Watseka Kiwanis Club

06/02/2026

At our May meeting, Watseka Kiwanian Helen Ge**er shared the Watseka Rocks 4th of July T-Shirt designed by Annabeth Rippe, from Watseka Junior High! 🎆

Annabeth's design is this year's official Watseka Rocks 4th of July shirt! ♥️

T-Shirts will be available for purchase at the Downtown Watseka Farmer's Market on:

📆 June 13th
📅 June 20th

Be sure to stop by the farmers market, grab your shirt and help Watseka Rocks make this year's celebration one to remember! 🇺🇸

All proceeds go toward funding flower troughs in downtown Watseka 💐🪴

06/02/2026

The IMH Auxiliary was proud to support the Watseka Public Library’s Summer Reading Program with a donation of 35 books and other fun giveaways for participants! 📚🎉

The program encourages children and families to stay engaged in reading throughout the summer. The IMH Auxiliary is happy to support local efforts that promote learning and community involvement. Pictured are Darcy Wallace, Library Director, and Rhonda Pence, IMH Auxiliary 1st Vice President.

05/26/2026

Last week, we had the privilege of hearing from Jennifer Ingram, Superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Iroquois County. Jennifer, a passionate former veteran, highlighted the extensive services provided by VAC of IC to support Veterans within our community. These services include assistance with healthcare paperwork, connecting individuals with relevant services, and establishing education and healthcare benefits for Veterans and their families. A significant amount of work is being undertaken in this area.

Are you acquainted with someone who has served in the military? We encourage them to reach out to Jennifer or her assistant and Accredited Service Officer, Donna. They can provide guidance on available benefits and assist with the claims process.

Pictured below are President Elect Stu Swalls, alongside Jennifer and Donna, as well as Jennifer's contact information. Please share! 🙏🏼

05/20/2026

To celebrate our club’s 100-year anniversary, today we hosted a free ice cream social for grades 1–5 at GRS!🍨 We honored the Kiwanis International mission of “serving the children of the world,” LITERALLY!

First, a HUGE thank you to Walmart Watseka for graciously donating all of the items for today’s event at no cost!

Thank you to Ms. Sterrenberg (who also happens to be a Watseka Kiwanian!) and the entire staff for allowing us to join in during the final days of the school year.

We’d also like to thank our club volunteers for taking time out of their day to give back to the kids in our community. We were even able to leave some leftovers behind for the school to enjoy!

05/15/2026

Yesterday, Watseka Kiwanis Club was proud to celebrate 100 years of service to our community. 🎉

For the past century, our members have worked to support local children, families, schools, and community initiatives through service, fundraising, and volunteerism. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped make this milestone possible over the years.

Here’s to 100 years of making a difference & many more to come! 💙

05/13/2026

We sure love our Kiwanians! Mariah truly cares for everyone!

05/11/2026

Our community helping our community 💙

Thank you to Crouse Canine for supporting the fight against hunger and helping make a difference right here in Watseka. Every donation helps provide meals and support to those in need.

The Kiwanis International mission is all about serving children and communities, and we’re grateful to partner with local businesses that share that commitment. Please consider reaching to us or Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce and supporting this great cause!

Derek Crouse of Crouse Canine is working on a Donation Drive through Watseka Kiwanis and the Chamber of Commerce.

He took money given for a speaking engagement with Modern Woodmen of America for $100 and donated as a pledge to other businesses in the Chamber to match the $100 donation helping provide school lunches for kids.

He tries to donate most of his local event demos if they pay him; he usually offers to do them for free of charge.

As a young child in Kankakee, Derek had to eat lunch at the school even in Summer as well as get clothes donated by churches due to his poverty level. This is his form of paying it forward.

Kiwanis reported back to the Chamber that the money has already provided bookbags and lunches to students!

With around 190 members of the Chamber the donation drive could help defeat hunger and basic nutrition in our community for a long period of time.

Interested in joining this movement? Contact Watseka Kiwanis or the Chamber Office.

05/11/2026

📚💙 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 💙📚

A heartfelt thank you to the 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐤𝐚 Academic Foundation for their generous grant supporting Success By 6 !

This 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 helps provide 𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 coverage for preschoolers in their district—ensuring more young children receive free, high-quality books delivered right to their homes each month. These early reading experiences help spark imagination, build literacy skills, and set the foundation for lifelong learning.

We are so grateful for partners like the Watseka Academic Foundation who invest in early childhood success and help us bring the joy of reading to more families. 🌟

05/09/2026

🤝💚 We’re proud to partner with Iroquois Memorial Hospital (IMH) for an important community conversation on Trauma-Informed Care: Advocating for Yourself in Healthcare.

Healthcare experiences can be overwhelming — especially for individuals who have experienced trauma. This free event is designed to help community members feel more confident, supported, and empowered when navigating medical care. 🩺✨

📅 May 19
⏰ 4:00 – 8:00 PM
📍 Iroquois Memorial Hospital HR/Community Education Building
450 S. 4th Street, Watseka

Attend to learn practical tools for:
✔️ Communicating your needs
✔️ Setting boundaries in healthcare settings
✔️ Building confidence with providers
✔️ Understanding the impact trauma can have on overall health

🍽️ Light refreshments provided!

📲 Registration is required — be sure to sign up using the QR code on the flyer or the registration link! Spaces are limited.

We’re grateful for partnerships like this that help create safer, more compassionate healthcare experiences for our community. 💙

05/07/2026

There’s still time today! 🪴 🕰️ 💐