The Kiwanis Club of Wantagh has supported the education and personal growth of young people for over 70 years. The generous group provides supplies to students in the spring and camp activities in the summer — but it is the holiday season that features its most ambitious projects.
The season of giving started early at Wantagh’s King Kullen. On Nov. 15, Wantagh High School’s Key Club members gathered to take nonperishable donations to will restock local food pantries for those suffering from hunger.
Key Club Member Evangelia DiTroia, a junior at Wantagh High School, collected donations during the food drive. Her peers handed out flyers, bagged donations and prepared them to be delivered to community pantries.
“A lot of people have been coming and they've been participating,” she said. “For my peers, it makes us happy, and it makes us feel like we're doing something and helping out with the community.”
Key Club President Mia Spiteri concurred in a written statement: “Key club shows students that small acts of service can create real change.”
Key Club offers students a unique opportunity to engage in community service. One of Kiwanis divisions geared towards younger participants; the Key Club takes high school students and grants them real-world experience in leadership and responsibility.
Kiwanis Club member Heidi Felix serves as the Key Club liaison. She has been actively involved in the community for about 25 years.
“A big reason why I do what I do is to instill that love of community, the ability to help and support others when they're in need,” she said. “We help and support every time that we can to help our Wantagh community.”
Felix is also a member of the Church of St. Jude Mission Center, one of the food pantries that benefitted from the drive. The pantry has a thriving program for young mothers and families, including those with young children. St. Jude’s works to meet the special needs of infants by collecting and providing diapers, wipes, and food for families in need.
Mother Jimmie Sue Deppe of the Church of St. Jude delights in working with Felix for a good cause.
“She's always looking for opportunities for the Key Clubbers to give back to the community,” she said. “We have a number of food drives throughout the year; Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of our largest ones.
As a part of the seasonal food drives, young people prepare and decorate boxes and baskets for families, which are divided evenly among those in need. Each parcel comes with all of the components of a full Thanksgiving meal, desserts included, and any extra materials that were available. The parish also collects gift cards that allow recipients to shop on their own and personalize their meal.
“What the Key Club provides is a wonderful opportunity for them, for our parish, to give back to the community and to work with young people — it's intergenerational,” Deppe said. “I inherited a wonderful tradition that's been a long-standing part of the parish: food drives. This is especially (important), food pantries are hurting so badly right now. People are hurting. This is a beautiful way for us to work together to serve our community.”
The federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is on track to return to full functionality after 43 days of uncertainty due to the federal government shutdown, but the effects can still be felt throughout communities across the country, on top of existing stressors that can make regular meals a challenge.
“The need in the area is extremely high, still, and it's not because of any one reason,” said Deb Colton, a member of the Kiwanis Club. “Many people have diminished income, and many have lost jobs… there's a consistent level that the pantries are seeing a rise in the number of people who are needing more food to take care of their families.
“The people of Wantagh have always risen to the occasion and been extremely generous in understanding the pressing need of families that are struggling,” she added. “In Wantagh, we focus very tightly on food insecurity and other issues that help children to improve themselves and their opportunity to learn so they can build a better life.”
The need for food is year-round. To learn more about how to donate products, visit ChurchOfStJude.org.
