Feature

Neither rain, nor hurricane’s fury …

… nor each member’s own plight stays these beleaguered Kiwanians from resurrecting their clubs and continuing their appointed purpose of service

By Julie Carson

“Our mayor put it perfectly in saying that ‘the storm had put us back to about the year 1800.’”

In addition to responding to the urgent needs of their community, Mississippi and Louisiana Kiwanis members have kept busy rebuilding their clubs.

United, Kiwanis revives Much of the credit for Kiwanis’ recovery following the 2005 hurricanes must go to local members who persevered, rebuilt, and continued to serve. But Kiwanians worldwide also were involved, donating more than US$900,000 to the Kiwanis International Foundation’s (KIF) Disaster Relief Fund following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Some clubs in the storms’ paths, unable to conduct fundraisers or to continue service projects at a time when their communities needed them most, used KIF grant monies to sustain their service commitments. The Disaster Relief Fund always is open for donations so the foundation can respond quickly to disasters worldwide. Members from throughout North America arrived to clear debris, feed the homeless, and serve other needs. Kiwanis caravans motored into Louisiana and Mississippi, delivering truckloads of emergency supplies. After losing more than 1,600 members who were displaced or faced economic hardship, the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District developed a strategic plan to recruit and retain members and build new clubs. Kiwanis International waived dues and new-member fees for clubs in the affected area.

That’s how Virgil Harris, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Hancock-West Harrison, Mississippi, recalls the condition of his community following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Of course, his club was just one of hundreds affected by Katrina and Hurricane Rita that summer. And the stories of members surviving, reconnecting, and moving forward to help others now abound. As for Virgil and so many others, the tales begin with people simply trying to right their lives.

“It was amazing,” he says. “It was really tough to communicate. There was no way to get around. Everyone was displaced. Businesses were destroyed, so there was no way to make a living.”

There was also no way to keep a Kiwanis club alive.

Or so it seemed. The Hancock club boasted nearly 30 members prior to Hurricane Katrina, which struck August 29, 2005.

“We lost most of our members, because many moved out of the area or out of the state,” says Virgil, who was club president at the time. “Four or five of us got together, along with (immediate-past Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District governor) Dennis Oliver, and our first question was: ‘Do we want this club to continue?’

Well, of course we did.”

That small group began meeting about once a month on a couple of benches located behind a church in Bay St. Louis. The club’s previous meeting place, a restaurant close to the coast in nearby Waveland, was wiped out by the hurricane, which meant the club’s supplies were lost as well.

“We now meet twice a month. We haven’t fully recovered yet, but we are coming along. The camaraderie of our group is strong. We will maintain this Kiwanis club.”

Today, the club has 21 members.

“When you have disasters and one part of an area is hurt, everyone pitches in to help that part, but when 100 percent of a community is hurt by a disaster, you’re facing a phenomenal task.”

That’s how Robby Showalter, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Saint Bernard-Arabi, Louisiana Kiwanian, sums up Katrina’s destruction in the Saint Bernard parish.

“Every one of our club’s members lost their homes,” he explains.

Aside from getting their personal lives in order, the Kiwanians were challenged with locating and making contact with the club’s 60-plus members. When a member set up a Web site called “The Parish,” word quickly spread among members who had scattered across the state and the country. A post seeking information on the whereabouts of a member would be followed up by posts about that person and how to get in touch.

“One of the first things we did as a club following the storm was to have a Christmas party for the members,” Robby says. “That really pulled people together.”

Among the projects first initialized by the club were reorganizing its sponsored Key Club at Chalmette High School, maintaining a scholarship program for students, and implementing Coats for Kids.

“Our Kiwanis club has a strong spirit,” Robby says, “and we have a saying: ‘If there’s something good happening in Saint Bernard, you’re gonna find a Kiwanian involved with it.’”

“Sheer will.” That’s how Nancy Walters, treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of D’Iberville, Mississippi, describes the manner in which members picked up the pieces to their lives and resurrected their club following Hurricane Katrina.

“Cell phones seemed to be working, so we put a big sign out in front of our business with our cell number on it,” she says. “A few Kiwanians started to stop by, then more and more came to the building. About seven of us got together

early on and said, ‘If we’re going to keep this club alive, here’s what we need to do.’”

Grant money got things rolling. A Kiwanis International Foundation disaster relief grant, for example, helped the club replace T-shirts and gifts presented through its Terrific Kids program. By May 2006, the club was conducting meetings in the kitchen of Nancy and Tina’s accounting business. Prior to the hurricane, the club’s roster stood at 26; the group now is back up to 18.

“We have a close-knit group, and everyone sticks together,” Nancy says. “Sometimes we don’t get all the members to the meetings, but all we have to do is call, and they are there and ready to help.”

Though the high school was being used as a shelter, Kiwanis members kept their sponsored Key Club intact and active. And the club counts Bring Up Grades as one of its newest projects.

“We’re back as a club and helping out in our community,” Nancy says. “We’re small, but our will continues to push us forward.”