By LOIS KINDLE
The Kiwanis Club of Southshore recently observed Little Free Library Week with its Reading in Comfy Socks event. Filled with interactive and educational activities, it brought together more than 125 community members at the Firehouse Cultural Center to celebrate the joy of reading through interactive and educational activities.
“Kiwanis is all about kids,” said Suzi Bredbenner, current club president. “We’re passionate about learning, and Kiwanis provides tools to inspire children to learn.”
Reading in Comfy socks event volunteers gather for a photo with Kiwanis Club of Southshore President Suzi Bredbenner, fourth from left.
Each child in attendance received a free book from the Goodwill BookWorks Literacy Program, cozy socks courtesy of Bombas Socks, activity books from 4imprint’s One by One program and coloring sheets provided by Little Free Library.
Thanks to a mini-grant from the Florida Kiwanis Foundation, the event featured 19 unique activities, including hands-on experiences like mini-book making, scratch bookmarks, blackout poetry, LEGO building, friendship bracelet crafting and creative play. Some were so engaging that children participated multiple times.
The event was made possible by the dedication of 28 volunteers, including 20 high school Key Club members.
As part of its ongoing literacy efforts, the Kiwanis Club of Southshore has been awarded two Little Free Libraries through the Impact Library Program to serve designated local “book deserts” with limited access to reading materials. The South Shore area is considered one of them.
Volunteer Angela Baldi and Roman Ramos build something together during the Reading in Comfy Socks event, held recently by the Kiwanis Club of Southshore at the Firehouse Cultural Center.
In addition to maintaining libraries at the Firehouse Cultural Center and Ruskin Memorial Park, the club was honored as one of only 44 organizations nationwide to receive a special grant in recognition of Little Free Library Week.
A cornerstone of the club’s literacy efforts is its partnership with Goodwill BookWorks, a division of Goodwill Suncoast. Kiwanis volunteers read to children in local Head Start programs each month, ensuring every child receives a personalized book to take home.
Goodwill BookWorks also supports the club’s annual book drop to local elementary schools and helps it provide books at a variety of community events, leading to the distribution of more than 10,000 books in the South shore community this 2024-2025 school year.
Jane Brown and her brother Jackson, of Ruskin, turned out to the Kiwanis Club of Southshore’s Reading in Comfy Socks event to enjoy its interactive and educational activities.
Bombas Socks is another vital partner, generously donating 5,000 pairs of socks annually through its Giving Program. These are distributed year-round at book giveaways and through community partnerships to ensure they reach families in need.
The Kiwanis Club of Southshore is part of Kiwanis International, a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. Locally, the club serves school-based programs such as Head Start reading initiatives at Ruskin, Thompson, Corr and Reddick elementary schools; Terrific Kids across 11 South Shore elementary schools; Bring Up Grades at Reddick and Corr; Builders Club at RCMA Wimauma Charter Academy; and Key Clubs and Lennard, East Bay and Sumner high schools, with plans to expand to Aquilla J. Morgan High School in Wimauma this fall.
The club also provided free books to every child at Ruskin, Sessums, Belmont, Coor and Thompson elementary schools and RCMA Wimauma Academy.
CHRIS BREDBENNER PHOTOS
Kiwanis Club of Southshore President Suzi Bredbenner welcomed more than 125 community members to the club’s Reading in Comfy Socks event at the Firehouse Cultural Center during Little Free Library Week.
Each year, Kiwanis Club of Southshore also awards 18 to 20 scholarships of $1,000 to graduating seniors and maintain a StoryWalk at Ruskin Recreation Center in Beaudette Park.
Excluding these scholarships, the club’s programs cost $15,000 annually. Funding comes through grants from the Florida Kiwanis Foundation, member/private donations members and its annual fundraisers.
If you’d like to help, mail your tax-deductible donation to Kiwanis Club of Southshore, P.O. Box 5753, Sun City Center 33571 or call 813-597-5063. Th club is always looking for new members and volunteers.
For more information, contact us at kiwanissouthshorefl@gmail.com/, visit www.kiwanissouthshorefl.org/ or follow the club on Facebook at facebook.com/southshorekiwanis/.