Dear Friend,
August is an exciting month for our club. With so many opportunities to help the children in our community, to strengthen friendships with fellow Kiwanians, and to fund our projects, you're sure to feel the excitement and fulfillment of being a Kiwanian.
In this issue you will find:
Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision, the ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives, the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Join us in congratulating our club members on these recent and upcoming milestones! To RSVP for any event, please either contact the RSVP Contact or email us at info@cincinnatikiwanis.org. Past Event News We Need More Volunteers: Recruit New Members ...August 8th is the official Happiness Happens Day. So, wear your SILVER shades, donate your SILVER coins—pay someone’s toll, bus or subway fare, buy a soda, or take up a donation for your favorite charity, or pass out SILVER kisses. Why SILVER? Because not-so-secretly happy people have a way of finding the SILVER lining in even the darkest clouds.
Inspirational Moment
Celebration!
Kiwanis Anniversaries
Congratulations to Bob Porter Jr. on 55 years of Kiwanis membership! Bob joined Kiwanis on August 22, 1954. Thank you for your service to the community and continued support of the Cincinnati Kiwanis club. We are proud to have you as a member!
A New Baby
Happy Birthday to little Lenora Jane Flick. She was born July 13, 2009, to proud mom and club member Kelly Flick. Congratulations Kelly on the birth of your little girl! She's adorable!
Upcoming Events
Kiwanis Trauma Dolls Project - Tuesday, August 4 - 6:30pm-8:30pm - In lieu of the Freestore Foodbank this month, we are making trauma dolls for children in traumatic situations. A hospital experience can be overwhelming for an adult. Imagine what it is like for a sick or injured child. Kiwanis Trauma Dolls help by providing comfort, distraction from discomfort and boredom, an outlet for expression, and a demonstration doll for doctors. The dolls will be distributed to local ERs, police stations and fire departments.
We’ll be making Kiwanis Trauma Dolls. To make the dolls, we’ll cut out the doll pattern from fabric, stuff the dolls, sew the dolls together, and then package them. If you have a portable sewing machine and/or sewing supplies, please bring them. All fabric, thread, stuffing, and packaging materials will be provided. If you aren’t comfortable with sewing, you could cut, stuff or package the dolls. Please RSVP to Alyson by August 1.
Where: Alyson Gerwe's House, 3834 Meadowlark Ln, Fairfax, OH 45227
RSVP Contact: Alyson Gerwe
Playground Project Work Day - Saturday, August 8 - 1pm-4pm We'll be working on the outdoor play structures that we are building for the Playground Enhancement Project at the Peaslee Community Center.
Where: Jim and Alyson Gerwe's House.
Project Contact: Jim Gerwe, j_gerwe@yahoo.com
Monthly Planning Meeting - Monday, August 10 - 6pm-7pm - Everyone is encouraged to attend, as this is where most of our club decisions are made. Each meeting we discuss our community projects, our charitable donations, and the planning of our events. If you like, bring an appetizer to share during the meeting.
This Month's Host: Bill Swanson
Where: 6981 Dearwester Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45236
RSVP Contact: Bill Swanson
St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen - Wednesday, August 12 - 4:15pm-5:45pm -
Where: St. Francis Seraph Grade School, located on Liberty Street between Vine and Moore Streets. Enter the parking lot from Moore Street. The soup kitchen door is in the back of the building. 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.
Project Contact: Bill Swanson
Ohio District Kiwanis Convention - Friday, August 14- Saturday, August 15 - “GROWTH MEANS MORE SERVICE”
"That’s what it is all about as your 2009 District Convention Team prepares for the 92nd Annual Convention. Location of this year’s Convention is the City of Flight, the Home of Orville and Wilbur Wright, the world famous National Museum of the United States Air Force, and many other wonderful sightseeing places, in Dayton, Ohio. We are going to be headquartered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Dayton Convention Center. (If you stay at the hotel, parking is free). When is this big event happening? August 14-16, 2009. Check out all the registration details in this issue of the Ohio District Kiwanis Magazine." ~ Paul Price, District Convention Chair
Where: Crowne Plaza Dayton, 33 E. Fifth Street, Dayton, OH 45402 AND Dayton Convention Center, 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio Agenda and More Details: http://ohiokiwanis.org/Files/Districts/50/Documents/June_2009.pdf
Register Online: https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1005729
** All members are encouraged to attend. **
Lunch N Learn: TBA - Monday, August 17 - 12:00-1:00pm - Enjoy a break from work with friends, as well as learn about club happenings, meet and discuss community needs. As soon as the speaker is scheduled, the Google Calendar will be updated. So stay tuned.
Where: BlackFinn, 19 East 7th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
RSVP Contact: Brian Yacucci
Playground Project Work Day - Thursday, August 20 - 5:30pm-8:30pm - We'll be working on the outdoor play structures that we are building for the Playground Enhancement Project at the Peaslee Community Center.
Where: Jim and Alyson Gerwe's House.
Project Contact: Jim Gerwe, j_gerwe@yahoo.com
Ronald McDonald House: Service Project - Monday, August 24 - 5pm–7pm - We will be serving 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
Project Contact: Brian Yacucci
Kiwanis Club News
Freestore Foodbank Project - Tuesday, July 7 - 5:00-8:00pm - Six of us (Bill, Brian Y, Amy, Angie, Thanapat and Jim) prepared shipments of goods for agencies in need to be distributed to more than 160,000 people in southern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana. After the hard work, we met up with Alex Hamling at a Norwood restaurant for great cheeseburgers and good fun.
St. Francis Seraph Soup Kitchen - Wednesday, July 8 - We served dinner to hungry neighborhood residents. It was fun and so rewarding! Both Bill and Jim were on the serving line. It felt like hundreds of people came through the line.
Playground Enhancement: Peaslee Center - Wednesday, July 8 - Tim and Jim met with staff at The Peaslee Center to finalize plans for enhancing their current playground area. The plans will be presented at the Peaslee Center's July board meeting. The Peaslee Center is a community center with an in-house daycare in Over the Rhine at 14th and Sycamore. Read More About the Peaslee Center
Monthly Planning Meeting - Monday, July 13 - In July, we met at the home of Amy Zimmerman. There were 9 members in attendance and 1 guest. Our guest was a young woman who is interested in learning about our club and how she can be a part of our activities. There was great company and enough food for an army! Thanks Amy for hosting.
Lunch n Learn: Kiwanis International - Monday, July 20 - Seven members and 1 guest met at BlackFinn to enjoy lunch with friends and hear about the status of Kiwanis International. Alyson Gerwe gave a recap of what she learned about Kiwanis International at Kiwanis International Convention in June. Next year's Convention is in Las Vegas!
Ronald McDonald House - Monday, July 27 - We had a lot of people show up to help out at RMH in July. Kiwanians from the Harrison and Montgomery clubs came to help too! It was great working together for a common purpose and seeing the gratitude of the families going through such tough times. Dinner was delicious too!
Cincinnati Reds Game - Monday, July 27 -
The Kiwanians of the 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Divisions (Metro-Cincinnati) went to the Reds vs Padres game. Five of our club members decided to go. It was a great time! The organizers had reserved amazing“Infield Box” seats at discount prices. It was great fun to meet Kiwanians from around Cincinnati and to share the joy and comraderie of a baseball game!
New Membership
There are children and families in our community who are struggling. With a dedicated team of volunteers, we can help. Recruiting more people to join our team, means more life-changing service to the community. And with all of our projects going on, we definitely need the extra hands!
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. Anyone can attend a meeting or service project, so why not share your love for Kiwanis with them?
Distinguished Member Status
Current members who are on the path to achieving Distinguished Member Status:
• Sopheap Sok (sponsored 2 members, 6+ service projects)
• Alyson Gerwe (sponsored 2 members, 6+ service projects, attended 1+ Conventions)
• Jim Gerwe (sponsored 1 member, 6+ service projects)
• Brian Yacucci (sponsored 1 member, 6+ service projects, attended 1+ Conventions)
• Jeanette Yacucci (6+ service projects, attended 1+ Conventions)
• Amy Zimmerman (6+ service projects, attended 1+ Conventions)
• Bill Swanson (sponsored 1 member, 6+ service projects)
• Tim Gramke (6+ service projects)
• Linda Gramke (6+ service projects)
• Monica Espinal (6+ service projects)
• Thanapat Vichitchot (6+ service projects)
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.
An Interview with Thanapat and Jessica Vichitchot 
Each month we feature one of our club members so our readers can get to know the people who make up our club. Enjoy! Most couples have similar answers. So, for a twist, this month’s featured members are Thanapat and Jessica Vichitchot.
Thanapat and Jessica heard about Kiwanis through friends, Alyson and Jim Gerwe. Thanapat had met Jim his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati, where he and Jim were in the same dorm. They ended up being housemates through most of college and a few years after that. Jess met the Alyson and Jim when she started dating Thanapat in 2003.
After volunteering at a few different functions, namely Ronald McDonald House and the Freestore Foodbank, they decided it was a great way to get involved in doing community service projects while supporting a great cause. It is also a great way to introduce the concept of volunteering and helping others to their now 4-year old daughter, Nataliya, by explaining to her what they do and how each service project helps others. Since Jess had been a member of Key Club at Deer Park High School and Thanapat had helped out with some Circle K service projects in college at the University of Cincinnati, it just made sense for them to join the Kiwanis Club of Cincinnati in 2008.
Their favorite service project is volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House. All of the families there are going through such a rough time in their lives and are very grateful for all the help and support they receive there. Plus, they enjoy talking to the families and the children who are staying there as well. One woman said to Jess that it made her feel like she had some sense of normalcy in her life. That really put it into perspective....
Thanapat was born in Songkla, Thailand, but at 3 years old came to the U.S. to Toledo and lived there until he graduated high school. Their family came to the U.S. so that his dad could finish his engineering degree at the University of Toledo. Thanapat then came to Cincinnati for college at UC, double majoring in information systems and marketing. He lived in the Clifton area throughout college, and then moved to North Avondale. Jess has lived in Cincinnati all her life, growing up more specifically in Deer Park, in the same house until she was about 22. In the last five years, both Thanapat and Jess have also lived in Maineville, Pleasant Ridge, Reading, and now Cheviot.
Thanapat works for a non-profit organization in Price Hill, Literacy Center West, helping disadvantaged youths set goals, get their GEDs (if they have not completed high school) and obtain employment. Jess is a massage therapist at Mitchell's Salon and Day Spa in Tri-County. They are both very sociable and enjoy helping others when possible.
They met each other through the marching band at the University of Cincinnati. Thanapat played the trombone and Jess was in the Colorguard. In high school, Thanapat had also played the bassoon and the flute, while Jess played the clarinet and the tenor saxophone. Jess was also on the dance team, colorguard, and varsity soccer team in high school.
They also enjoy home improvement projects, including recently remodeling their kitchen. At the end of the year, they are planning a trip to Thailand. They would like for Nataliya to meet some of her relatives there and to see that part of her heritage. Thanapat's mother is currently teaching her a little bit of the Thai language.
Thanapat enjoys any type of sports. He likes to play cornhole and is a pitcher on a softball team at Kolping Park. He also enjoys cooking (and eating!!). Jess enjoys shopping to feed her shoe addiction, playing soccer, dancing, and anything creative such as photography, or anything "artsy" like taking old ugly things and making them into shiny cool useful things.
The most important thing to occupy their time, however, is 4-year old daughter, Nataliya. They enjoy playing games, such as memory, chutes and ladders.... any type of learning games, hide and seek, taking her swimming, to the zoo.... just spending time as a family.
Kiwanis International News 
Worldwide Service Project Request
Kiwanis International is accepting proposals to identify its next Worldwide Service Project. Kiwanis International invites you or your institution, association or organization to submit a proposal to us by October 1, 2009, for consideration.
Children and communities worldwide have diverse needs—access to healthcare, clean water, safe shelter, safety from slavery, access to education and so many others. A Worldwide Service Project is a directed program that engages all youth and adult Kiwanis family members to make a positive difference in the world by helping children in need around the world.
Kiwanis successfully completed its first Worldwide Service Project virtually eliminating Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). Kiwanis raised more than US$100 million, which today is at work in more than 89 nations. The number of households estimated to be consuming iodized salt has jumped from 20 percent in 1990 to more than 70 percent, and the effort has been heralded as one of the most successful health initiatives in the world.
Kiwanis International will evaluate proposals on a qualitative basis. This includes a review of the nomination and related materials, research of existing information about or pertaining to the subject of the nomination, results of discussions with other relevant entities and the completeness and timeliness of your response.
Announcement of the selection of the Worldwide Service Project will be made in June 2010 at the 95th Annual Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Did you know? 
The Fun Spot 
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 lunch for prospective members 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!
