Kiwanis Club partners with school district for food drive for the holidays

SHELBY TOWNSHIP/UTICA — The Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township partnered with Utica Community Schools for a food drive for the holidays.

In the past this project was handled by the Sterling Heights Kiwanis Club; however, the club dissolved over the past year. Former members of the Sterling Heights club informed the Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township of this opportunity. The Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township didn’t hesitate to take on this project.

In November, the Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township members dropped off empty boxes to 20 schools: Henry Ford II, Stevenson and Utica high schools; The Gene L. Klida Academy for International Studies; Bemis and Davis junior high schools; and Beacon Tree, Beck, Browning, Collins, Duncan, Ebling, Graebner, Harvey, Havel, Messmore, Oakbrook, Plumbrook, Rose Kidd and Schuchard elementary schools. These schools held a canned food drive for several weeks.

Over the course of three days in December, the Kiwanis members picked up more than 1,200 boxes of food from the schools and delivered the food to local food pantries at St. Ephram Catholic Church, Heritage Church and Trinity Lutheran Church.

Theresa Farmer, from the Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township, said they are thankful to the high schoolers who helped load up a truck with the food boxes when they were collecting the donations at the schools.

“Those boxes were heavy. The food pantries were so surprised by the amount of food. Thanks to the generosity of UCS families, there is plenty of food for those facing food insecurity during this time of year,” she said.

Rob Peterson, Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township 2024 project chair and past president, said it was an incredible experience working with Katherine Beck and the Utica Community Schools on this year’s holiday food collection and distribution project. 

“Our club provided manpower and logistical support; however, none of it would’ve been possible without the generosity of the students, teachers and administrators at UCS. This project impacts the lives of hundreds of people within the communities in which we live and work. Hats off to all the volunteers who brought this project to life and to the Sterling Heights Kiwanis Club who started this initiative nearly 40 years ago,” he said.

He said they are honored to carry-on the tradition at the Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township.

UCS Superintendent Robert Monroe said the district is proud of the continuing partnership with the Kiwanis that engages students in the district’s focus of a “culture of caring” and makes a difference for many UCS families.

For more information, visit uticashelbykiwanis.org.