MOLINE, ILLINOIS (January 13, 2026) — The Kiwanis Club of Moline recently received a grant from the Kiwanis International Foundation, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, in the amount of $3,000.
“Our members are excited to have received this grant which will assist in our effort to help Moline children thrive, prosper and grow,” Jen vonKaenel, president of the Moline Kiwanis Club said.
“We know Kids Need Kiwanis, in our community and in communities around the world.”
Jerry Drucker, longtime member and past President of the Moline Kiwanis Club, came up with the idea of providing these magazines to Moline students after working with Becky Kennelly, second grade teacher at Willard Elementary in Moline and grade level chair.
“The magazine has incredible pictures and graphics” Ms Kennelly said.
“We utilize the magazine in many different ways including reading practice, group/partner discussions as well as Science and Social Studies learning. In addition, our students can take the magazine home to share with family, siblings and friends. We are lucky to have this partnership with Kiwanis. They understand and value the importance of reading and being able to read a variety of materials by helping us bring in a wonderful resource to our classrooms for some enrichment opportunities.”
Every first and second grade student in the Moline/Coal Valley School District will receive the magazine and in addition, the magazine is being provided this year to second and third grade students at Seton Catholic School in Moline.
Over 1,100 students will benefit from the program this year. In addition to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, the Moline Kiwanis Club also received funding from the Trinity Lutheran Church Endowment Fund, the Charles Deere Wiman Memorial Trust and the Birdies for Charity program. The total cost of the project is now nearly $7,000.
“In addition to the Scholastic News Magazine Project, we also annually invest over $10,000 into our community. Our focus is on children so most of our grants go to community organizations involving children. Join us at one of our meetings or at a service project to find out if Kiwanis is right for you” continued vonKaenel, who has been a member of the Kiwanis family for over fourteen years.
“Moline Kiwanis meets weekly on Tuesdays at noon at the Moline Public Library. We always have a speaker so you can learn more about our local community. For information about the Kiwanis Club of Moline, visit molinekiwanis.org or visit our Facebook page.”
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund raises money and provides support for Kiwanis Clubs around the world for projects related to childhood health and nutrition, education and literacy and youth development. Go to kiwanischildrensfund.org for more information.
About Kiwanis International
Founded in 1915, Kiwanis International is a global organization of clubs and members dedicated to serving the children of the world. Kiwanis and its family of clubs, including Circle K International for university students, Key Club for students age fourteen to eighteen, Builders Club for students age eleven to fourteen, K-Kids for students age six to twelve, and Aktion Club for adults with disabilities, annually dedicate more than 18.5 million service hours to strengthen communities and serve children. The Kiwanis International family comprises more than 537,000 adult and youth members in 85 nations and geographic areas. Visit kiwanis.org for more information.
