The Kiwanis Club Benefits Children in Alachua & High Springs
By Matthew Beaton
(Reprinted with permission from Winter 2011 Our Town)
Helping out children: who can argue with that?
Not Kiwanis International, nor its local chapter Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, which performs projects in High Springs and Alachua to benefit local children. This past summer, the service group set their sights on an Alachua Police Department substation in the Merrillwood neighborhood. Billed as a safe haven for local children in this low-income public housing area, club members and the police department said it would be a place for the neighborhood children to study and play after school.
When they began their renovation, past Kiwanis Club President Sue Weller said the substation was in “dire straits.” The exterior of the building had to be pressurewashed, the trim and interior painted. In some parts, the walls required three coats of paint. A few electrical outlets were replaced, as well as their coverings.
At the club’s request, the Early Learning Coalition of Alachua County inspected the substation. Advice given by the Coalition helped the service group make the substation more suitable as a child education facility. The Coalition recommended the removal of some shelves in the common area so that chalkboards could be installed. At any given time, Weller said, around five of their 22 members were hard at work. In total, the unit spent about 75 hours on the job. 
On a Saturday last August, the Kiwanis Club celebrated the of their portion of the renovations by hosting a barbecue for the area children. The group provided hot dogs and hamburgers and set up a slip ‘n’ slide. Several officers from the Alachua Police Department, as well as Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper, were in attendance.
Police Chief Joel DeCoursey, Jr., surveying the transformation, said the Kiwanis members had done a great job with the substation, as well as in networking with the local children. The barbecue was well received by those in Merrillwood.
“There was a positive response on both ends,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police department continues to wrap up the final details of acquiring chairs, desks, tables and schools supplies to properly outfit the building and make it more conducive to studying. Citizens in the community, particularly members of the church, donated computers.
Additionally, Lowe’s has agreed to provide new flooring, blinds and kitchen cabinets.
DeCoursey described the building as a place for children to go after school to learn and do homework. But, he said, it is not “all work and no play. We’ll give them [the children] the opportunity to let their hair down and do some recreational stuff.”
When the substation is in use, it will be supervised by police officers, volunteers from the community and members of the school board. Children have access to the building only if an adult is present. DeCoursey noted that the overseer will not be one particular person.
All of those who took part in the renovation feel that the project is about investing in the community’s future. The police department wanted to make “a positive impression” on the younger generation, DeCoursey said.
Mayor Gib Coerper commended the Kiwanis Club for their efforts.
“Every service organization is a blessing to its community, and today it’s the Kiwanis Club reaching out to Merrillwood in Alachua,” he said.
Of those organizations, the Kiwanis group is likely one of the most active. Weller estimated that each year in Northern Alachua County, the club conducts between 25 and 30 projects.
“We do a lot of work for a small club. We’re really big on hands-on projects,” Weller said. “It’s very rewarding.” This level of accomplishment offers a great feeling, too, particularly because they only began working on the substation in January.
“It’s very rewarding,” Weller said.
Yearlong, the group stays active. During Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, members create and give away baskets. They tutor third graders at Alachua Elementary School, and donate teddy bears to the Alachua Police Department for distribution. LastApril, Kiwanis held an Easter egg hunt at the High Springs Day Care, which they themselves refurbished and beautified.
The building, a former elementary school cafeteria, is owned and leased by the City of High Springs as a daycare center that caters to low-income families. The club installed a fire-suppression system, and put the finishing touches on two years of work. All that is left now is some exterior painting on a storage building, said current Kiwanis Club President Tom Weller.
“You become very familiar with the children [at the daycare],” Sue Weller said. “That’s what’s really rewarding, because when you walk in, they come running up to you and hug you and look forward to your bringing books to read to them.”
The group strives to keep the focus on the younger generation. Their projects, Weller said, are about “creating a comfortable environment for children.”
Kiwanians painting the High Springs Day Care Center.
From Left: Cathy Sayers, Sue Weller and Tom Weller.
For this project and others, fundraising supports the club. In July, an iPad 2 was raffled off and won by High Springs Community School Principal Jeff Means, who in turn gave it to fifth-grade teacher Wanda Roe.
“All the fundraisers that we do — the money goes directly back into the community,” Weller said, explaining that every dollar collected, through a raffle or direct donation, is used entirely for projects and is not spent on administrative costs.
Kiwanians present Alachua Police Chief Joel DeCoursey with Teddy Bears for children in stressful situations. From Left: Heidi Hill, Cassandra Davis, Bill Scott, Chief DeCoursey and Tom Weller.
The organization, formed in 2004, is still relatively young. The Wellers are charter members, as are club secretary Cathy Sayers and her husband Rick, who live in Trenton. Sayers said they joined the group because they were looking for ways to help the community. She enjoys having the opportunity to get away from her farm on a Saturday and do some good. Working with a team “makes it more fun,” she said.
For others looking to join a group that helps children and the community, the Kiwanis Club is ready and willing to accept all helping hands.
“We can always use new members,” she said.