News
Rosewood AKTION Club Delivers Coloring Books and Blankets To Organizations
Rosewood Miracle Workers AKTION Club was in the giving spirit during the Christmas season a few weeks ago. Small groups of club members took turns delivering coloring books, crayons and blankets to Great Bend organizations who serve community children. AKTION Club members collected the items from the community during a three-month drive in order to deliver the gifts to the four area agencies.
Coloring books and crayons were donated to St. Francis Community Services and to Central Kansas Dream Center. Blankets were donated to Barton County Health Department and to Family Crisis Center.
“We felt like both drives were successful,” said Rosewood AKTION Club sponsor Frankie Pelster. “The community was responsive to our effort and our AKTION Club members took pride in helping four agencies that provide services to children. Our club members enjoyed donating the gifts they had collected.”
Warm Wishes – Rosewood Miracle Workers AKTION Club members drop off a container of blankets to Family Crisis Center last month. Left to right are Frankie Pelster (Rosewood AKTION Club sponsor), Larry Clements, Josh Trimmer, Samantha Purcell, Ashley Hullett, and Karla Franklin. Joining AKTION Club members (back row far right) were Family Crisis staff members Rachel Angel and Tanya Day.
Family Crisis Center serves 10 counties in central and south central Kansas and the Center’s work involves helping many children who are facing traumatic experiences.
“If they go to shelter, they just pick up and leave everything behind,” said Angel. “The blankets definitely help to provide a child warmth and comfort during an unsettling time.”
Barton County Health Department sees approximately 1,000 people a month, with half of them being children, so the blankets represent a whole lot of comfort and warmth for the youngsters.
Group Effort – Rosewood Miracle Worker AKTION Club members mingle with 15 St. Francis Community Services employees while presenting coloring books and crayons to the Great Bend organization.
Coloring books and crayons were a welcomed gift to St. Francis, which serves Barton County children and their families with a staff of approximately 40 people. Caring for foster children is a huge responsibility with just four case managers, four family support workers and an after care staff member who are currently serving nearly 100 area children in or seeking foster care.
“We took the coloring books and crayons to our children’s Christmas party and all the children and their families got to color together,” said Connie Cale, the office coordinator for St. Francis – Great Bend. “We were also able to give some to the children as they left the party and they appreciated receiving them.”
Central Kansas Dream Center gave its donated coloring books to children of families that it serves at Hungry Heart Soup Kitchen and to families living in shelter transition, or going through their nine-month program, said the center’s director Kimberly Becker.
Coloring Contributors – Rosewood Miracle Workers AKTION Club members deliver coloring books and crayons to the Central Kansas Dream Center last month. Left to right are Kurtis Coleman, Frankie Pelster (AKTION Club sponsor), Kandyce Miskell, Joshua Rader, Carrie Stickney, Jason Ehrentraut, along with Dream Center director Kimberly Becker.
Rosewood AKTION Club is an affiliate of the national Kiwanis organization that promotes service in action for people with developmental disabilities. The area club allows Rosewood clients to be actively involved in the community and to positively impact the lives of others.
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Find more about Rosewood Services online: RosewoodServices.com
For more information, contact Frankie Pelster, Rosewood AKTION Club sponsor, employmentspecialist@rosewoodservices.com, 620-603-6502
January 11, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Story by: Michael Dawes, director of Marketing, Rosewood Services, 620-796-2242, MichaelD@rosewoodservices.com
