06/18/2026
What a meeting we had on Tuesday! π
We started the evening hearing from three Westfield Middle School 8th graders who received scholarships to travel to Washington, D.C. these students stood up, spoke from the heart, and shared what the trip meant to them. Of everything they saw, the Holocaust Memorial left the deepest mark on all three. It's a powerful reminder of why we invest in these experiences for our kids: some lessons you can only learn standing in front of history.
Then Suzanna Hobson, Executive Director of the Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank, joined us with a wake-up call. In a county as prosperous as ours, 22% of households are struggling with food insecurity. The Food Bank spends roughly $30,000 a week just to keep local pantries stocked, and those pantries are run entirely by volunteers, often able to open only about 14 hours a week. The need is real, it's close to home, and it's solvable, but only if more of us pitch in.
Here's how you can help right now:
Download the Community Compass app (https://www.indyhunger.org/compass/) to find resources fast Become a monthly donor to the Food Bank Spread the word about resources available to neighbors who need them Follow Hamilton County Harvest on social media Volunteer through hchfoodbank.org
Nights like Tuesday are exactly why we do this. If you've been on the fence about joining Kiwanis, come see for yourself, grab a seat, hear stories like these, and find out how good it feels to be part of fixing problems in your own backyard.
Our next meeting is Tuesday July 21st at 6:30 at Westfield Washington Public Library meeting room A. We will hear from Westfield Washington Schools Superintendent John Atha and Westfield Education Foundation President Ashley Knott. See you there!