Kirstin Harris Updates on Kiwanis of Clinton County
"Our mission is changing the lives of one child at a time," stated Kirstin Harris, Past-President of the Kiwanis of Clinton County.
Kirstin is originally from New Vienna, Ohio, attended East Clinton Local Schools, and later graduated from Wilmington College. She met her now husband, who was also from the area, and the two decided to remain local.
Wanting to give back, she sought to get involved with a community service organization and began with Make-A-Wish. Although she enjoyed it, she wanted to have more of a local impact and began volunteering with the Clinton County Youth Council (CCYC). She eventually learned about the Kiwanis Club of Clinton County, which she later joined.
The Kiwanis Club, originally founded in Michigan in 1915, began in Wilmington roughly 45 years ago. The group began in Michigan as a group of men who wanted to do better for their local community, but later evolved into the service organization that it is today.
The Kiwanis of Clinton County meets twice a month, focusing on helping children locally. According to Kirstin, their biggest project to date is the swim lessons hosted at Wilmington College. The Kiwanis offers low-cost, six-week-long swim lessons three times each year and has served over 400 children in the last five years.
The club also partners with the Clinton County Health Department to host a bike rodeo once each year where children receive a free bicycle and helmet. The rodeo features safety stations, crossing the road, looking for traffic, maneuvering obstacles, and more.
In addition to the main events, the club hosts a Coolest Pet fundraiser, partners with the Clinton County Literacy Foundation, and writes grants to give money locally. They recently gave all four Clinton County school bands money to provide kids with an opportunity to be in band if they couldn't afford it.
The Kiwanis Club is also part of a Community Outreach Committee with CCYC, Harvest of Gold, Jobs and Family Services, and CASA to work together to serve kids.
To learn more about the Kiwanis or volunteer, visit fb.com/KiwanisClintonCounty.
