Kiwanis Clubs Join Forces to Remember Veterans
Submitted by Susan Dougherty
The Kiwanis Clubs of Greater Westfield and Clark combined forces to write thank you notes to the veterans who are residents of the NJ State Veterans Home at Menlo Park, NJ to let them know they were being praised and remembered for their service to the country. Over 600 heartfelt notes, letters, and artwork were dropped off at the facility on November first so that the veterans’ rooms and lunch trays could be filled with correspondence from grateful folks in Union County. This has been an ongoing project of the area Kiwanis Clubs under the presidencies of John-Michael Jones (Westfield) and Cara Hund (Clark).
The artwork notes were supplied by the children in the Westfield Y under the direction of Kiwanis member Susan Morton. The preschoolers colored outlined pictures of a helmeted soldier and their teachers attached the printed thank you notes. High School students from the A.L. Johnson High School Key Club hand wrote or typed letters of appreciation under the urging of Key Club adviser Ellen Zamboni. The adult clubs participated in the annual event with Westfield club’s Rev. Richard Burdett designing and producing a collectible, colorful card commemorating all branches of the armed forces.
Clark President Cara Hund collected handwritten notes from her membership and thanked them all “for taking the time to once again to remember the people who have helped to keep America free.”
For more information about the Kiwanis Clubs and their high school, middle school, or elementary school clubs, contact Susan Dougherty at 732-382-5367. Kiwanis is an international organization that helps the world one community, one child at a time.
