ALTON - Once boasting as many as 190 members, the current Alton-Godfrey Kiwanis Club now only has 10 members.
Lieutenant Governor of the Club, Bruce Cooper, said the 10 members have spent years serving the community and are "not getting any younger." As of now, Cooper said only six of the members get around well, and the club is involved in many activities in need of additional support. Because of this, the Alton-Godfrey Kiwanis Club is seeking new members and is currently canvassing the area for interested people.
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"The type of people we're looking to recruit are from all walks of life that are looking to improve the quality of children's lives," Cooper said in an email. "On the drive, we will be looking to call on educators, civic leaders, spiritual leaders and business people - just to name a few."
Membership requirements today include a genuine love for children and 20-30 hours a year to donate to volunteering. There are two meetings a month, but Cooper said meetings are not as important to attend when compared to attendance at fund-raisers and project work. The club requires no financial dues.
When asked why membership has been dropping, Cooper blamed people moving away from the area and neglecting to replenish the club with more younger members as they aged. Cooper said that sentiment has since changed.
"Kiwanis welcomes new members and immediately responds to their ideas that are fresh, and look to involve them in the leadership of the club as soon as they are comfortable that they understand what the Kiwanis Mission is and how to approach it in the Alton/Godfrey community," he said. "Kiwanis empowers communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. The ideal world is one where 'all children will wake up in communities that believe in them, nurture them and provide the support they need to thrive.'"
To illustrate that commitment to local children, the club provided as much as $22,000 to the Gordon Moore all-inclusive playground, scholarships to students in need of some extra assistance for both industrial arts and college, and a Bringing Up Grades program rewarding grade school students for young grades.
The group also hosts holiday parties complete with Santa, gifts, food and fun. They also take part in assisting families with basic needs and are working on a global scale to eliminate tetanus in areas without proper medical infrastructure as well as the elimination of iodine deficiency.
Cooper said the club will be "hitting the streets" later this week to recruit some new members.
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