Kiwanis Club Meeting Highlights – January 21, 2025

Our first meeting of 2025 began with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation focusing on community service. Several members shared personal updates and “happy/sad finds,” including news about family members and health updates.

Key Updates:

• We celebrated the success of our annual theater night fundraiser preparations, with approximately 230-240 tickets sold for the January 23rd event.
• Our monthly Lydia House service project team reported on their recent dinner service, where members prepared and served chicken, potato salad, and carrots to about 25 residents. The team noted improvements to the facility, including fresh paint and renovations.
• Davide announced a Key Club fundraiser at Applebee’s (Lakewood Center Mall) on February 1st, 8:00-9:30 AM, with $13 tickets.

Guest Speaker:
Joe Erez Mendez from Operation Jumpstart presented about their mentorship program serving first-generation college-bound students in Long Beach. The program boasts a 92% success rate, having helped over 8,000 students graduate college over 30 years. They’re currently seeking mentors to support their 300 students through both high school and college journeys.

Committee Reports:

• Our Membership Committee is seeking new members
• The social committee reported strong progress on upcoming events
• Our website updates include coverage of recent holiday events

The meeting concluded with the traditional 50/50 drawing and club song.

Our next meeting will feature continued planning for upcoming events and community service projects.