Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club
by Bruce Malkin
After a highly successful semester of doing community service while studying full time, the members of the Kiwanis CKI Club at the Alexandria campus of the Northern Virginia Community College had a final get-together in the college's cafeteria on December 17. Sponsored by the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club (MVKC), this CKI Club has been in operation since early 2009, when it was chartered with 83 members. MVKC Immediate Past President Bruce Malkin and Co-Secretary Joanne Malkin joined the goup to wish them another great year in 2011.
From left, CKI Executive VP Ryan Pierpoint, NOVACC Staff Advisor Ken Balbuena, MVKC's Joanne Malkin, CKI's Service VP Jazmin Gonzalez, CKI's President Asw Elmelik, MVKC's Bruce Malkin, CKI's Secretary Sandra Vargas.
On December 17, Sacramento Neighborhood Center (SNC) held its "Home for the Holidays" event at its office in Sacramento Plaza. Many of the students who participate in the after-school programs there and many of their parents attended. Forty-four of the students who completed a special skills (like keyboarding) achievement program received Wal-Mart gift cards from the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club (MVKC), which also donated 4 decorated gingerbread houses (that 4 students won in a raffle), a Xmas tree, and a large container of Starbucks coffee, a Company Sponsor of the MVKC. On hand to award the Wal-Mart gift cards to the best students were Immediate Past President Bruce Malkin Co-Secretary Joanne Malkin, Co-Secretary Vivien Peterson, and members Lee Palmer and Barbara Callahan. After the awards ceremony, a spaghetti dinner was served, and two Santas visited with more gifts for all!
student award winner
student award winner
student award winners
Erika Kanamori, Sally Waller and Daniel Galiano of SNC stand behind Bruce Malkin, Lee Palmer, Barbara Callahan, and Joanne Malkin of MVKC.
MVKC members Lee Palmer, Barbara Callahan, Bruce Malkin, Joanne Malkin, and Vivien Peterson gave gift cards to all the student awardees.
Students who won the gingerbread house raffle hold their prizes, which were donated by the MVKC
This was a two-Santa event!
On December 14, the Mouint Vernon Kiwanis Club (MVKC) joined the Creekside Neighborhood Center (CNC) on Janna Lee Avenue to celebrate the holiday season. The event was planned and organized \by UCM's CNC Program Director, Blanca Vasquez, and some of the parents of the children served by the Center. Six members of the MVKC participated in several ways, namely,. by donating the Xmas tree to be decorated, by supplying 40 Wal-Mart $10 gift certificates for distribution to students who had completed a program to get better grades this semester, and by distributing free books to all the elementary school kids. In addition, all the students received new toys and a pizza dinner.
Betty Puscheck with two of the book recipients
Ffrom left MVKC members Bruce Malkin, Lee Palmer, Barbara Callahan, Blanca Vasquez (CNC Program Director), and Joanne Malkin
MVKC members Bruce Malkin and Betty Puscheck with CNC Program Director Blanca Vasquez and the tree donated by the MVKC to CNC
MVKC members Joanne Malkin, on left, and Betty Puscheck prepare to distribute free books to all the CNC kids
MVKC Past President Bruce Malkin explaining the Wal-Mart gift certificates that the MVKC was giving to each high-achieviong student
At the Holiday Party of the Mount Vernon (VA) KC, held at the Mount Vernon Country Club, Immediate Past President Bruce Malkin was awarded the Tablet of Honor for his leadership and achievements during his two years as President in 2009 and 2010. Thirty-nine members and guests enjoyed a memorable evening of gingerbread house decorating, singing Xmas songs, and dining on a special menu prepared by the Country Club's superb chef. In addition to the Tablet of Honor, Malkin was also presented with a Kiwanis clock, a traditional gift for outgoing Presidents.
Bruce Malkin, Immediate Past President of the Mount Vernon KC, on left, received the Tablet of Honor from another Past President and fellow Tablet of Honor recipient, Paul Mehler
Thanks to persistence and hard work by interested parent Gloria Mongan and Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club (MVKC) Past President Bruce Malkin, a brand new Kiwanis Builders Club is in the incipient stage of forming and preparing to petition to be an officially chartered Builders Club at Carl Sandburg Middle School on Fort Hunt Road. More than 25 students have attended the initial meetings and participated in the first service projects already being planned and implemented to serve the Mount Vernon community. At their meeting on November 19, the students brought all the food they had collected and put it in Mrs. Mongan'a car for delivery to UCM, and then they decorated glass tree ornaments to sell during a band concert to raise money for future service projects. The photos show them putting the food boxes into Gloria Mongan's vehicle for delivery and also decorating the tree ornaments.
Carl Sandburg Builders Club members hold boxes with food collected to donate to UCM's Food Pantry. Faculty Adviser Dayna Hamilton is standing at far left and Parent Advisor Gloria Mongan is kneeling at far left.
Carl Sandburg Builders Club members decorate tree ornaments. Faculty Advisor Dayna Hamilton is second from left
(seated) and Parent Advisor Gloria Mongan is at far right (standing).
On Saturday, December 4, MV Kiwanis Club members Charles Jones and Major Reid Novotny, assisted by Arnie Porter, delivered three of the 13 free Xmas trees donated by the Mount Veron Kiwanis Club to families of our soldiers fighting in Afghanistan this holiday season. The trees are part of the 800 delivered by Powers Tree Farm in SW Virginia for the Club's annual fundraiser. Powers Tree Farm, acting upon the request of Paul Mehler, the Xmas Tree Sale Coordinator of the MVKC, donated the trees this year for the first time. The other 780 Fraser firs are being sold in the Belle View Shopping Center's parking lot until December 19, when the last trees are expected to be sold, if not before. Come early for the best selection, and help the MV Kiwanis Club help others in our community during 2011. Wreaths and garland are also available at reasonable prices.
Arnie Porter on left and Reid Novotny on right deliver a free tree to a military family
Charles Jones on left and Arnie Porter, third from left, deliver a free tree to a military family
Charles Jones on left and Reid Novotny on right deliver a free tree to a military family.
On December 3, two of the three families that are part of the Sacramento Neighborhood Center's members picked up their free Xmas trees from the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club (MVKC) at its sales lot in the Belle View Shopping Center's parking lot. One of the trees will also be used at the Center itself in Sacramento Plaza this holiday season. The 4 trees that the MVKC are giving to the SNC group are in addition to the 13 being donated to families of servfice men and women from Fort Belvoir serving now in Afghanistan and the two already delivered to the Creekside Neighborhood Center. This sale of Fraser firs, wreaths, and garland is the largest fundraiser the MVKC does each year, and all proceeds go to fund its community service programs next year in our area. The sale will continue until December 19 or until all 780 trees are sold, whichever comes first. Come early for the best selection as sales have been excellent since they began on November 27. For more info on the MVKC, see its website at www.mtvernonvakiwanis.org, its FaceBook page or contact brucemalkin1@gmail.com. The attached photos show Immediate Past President Bruce Malkin with the two happy recipients of their free trees from the MVKC.
Gladys Fertiz and her son, Juan, receive their free Fraser fir from MVKC Immediate Past President Bruce Malkin on December 3.
Marcia Gomez receives her free Fraser fir from Immediate Past President Bruce Malkin on December 3.
On December 1, Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club (MVKC) Past President Bruce Malkin and member Rich Keil delivered two Fraser firs to Blanca Vasquez, UCM Community Developer and Director of the Creekside Neighborhood Center, on Janna Lee Avenue. The trees are part of the annual fundraiser by the MVKC, which is taking part now at the Belle View Shoping Center parking lot until December 19. The MVKC supports the Creekside Neighborhood Center in various ways during the year, and added free Xmas trees this year in addiiton to its other contributions.
MVKC Past President Bruce Malkin. Creekside Neighborhood Center Director Blanca Vasquez, MVKC member Rich Keil delivering the two donated Xmas trees.
