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February
3, 2009
Today’s
Program Clothes for Kids Jennifer Silva
Clothes
To Kids, Inc. (CTK) was founded in 2002 by two local Pinellas women Jode
Eye and Marie McClung. Clothes To Kids, Inc. is a year-round non-profit
organization whose sole mission is to provide new and quality used
clothing to low-income, school-age children in Pinellas County, free of
charge. Through their experience with local schools, they witnessed the
great need to provide clothing to low-income school children; they often
saw these children coming to school with torn clothes, shoes with holes,
and no coats during the cold winter months. These children are likely
deprived of one of life’s basic necessities, clothing, causing them to
suffer physically and emotionally. Children wearing inadequate clothing
are often teased and find it difficult to concentrate in school. This
may stunt their academic growth, reduce their chances for success, and
leave them susceptible to physical and psychological impairment.
The
mission of Clothes To Kids, Inc (CTK) is to provide new and quality used
clothing to low income, school-age children in Pinellas County, free of
charge. The vision at Clothes To Kids is to meet the clothing needs of
every eligible child in Pinellas County. CTK works to achieve this is a
friendly, cheerful store setting that helps build self-esteem for each
child.
To
receive clothing from CTK, children must live in Pinellas County, be
enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade and be referred by an
authorized person or institution such as a school, religious leader or
local social service agency. By partnering with numerous organizations,
schools, and volunteers, CTK is able to provide a dignified setting
simulating a department store where these school children can “shop” for
a full week’s supply of clothes twice in any 12-month period.
The
ultimate goal of CTK is to help pave a path for success for low-income
school children. By supplying appropriate clothing, CTK enhances a
child’s educational experience by helping him or her feel more
comfortable and confident in the classroom, in turn helping the child to
focus on his/her studies and social development.
Clothes
To Kids is located at 1059 North Hercules Avenue in Clearwater and
accepts donations of new or clean, gently used shoes and clothing Monday
through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Cash donations are fully tax-deductible and
can be mailed to P.O. Box 6123, Clearwater, Florida 33758-6123 or
dropped off at the store location. clothestokids.org
What’s
Happening
Donation
to Salvation Army
J. C.
Russell thanked the Kiwanis members who rang the bell to the tune of
$1,047. Thanks, J.C., for conducting the effort. Another fine present
our club delivered during the holidays.
Community
Service Club Upcoming Events
Special
Olympics – Saturday, March 14th
Blues
Fest – March 20-22
Passing
of a former Member
Former
member Stephen Hahn died on Wednesday night.
Letter
from Ukraine Kiwanis Club
Hello Markus
Just today we have finished our Christmas programs. Today our volunteers
visited children hospital for children who have a cancer. In Ukraine we
have only 2 hospitals which have equipment for treatment of such
children. Every year such children becomes more. Our meeting occurred
for the first time. We have made the program and all children received
the presents. For this Christmas we have supported about 800 children
and poor families. On January, 19th we have last Christmas holiday calls
Iordan - Epiphany
Iordan day commemorates the baptism of Christ in the river Jordan. In
observance of this holiday, churches offer blessed water.
In this day all people goes to the rivers and also to orthodox churches
to take sacred water. For this ceremony on the river the has cuts an
ice-hole in the form of cross. Orthodox priests consecrates the water.
Everyone who wants should to dip into that ice-hole three times . It
makes even if a frost of more than 20 degrees. In this year on all
rivers there were many people, even children has bathed.
After the ceremony people come back home and has special meal. This meal
cannot be fat. Only vegetables and pies. We also have always in the
family this holiday but we do not bathe in water. This day - Birthday of
my mum we gather all family. And only after January, 20th all people
start to clean the Christmas ornament. Also we just now have removed the
Christmas tree. Different and it is very interesting traditions of each
country. I thank the God that we have a dialogue with you. I very much
want to learn more about people in your club, about your city. I have
some offers. Some people in my club will be glad to communicate with
people of your club. If it is good idea I can send photos and age of
these people. I wrote you that I have members in my club of 25 up to 55
year old. I think important to know to whom you write. It can strengthen
our international communications. Also I have some requests. One from
members of club has opened small church. For him it is very important to
have dialogue with pastors of other countries. If your club has partner
relations with churches, can you tell about new church in Ukraine which
only is created? If any pastor will have desire to write, it will be a
miracle. The second we have need in clothes for programs. These are any
suits which we can use in our performances for children. It`s suits of
animals, clowns, princesses and also different materials to make suits.
Suits can be not new. Now in Ukraine difficult conditions of life. As a
result of actions of the Russian government we have bad position in our
economy. Russia wishes to break Ukraine completely and make Ukraine a
part of Russia. And last events, Russia try to destroy authority of our
country making troubles with natural gas delivering. Prices have risen
here on a food and gasoline. Many people did not get wages two months.
Some our friends has lost job. We also now buy some simple meal on our
meetings to feed teenagers who come to us. They assist to make work for
children, but their families have no opportunity to feed them. We also
have begun service for support of mums which has suffered from the
husbands.
President Lora
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian
of the Day, Bob Piplitz, delivered to us Dr. Anilkumar N. Raiker, on the
staff of St. Petersburg General Hospital. An oncologist, Dr. Raiker gave
us a sobering account about the status of cancer in the U.S. and the way
to curb or prevent it.
Last
year, approximately 1.3 million cases of cancer were reported resulting
in a half-million deaths. The good news is, at least for men, that lung
cancer is decreasing. Conversely, in women, lung cancer is on the rise
as more women have succumbed to the smoking habit. Studies have shown
that 90% of all lung cancers are attributable to smokers.
Other
causes of cancer include excessive use of alcohol, exposure to uranium,
asbestos, and electromagnetic fields, diet, and cooking techniques.
After
hearing all of this grim news, Dr. Raiker offered us hope to aid in the
prevention of cancer. He outlined seven ways to do so:
-
Do
not smoke
-
Improve your diet (more fresh vegetables, fruit, and nuts) and
decrease alcohol consumption
-
Stay
active with at least 30 minutes of exercise per day and maintain a
healthy weight
-
Protect yourself from ultra violet rays with sunscreen rated at 15
or above
-
Seek
out vaccines for hepatitis or cervical cancer when necessary
-
Avoid
risky behavior
-
Screening
Screening
includes testing such as colonoscopies and breast exams for women. Dr.
Raiker recommends colonoscopies for all those over 50 years old.
Furthermore, people who have cancer in their family should have
screening done at an earlier age and more often.
And memo
to all grill chefs: Carbon on food creates carcinogens that can lead to
cancer. Damn! Is nothing sacred anymore? But not all is lost as Dr.
Raiker did say that dark chocolate has been shown to lower risk of heart
attack and incidence of cancer. Hooray!
Other
tips Dr. Raiker left us are to take a dose of Vitamin A and E and
aspirin in small, daily amounts. Thanks, Dr. Raiker, to help us have
better, healthier lives. Now it is up to us to take actions on his sound
advice.
Guests
and Visitors
We had 50 members and 4 guests attending.
Debra McKell, a guest of our speaker, Dr. Raiker
Sharon McCaman, a guest of Frank Ranieri
Aaron Lukosavich, a guest of Frank Ranieri
Today’s
Quiz
-
Where
did the tuxedo originate?
-
What
is the capital of New Zealand?
-
Name
the events that create the Grand Slam of Tennis.
-
What
movies were nominated for the Oscars in the best picture category
for 2008?
Last
Week’s Quiz
Legend
has it that this climatic postseason 'bowl' game was named the 'Super
Bowl' by AFL founder Lamar Hunt after hearing his daughter call her
toy rubber ball a 'super ball,' his mind then jumping to 'Super Bowl'
since professional football was then searching for a name for this
annual game.
The first
Super Bowl was held in the Los Angeles Coliseum on January
15, 1967, after the end of the 1966 season, the NFL's Green Bay Packers,
under coach Vince Lombardi, beating the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs 35 to
10.
Dexter
Jackson, Doug Williams, and Steve Young
were the Buccaneers who were Super Bowl MVP winners.
Tampa has
hosted
4 Super
Bowls:
XVIII, January 22, 1984; XXV, January 27, 1991; XXXV, January 28, 2001
and soon to be XLIII on February 1, 2009.
The other
cities that have hosted the Super Bowl: Atlanta (2, Minneapolis
(1), Detroit/Pontiac (2), San Diego (3), Miami (9), Tempe/Glendale, AZ
(2), Los Angeles (2), New Orleans (9), Jacksonville (1), Houston (2),
Palo Alto (1) and Pasadena (5).
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