Contacts President: Jacqueline Weng (jackiew98@gmail.com) Vice President: Crystal Liu (crystal2345@gmail.com) Secretary: Christopher Chiang (mycena1@gmail.com) Treasurer: Andy Lok (wrestlngfanatic@gmail.com) Editor: Sophia Zhang (sophiazhangx3@gmail.com) Webmaster: Jespar Chen (chnjspo.kk4899@gmail.com) Projects head: Tammy Cheng (trunycgrl123@gmail.com) Fundraising head: Andy Chen (nameandy84@gmail.com) Publicity/Scrapbook Co-heads: Sophia Zhang (sophiazhangx3@gmail.com) Pauline Esgurra (pauline11258@gmail.com)