South Bend Kiwanis Club, Inc. - South Bend, WA

Chapter Since:  May 19, 2000

Students Supported:  South Bend High School

What Makes South Bend Chapter of Dollars for Scholars Unique?
By Elizabeth Penoyar, Secretary, South Bend Kiwanis, Inc.

If you happen to attend the Pacific County Fair this year, you'll buy your ticket at the gate from an elderly Kiwanian and a high school student.  If you go to the Labor Day Breakfast in South Bend, your eggs and pancakes will have been cooked by Kiwanians, and served by high school students.  Our club, South Bend Kiwanis, Inc./Dollars for Scholars, is unique in that we do all our fundraisers in conjunction with the local students who will benefit from the fundraising.  Fifty percent of our membership is over 65, and the rest of us aren't much younger, so we really need the kids' help!  Because so many of us are "mature adults", very few of us have children who are still in the school system, or in college, so we are raising the scholarship money for the good of the community.  Our town is tiny (1,800 people) so almost all of our graduates have to leave after graduation to go to college or to find jobs.

This leads to another unique aspect of our scholarship program:  we help our South Bend High School graduates for up to 6 years post high school.  We have helped future doctors through medical school, several lawyers through law school, helped an engineer obtain his masters degree, and watched a number of teachers, psychologists, dieticians, and exercise science majors get their degrees and begin careers.  It's extremely satisfying to watch the students as they progress; we have had a few alumni contribute to scholarships already - and hope to have many more.  Many of our scholarship winners have written thank-you letters - some saying they can't believe the support and interest they get from our community.  Our scholarship program is truly a group effort - that touches the lives of many people in town.