Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
The Kiwanis Club of Madison began their Thursday, Nov. 5 meeting with special guest, Amanda Wander, who joined the group through Zoom. Wander is the executive director of the Big Bend Continuum of Care, which serves the needs of the homeless in eight counties, including Madison. Wander works to ensure that those who are homeless or living in unstable housing receive efficient and timely care to meet their needs.
Wander shared with the Kiwanians that a major resource for locating and helping the homeless comes through local school boards. In 2018, data received from the Madison County School Board revealed there were 169 kids suffering from homelessness or poor living conditions in the county. These conditions create food insecurities and many other learning problems for children that can limit their educational success.
The good news, according to Wander, is that there is $400,000 available to rural counties to help combat homelessness. Local landlords have access to subsidies to help cover rental expenses for those in need of housing, and prevention funds are available to senior citizens who leave nursing homes with no place to go. Wander also encourages struggling families to reach out to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for assistance. DCF does not separate families in need of housing, they just provide support.
On Thursday, Nov. 12, the Kiwanis Club welcomed Linda Jones, who is also a member of Kiwanis, as their guest speaker. Jones is the site director for Bright Days, which is part of Kids Incorporated. Jones oversees outdoor educational activities and keeps the program's playgrounds and outdoor learning areas in excellent condition. Jones stressed to the group the importance of getting kids outside to learn and play.
Jones discussed the many creative ways that parents can provide fun activities without spending a lot of money. "We've used pie plates, kitchen utensils and many other items that you can find around the house," said Jones. "Some teachers have even allowed students to paint their legs."
Another way that Jones has saved money for Bright Days is through the use of inmates to build benches, garden boxes, outdoor decks and sand boxes. "The inmates enjoy building these things and it is very helpful to us," stated Jones. She has occasionally found humor in the government inspections she has been part of. "I was once asked how many acorns fall on the playground," said Jones. " I told them I'd have the squirrels count them and get back to them."
Kids Incorporated provides family advocates that work with parents to help with healthcare, housing and many other needs. "We accept people where they are, without judgment," said Jones, who also noted that Kiwanians is funding a new sandbox for Bright Days.
Judy Lundell, the director of resource development and the North Florida Foundation for North Florida College (NFC), was the guest speaker for the Thursday, Nov. 19 meeting. Lundell updated the Kiwanis on recent activity with the North Florida Foundation, which helps meet various needs of NFC's students. In response to hardships brought on by COVID-19, the foundation has started a student relief fund. This year, 56 students were given assistance, most of which went towards the purchase of food. Also, the Last Mile Scholarship Program began in January and focuses on helping students who need less than twelve credit hours to graduate. This state-wide initiative has helped 10 area students to graduate this year. Another avenue to help future students achieve a college education is the new Legacy Program. This program allows supporters of NFC to leave donations to the college through their wills.
Lundell was pleased to share how the nursing program at NFC continues to excel in providing quality training for their students. Due to the growth of the program, two additional classes have been added to the schedule, one RN cohort and one LPN cohort. Furthermore, the college has acquired a new mannequin for nursing students to practice symptom analysis and treatment options on. The state-of-the-art device mimics a number of disorders for the students to deal with. Currently, nursing is the only four-year program offered at NFC, and over 90 percent of graduates are passing their state certification exams, which is one of the highest success rates in Florida.
The Kiwanians closed the meeting in a celebratory mood, citing the fact that they had their best year ever in apple sales. The group collected $1,697 in apple sales. The top seller was Deena Hames, with $828. Jo Willis and Brenda Newman took the second and third place honors.