Charlottesville K-Family Supports Excellent Non-Profits
by Jim Hart

The strong relationship that Charlottesville Kiwanis has built over the years with the community's most effective non-profits has resulted in regular joint service projects involving Key Clubbers, members of CKI, and Kiwanians along with their guests and potential new members. On Monday evening, January 26, Charlottesville's monthly "work night" took place at the Habitat Store, a retail sales store which, according to volunteer coordinator Carla Mullen, provides a self-sustaining funding source to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. "The store extends Habitat's mission by making home maintenance more affordable," she said, "and also assists the community in recycling and reusing surplus new and used building materials, thereby reducing the flow of materials in the waste stream." A dozen Kiwanians led by President Norm Gutzler, three Key Clubbers, including Capital District Key Club Governor Christina Horton, and a guest and potential new member invited by past president Jim Hart, relocated an entire department (lighting fixtures), swept the floors, and washed windows before enjoying a scrumptious dinner supplied by Bread Works, a deli/bakery operated by clients of WorkSource Enterprises.

On Wednesday evening January 21, a dozen CKI members, led by President Brian Cofrancesco, at their regular meeting at the University of Virginia's Cabell Hall enjoyed a sandwich-making party to benefit the homeless shelter at the Salvation Army in Charlottesville. Upwards of 70 hearty deli sandwiches were constructed by the energetic leaders in community service at UVA. Past Charlottesville Kiwanis President Jim Hart arranged with the Salvation Army to receive the sandwiches that very evening to be used in a variety of ways by Central Virginia's largest homeless shelter and transitional housing facility. Bag lunches were provided to residents going out to work and coming back from work. Other sandwiches went to supplement the next day's luncheon at the soup kitchen, which provides three meals a day seven days a week to the 80 homeless men, women, and children living at The Salvation Army. The soup kitchen also serves lunch to the day care center Monday through Friday and is open to the general public in desperate need as well. The Charlottesville K-Family has long played an important role in providing volunteer support for this fine community organization.