Past Events

Winter Backpacks for Breaks

The Kiwanis Club of Ellicott City recently provided 48 brand-new backpacks filled with food to a local Columbia, Maryland elementary school for 48 students to use over the long Winter Break as part of a new service project focused on food insecurity in Howard County.

Students in Howard County started a much-needed Winter Break on December 20. However, for some students, the 12-day break was not a welcome occurrence. It meant almost two full weeks away from a guaranteed daily food source. Food insecurity is a real issue in every community, and it faces many more students and families than we often realize. The Kiwanis Club of Ellicott City wanted to make a difference in the lives of some of these students and families by providing food-filled Winter Break Backpacks.

Working in conjunction with Mary Schiller, Director of the Partnerships Office for Howard County Public Schools, the Kiwanis club identified a local elementary school that did not have an active backpack program and was not currently being served by another community agency or partner organization.

Members joined together to tackle different parts of the project. Josh Hiscock led the effort, liaising with the school district and finding a vendor to provide the backpacks. Jenn Hiscock spearheaded the shopping for the project, visiting Costco and multiple local Walmarts to procure all of the food needed. Each backpack was filled with 10 breakfast meals, 10 lunches, 10 dinners, and a number of meal supplements and snacks.

Doing some quick arithmetic, 30 meals in 48 backpacks totals to 1,440 meals provided!

In mid-December, club members gathered together to fill the backpacks and deliver them to the local elementary school for distribution. It was truly a family affair with members bringing their spouses, partners, friends, and children along to participate. In total, almost half of the members in the Ellicott City Kiwanis club participated in the project in some way.

Delivering the backpacks to the elementary school on December 19, the eve of Winter Break, was a moving experience for members. The counseling staff at the school decided who the backpack recipients would be. Some families were so excited to receive the backpacks that they came that evening to retrieve them instead of waiting until December 20. Club members did not know they would have the chance to witness the distribution of the bags. Feeling the appreciation of the parents and the gratitude of the children who knew they would be able to enjoy their Winter Break and not worry as much about where their next meal would come from was a humbling experience, as well as a strong reminder of the importance of Kiwanis and the value our organization has in changing the lives of children in the community.

#KidsNeedKiwanis

For more information on the Ellicott City Winter Break Backpack Program, please contact Ellicott City Kiwanis President Courtney Walton.

2019 Holiday Party

We had an exciting night celebrating another year of service and friendship! The night started with dinner and ended with a white elephant gift exchange.

2019 Fall Country Breakfast

Our 2019 Fall Country Breakfast was a great success! Thank you to everyone that volunteered and attended. Many eggs, sausages, and pancakes were had by all!