Dear Friend,

Welcome to the Kiwanis Club of Cincinnati Monthly Newsletter. We hope you find each edition informational and helpful in planning your calendar. We expect the newsletter to evolve based on input from our readers, so please provide us your input!

In this issue you will find:

• Kiwanis Inspirational Moment


• Celebration!


• Upcoming Events


• Kiwanis Club News


• New Members


• A Club Member Feature


• Kiwanis International News


• Did You Know?


• A Word of Encouragement


• Membership Information




Inspirational Moment The Chinese sage Confucius said: "Care, that is, consideration for others, is the basis of a good life, a good society." Through Kiwanis, caring men and woman can create a good life for themselves, and through voluntary service, a good society.




Celebration! Join us in congratulating our club members on these recent and upcoming milestones! Birthdays Tony Fischer - February 4 Tim Gramke - February 16




Upcoming Events To RSVP for any event, please either contact the RSVP Contact or email us at info@cincinnatikiwanis.org. Board Meeting - Mon Feb 8 - 6pm-7pm - At this meeting, we will be discussed our playground project and lunch meeting frequency, as well as many other important items. Where: Ronald McDonald House Board Room: 350 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229 St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen - Wed Feb 11 - 4:15pm–5:45pm - We are serving dinner at the St Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen on the second Wednesday of every month. It is fun, rewarding, and your help is greatly appreciated! The work includes preparing food, cleaning pots/pans, and serving food. Where: Parking is available in the fenced-in lot behind St. Francis Seraph Grade School, located on Liberty Street between Vine and Moore Streets. Enter the parking lot from Moore Street. RSVP Contact: Bill Swanson Club Lunch Meeting - Mon Feb 16 - cancelled due to President's Day. Aktion Club Meeting - Mon Feb 16 - Amy Zimmerman is going to the Aktion club meeting tonight at 6:30 at Mercy Health West. She would love to have others join her. The program will be “Mad Cap Puppets” and all are invited. Location: Mercy Health Partners West, 3131 Queen City Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 389-5181 RSVP Contact: Amy Zimmerman University of Cincinnati Circle K meeting - Wed Feb 18 - 7:30pm - The UC Circle K Club is one of our sponsored programs. Come to learn more about what they are up to and meet the fantastic people that make up their club. Location:2639 Clifton Avenue, Stratford Heights, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0138 They meet at the Center for Community Engagement (right across from UC's main campus on Clifton Ave.). If you are familiar with Stratford Heights (a new student housing complex), if you are looking directly at the large sign on Clifton Ave., which advertises for Stratford Heights (it's right under a street light), the building is the CCE is to the left of the sign (very first building on your left). They typically have someone wait at the door to let others in, as we need a swipe card to get in. RSVP Contact: Alyson Gerwe who will forward the RSVP list to Brittany Wagner (Circle K Club Co-President). Miami Heights LaRosa's Fundraiser for Cleves-Three Rivers Kiwanis Club - Thurs Feb 19 - all day - Today, the Miami Heights LaRosa's will donate 20% of your order to the Cleves-Three Rivers Kiwanis Club for their scholarship fund. You must have the flyer for their club to get the donation (http://www.cincinnatikiwanis.org/docs/Kiwanis_LaRosas_Flyer_Feb_19th.JPG). Here is a link to get directions/see the location on a map (http://www.larosas.com/site_content/plocator.html?loc=Miami%20Heights) Pre-Spring Fling Sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Cleves and Three Rivers - Fri Feb 20 - 6pm-11pm - Where: The Woodlands, 9680 Cilley Road (Kilby Road Exit), 2 minutes off I-275. Tickets are $100 for dinner for two, with open bar, entertainment and a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes!!Silent Auction; Prizes at the event including: - Two $250 early bird drawings - $1,000 Second prize - $3,500 Grand prize (all winning tickets are reentered for the Grand Prize) Read the article on Cincinnati.com For more information, contact Jerry Duerk at 513.941.0084 Ronald McDonald House: Service Project - Mon Feb 23 - 5pm–7pm - We cook and serve dinner for the residents of the house, so they can spend quality time with their family or just relax after a long day at the hospital. After working so hard, we also get to eat dinner with the residents! Where: Ronald McDonald House Dining Room: 350 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229 RSVP Contact: Brian Yacucci Lunch and Learn - Speaker TBA - Mon March 2 - 12-1pm: Take a break in the middle of your hectic day to learn about our community, club updates, and to spend time with friends. Invite a friend to lunch. Their first 3 lunches are FREE! Where: The Banker's Club, 30th floor of the Fifth Third Building on Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH 45202 RSVP Contact: Brian Yacucci Check out our club calendar for more details





Kiwanis Club News Monthly Quiz Those who correctly answer this month's quiz will get to choose a mystery prize from the bag of treasures at the next meeting they attend. Ready to try your hand at February's quiz? Check out the Quiz page on our club website > Event News from January 1/6 - Freestore Foodbank: This is one of our most fun events! the Cincinnati Kiwanis Club partnered with Hewlett-Packard’s employee activities group “HP TeamCincinnati” to sort well over a ton of food at the Freestore Foodbank. The food was donated by local grocers and our job was to check expiration dates and dented cans and to reject those that did not meet guidelines. A couple of potential new Kiwanis recruits were there too! If you missed it, you have another chance to join us the evening of March 3rd. Watch your email for details! (Attendance: 15 members, 4 non-members) 1/8 - Division Meeting: The January Division meeting hosting Governor Kip Crain and first lady Becky was a huge success with 120 in attendance from 3 divisions in Southwest Ohio Kiwanis including Key Club, Circle K and Kiwanis! Of those 120, Cincinnati Kiwanis was second in club attendance with 11 – including 3 members that were inducted that evening: Sopheap, Monica and Tony!!! The Buckeye Award was given to Alyson and Amy from Governor Kip for outstanding Kiwanis service. Thanks to Brian and Jeanette who baked cookies for the event!(Attendance: 10 members, 1 non-member) 1/12 - Monthly Planning Meeting: At this meeting at the Ronald McDonald House Board Room, we discussing club goals for this year, as well as many other important items. (Attendance: 10 members) 1/14 - St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen: We served dinner at the St Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen as we do every month. Last month, Tim and Linda Gramke, Bill Swanson, and friend Axel Szymanski (visiting from Germany) served over 200 meals. There’s a rumor that Tim and Bill were seen mopping the floor, but there are no pictures to prove it! (Attendance: 3 members, 1 non-member) 1/26 - Ronald McDonald House: Service Project: As part of the expansion of the Ronald McDonald House, the kitchen is undergoing extensive remodeling. As a key supporter of Ronald McDonald House, the Cincinnati Kiwanis donated $3,000 towards the purchase of industrial ovens and equipment. The kitchen is closed until April, so starting in January we’re preparing food in advance and serving in the lobby. Last month, Jeanette and Brian Yacucci, Bill Swanson and son Eric served delicious “Chicken a la King” prepared by Greta Swanson, along with a delicious broccoli salad and cookies from the Yacucci kitchen. The guests were very happy that dinner was “not pizza again”! (Attendance: 3 members, 1 non-member) More past events.....




New Membership 1,2,3 You Hold the Key More than 12,000 people have joined Kiwanis International since the beginning of the 1-2-3 You Hold the Key program. Recruit new members during the current administrative year and you’ll be rewarded, too, with keys to wear proudly. Plus new member recruitment adds towards achieving your Distinguished Member status! Who should you invite to join? Anyone who loves serving their community, meeting interesting people, or developing leadership skills. Invite a friend, coworker or neighbor to our next service project or meeting (they get 3 free lunches!). Distinguished Member Status So far Jim (recruited 1 new member) and Alyson Gerwe (recruited 2 new members) are on their way to achieving Distinguished Member status for the Kiwanis year 2008-2009. You can too! To qualify for Distinguished Member status, club members must: • Recruit two (2) new members, • Attend either a Mid-Winter Conference (April 25, 2009 - Columbus, OH), International Convention (June 25-28, 2009 - Nashville, TN) or District Convention (August 15, 2008 - Sharonville, OH), • Participate in six (6) Kiwanis service efforts, and • Financially support the Kiwanis International Foundation. Details: The club president will verify those Kiwanians qualifying for Distinguished Member recognition. Distinguished Members will receive a lapel pin and recognition at the 2010 Kiwanis International Convention (for 2008-09 recipients) and at the 2011 Kiwanis International Convention (for 2009-10 recipients). Get Details About Distinguished Member Status




An Interview with Amy Zimmerman (Club Member since 2001) Each month we feature one of our club members so our readers can get to know the people who make up our club. Enjoy! Amy grew up in Beavercreek, a community outside of Dayton, Ohio. In both grade school and high school, Amy kept very busy. She played in a number of sports – volleyball, track, basketball and soccer, “Lettering” in volleyball, track and wrestling. Yes, wrestling! Since she did not go out for basketball her senior year, she joined the boys wrestling team doing team stats, which earner her a “Letter”. Because of her volleyball experience, Amy also was on the Junior Olympic team in high school. In addition to sports, Amy kept busy with Key Club, serving as president. She won the Patriot of the Year award for her outstanding service for the school and her community. I wonder where Amy gets her energy and community spirit? No doubt her mom, Sandy, also a member of our club! When asked about her favorite Kiwanis moment, Amy reflected back on her first experience with the Cincinnati Kiwanis Club. The club was planning the donation of a wheel chair to one of the local hospitals and one of the club members wanted to personally donate another wheel chair in memory of his wife. This gesture (a very generous one), touched Amy so much that she decided this was the right club for her. Amy’s experience with Key Club in her high school years is one reason she continues today. Especially with the “adopt a class” experience where there was so much fun and comradery with the handicapped kids. As a Kiwanian, Amy has fond memories of the Kid’s café in Newport where they played with kids after school and served them dinner. In her spare time, Amy continues to play volleyball in the co-ed league she’s been in for 10 years and she has played in the Executive Woman’s Golf Association for the past 8 years. Ever since she won the camera for the top sales in girl scout cookies, Amy has enjoyed photography. She took a class in Maine in late August with Laura Reinhart and Hebert Kirchgaessner from our club. Amy also loves to plan and host parties, especially in her newly remodeled kitchen, and if she can find the time, she never misses Grey’s Anatomy on TV. As our current Lt Governor, Amy also serves on the board of the South West Ohio Kiwanis Mental Health Association. (SWOKMHA) and South West Ohio Kiwanis for Kids Safety (SWOKKS) Association which involves Amy in their respective fund raising. She must attend a club and/or board meetings for all 13 clubs in our division, and runs the 5-6 division meetings, the division golf outing and the Division Cincinnati Reds game for the year. And finally, Amy attends the district board meetings all over the state. Here are Amy’s Kiwanis years of service: Key Club 1989-93, UC Circle K Club 1993-98, Circle K Alumni Assn. 98-present, and a member of the Cincinnati Kiwanis Club since 2001. She has won the following Distinguished Secretary, Distinguished Member, Distinguished President and Outstanding Club Secretary awards. So what don’t people know about Amy? Well, few knew she was a high school apprentice for the US Government working on human factor related projects and after February 11th, Amy will be able to say she prayed with the UC basketball team. Last week she won a raffle at St Monica/St George where she will attend the UC game with the church pastor and be part of the prayer session with the players and coaches in the locker room prior to the game! More club stars...




Kiwanis International News Share Your Kiwanis Story: My Kiwanis Moment Story-Sharing Virtual Library Kiwanis is pleased to present stories of personal moments—past and present—through this online library. We hope you enjoy these glimpses into the lives of Kiwanis members, leaders, volunteers, and the children we serve. Do you have an encouraging story you'd like to share? Have you gathered wisdom over the years you feel might be helpful for others? If so, please submit your Kiwanis Moment today! Let us know how Kiwanis has made a difference in your life, the life of a child, or your neighborhood. Share Your Story or Read the Stories of Others




Did you know? So who was St Valentine and why is February 14th celebrated each year? * One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. * According to another legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. *While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.




A Word of Encouragement Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you to all of our volunteers for your friendship, service and leadership. The Cincinnati community would not be the same without your dedication. We love you guys! "You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love. " — Henry Drummond Quote from CharityGuide.com

Membership Information

We always welcome new members to our team! If you are interested in becoming a member of Cincinnati Kiwanis, either contact a Cincinnati Kiwanis member or come to a meeting to fill out a membership application. Our membership is open to the public. New members means more volunteers working together to make a greater positive impact on our community...Learn more about Membership


Not a member, but want to come to our events? No problem! The public is invited and encouraged to join us for all our activities and events. Want another incentive to try out our lunch meetings? We buy your lunch 3 times as our guest (3 FREE lunches). Hope to see you soon!

Thanks everyone for all the hard work this past month in putting this newsletter together!