Riverview Kiwanians meet at night; set for High School Poetry Slam

By LINDA CHION KENNEY

Riverview’s Kiwanis Club meets at night, a strong selling point for service-minded members who like the club’s child-centered focus.

LINDA CHION KENNEY PHOTO
In attendance at the Riverview Kiwanis Club meeting Sept. 10 at The Alley, from left, Charlotte Grant, Nate Goldenberg, Jennifer Morales, Janet Daigle, Julie Tyson, Tanya Mason, June Wallace and Kathy Osik.

“That’s the reason I joined the Riverview club, because traffic was so bad getting to the early morning Brandon club meeting from my home in FishHawk,” said Nate Goldenberg, the incoming president of the Riverview club, who added that it was a no-brainer for him to become a Kiwanian. “Both my parents are teachers, so I’ve been in the school system my whole life. The main focus at Kiwanis is making sure all kids have the same opportunities. That’s a real big thing for me.”

Goldenberg succeeds Jennifer Morales, the outgoing president, who taught high school for eight years in Mobile, Ala., where she worked with a highly motivated and successful Key Club. She learned later, after moving to Hillsborough County, that Key Club is a Kiwanis youth program through the Kiwanis International family of service leadership programs. “When I found that out,” Morales said, “that’s when I decided I needed to join and help out.”

Spun off from the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, the Kiwanis Club of Riverview started as a satellite and became chartered in 2017. It meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 7 to 8 p.m. at The Alley at SouthShore bowling and family entertainment center at 10221 Big Bend Road.

“With Riverview’s growth and new schools coming, the need for a club down here was great,” said Chris Kazor, who, with his wife, Christine, started the club as a Brandon satellite with Jim Hirz, Tom Mano, Dan Temple and Matt and Jenny Wolf.

“It’s the right place and it’s the right time,” said June Wallace, a member of the Kiwanis Club of SouthShore, which meets at 11:30 a.m. the first and third Wednesday of the month at the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center. “We’re going to have another high school built in Riverview, and this new high school will be the Riverview club’s baby.” The school is set to open in August on the north side of Balm Road (S.R. 672), east of U.S. 301, across from the Ayersworth and Mirabella subdivisions.

The Riverview club already has a relationship with Lennard and Riverview high schools, where the SouthShore and Brandon clubs, respectively, sponsor Key Club programs. Charlotte Grant is a social worker at Lennard High, where she also advises a poetry club. She said she joined the Riverview Kiwanis club because it meets at night “and if you love the children, you’ll love the club.”

Through her efforts, the Riverview club is set to host the High School Open Mic Poetry Slam for all Hillsborough County students, the fourth Friday of the month, 7 to 8 p.m. at The Alley. The first family-friendly slam is set for Oct. 25, and spectators of all ages are welcome to attend.

“Poetry is a great outlet for kids to express themselves, and we’re offering a safe place for all high school kids, from any school, to come out and participate,” added Grant, who started her Kiwanis connection with the Brandon club, after working at Gibsonton Elementary School and witnessing first-hand its Project Smile initiative. Launched in 2012, Kiwanis Project Smile sends home weekend backpacks of food to families who struggle to make ends meet. The aim is to ensure no child goes hungry over the weekend.

Kiwanis youth programs include its most widely-known Terrific Kids student recognition program, designed to promote character development, self esteem and perseverance. (“Terrific” is an acronym for thoughtful, enthusiastic, respectful, responsible, inclusive, friendly, inquisitive and capable.) Recognition includes getting pinned as a Terrific Kid, a food-themed party and presentation of certificates and other giveaways.

School-based programs also include K-Kids, for elementary students; the Builders Club, for middle-school students; and Circle K International (CKI), for college students. The Riverview club so far sponsors Terrific Kids at Boyette Springs, Ippolito, Summerfield, Summerfield Crossings and Symmes elementary schools. The Brandon club oversees Terrific Kids at Gibsonton and Riverview elementary schools and, at Riverview, a K-Kids service club.

“I really like the camaraderie, I really like what they do for the community, and I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” said Julie Tyson, the Riverview club’s outgoing vice president, about her reasons for joining Kiwanis. “The club is like your second family,” she added. “If something happens to you, they’re calling to make sure you’re okay. If you need something, they’re the first people there to help you out.”

Induction for new officers is set for the club’s Sept. 24 meeting. Joining Goldenberg and Morales, as president and past president, are Matt Wolf, vice president; Karen Girardi, secretary; and Derick Armstrong, treasurer. Also on the board are Grant and Kathy Osik.