GREENFIELD — Greenfield Kiwanis Club members took a break during their regular biweekly meeting at the Terrazza restaurant to make an important delivery.
Greenfield Kiwanis Club President Dan Gagaris stood up from his seat to hand Greenfield Recorder Business Manager Patti Wasilewski a check for $6,000 made out to Warm the Children, an annual winter clothing drive.
“Every year, we try to give a little bit more,” said longtime Greenfield Kiwanis Club member Phil Corrinet, who organized the event behind the donation — the club’s annual golf tournament.
In May, about 34 teams headed to the tournament for a day of golf and giving back. According to Corrinet, the $6,000 primarily came from sponsorships for the event, with Greenfield Savings Bank being the largest sponsor. The Kiwanis Club’s online auction and raffle also raised money for Warm the Children.
Warm the Children is a group of nonprofits across the country that seek donations from their local communities to provide winter clothing and footwear for local children in need. Warm the Children programs typically ask for a local newspaper and service organization to sponsor the effort. In Greenfield, the Recorder is that newspaper, and the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and Community Action Pioneer Valley are the affiliated service organizations. The program has been offered in Greenfield since 1993.
The Recorder partners with local retailers to provide gift cards to beneficiaries of Warm the Children with the money that is raised. They can be used in the store or online to buy clothing for each qualifying child, 12 years old or younger.
Last year, the fundraiser provided new coats and clothes to about 750 children in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, according to Wasilewski. Warm the Children recipients are suggested by various social service agencies and community organizations.
“It feels good to give the money,” Corrinet said. “Kiwanis is all about community service and especially the youth, so Warm the Children fits right in with our mission.”
“We are so grateful for the continued support of the Greenfield Kiwanis Club,” Wasilewski said. “The golf tournament donation is such a big help to Warm the Children and goes a long way in helping local children.”
As everyday costs like gas and groceries rise, Corrinet said Warm the Children’s mission is more important than ever.
“More and more people are not able to pay their bills,” Corrinet said, “and the kids should be the last ones that should be sacrificed.”
Besides supporting Warm the Children, the Greenfield Kiwanis Club also fulfills its commitment to community service through scholarships to local high schoolers, community meals, a bicycle helmet drive and other avenues.
Through these acts of service, Corrinet said Kiwanis Club members “get back more” than they give by building connections with their neighbors and making a difference.
“There’s plenty of opportunities to do a lot of good things for people,” Corrinet said. Plus, “People need it.”
With only 12 active members, Corrinet said the club could expand its community impact by getting more locals involved, especially younger residents. Residents interested in joining the group can reach out to Corrinet through his email, corrinet@comcast.net.
“The bottom line is, I think kids today should learn about community service and that it’s not all about the government. … If you want to get things done, people have to volunteer,” Corrinet said. “We do a lot, but we could do more if we had more people who wanted to step up.”
Those who would like to make tax-deductible donations to Warm the Children can visit nnedigital.ac-page.com/warm-the-children. For anyone who is interested in donating via check, checks must be made payable to Warm the Children and addressed to Warm the Children c/o Greenfield Recorder 14 Hope St., Suite 101, Greenfield, MA 01301.
