Rosemead Kiwanis Club

   "Serving the Community Since 1945"

History and

Programs

 

 

ROSEMEAD KIWANIS –

History and Programs

 

Rosemead Kiwanis began in 1945.  “Rose’s Mead” (as thoroughbred horse rancher, L.J. Rose, named his grazing meadow) was not yet even a city.  The club, founded by local businessmen, was initiated with guidance from Kiwanians from neighboring San Gabriel.

 

This synopsis of our history and current activities is divided into three sections:

 

                                             The Early Years

 

                                      Helping Youth

 

                                      Helping Others

 

The Early Years

 

Kiwanis, a word taken from an Indian language in Michigan, is translated loosely “self-expression” and is exemplified by the original Kiwanis motto adopted in 1922 “We build.”  And the Rosemead Kiwanians proceeded to do exactly that.

 

The Club’s early members included  

 

          ●   The co-owner of a local bank who would go on to become the worldwide President

                of Kiwanis International in 1987

 

     ●   A furniture manufacturer who would leave large endowments to both the Rosemead

          Kiwanis Foundation and the Lincoln Training Center for developmentally disabled adults.   

 

      ●  Several local store owners and professional men who would spearhead incorporation,

           serve on the City Council and school boards and oversee the redevelopment project

           which brought Edison International and other corporate entities to the city.

 

As the decades passed our community changed.  Rosemead Kiwanis is today, apart from the Rosemead Women’s Club, the sole service club in Rosemead. We have survived by adapting to the realities of the 21st Century and the Internet.  We have co-branded our club with the Toastmasters program and operate in cyberspace through this website and emails as well as in our regular weekly meetings.

 

Today our roster still includes leaders in the scholastic and local business community.  We remain dedicated to addressing the current and future needs of the Rosemead community.  We partner continually with others and welcome participation by all who are interested in giving to their community.

 

Helping Youth

 

Kiwanis International over the years has developed associated groups to serve children. Rosemead Kiwanis has been deeply involved at the local level in this area including:

 

●   Key Clubs for local high schools

 

●   Builders Clubs at the intermediate school levels

 

●   After school and literacy improvement programs 

 

●   Farm/City Youth exchange program

 

●   Support for the Rosemead Boys and Girls Club 

 

●   Scholarships directed at helping high school graduates who otherwise might not get the opportunity for post-high school education

 

●   ROSY (Rosemead Organization to Serve Youth) Fund grants 

 

●   Winter Youth Leadership Camp – open to elementary students as well as intermediate school Builders and Science Olympiad members

 

In addition to direct assistance through the Rosemead Kiwanis Foundation, Rosemead Kiwanis today partners with both commercial enterprises and non-profit groups to obtain grants and funding for worthwhile youth-oriented projects.

 

Helping Others

 

Kiwanians are perhaps best known for helping children, but we also do more in several other major areas: Health, Community Communication and Unity, Adult Services, Consumer Education, Economic Development, and General Community Activities.

 

●  Health: Our health-related efforts include education for young mothers, vaccination programs, consumer education and participation in the Kiwanis/UNICEF effort to stamp out Iodine Deficiency Disorders worldwide. Our website has downloadable .pdf literature related to a number of these areas and links to more.

 

●  Community Communication and Unity: Kiwanians build communities.  The resource centers on this website, our coordination of assembling for the HealthyCities/211LACounty database, and our RKC Email Newsletters Focus Reports and bulletins are illustrations of this.  Another is our disaster preparedness and relief work in conjunction with the Red Cross.

 

 ●  Adult Service: We have been involved with the Lincoln Training Center from its inception, sponsoring Toastmasters and soon (with other Kiwanis Clubs) Aktion Clubs at its location.  We also have helped facilitate, in partnership with others, the senior-oriented Adopt-a-Grandparent program.  And, by co-branding our club with Rosemead Toastmasters Kiwanis, we facilitate both development of our own members and the giving of periodic community presentations.

 

●  Consumer Education: included on our website are links to resources and information for all community residents.  Of specific focus are disaster prepared-ness, regulatory compliance and personal financial management.  We also post current Newsletters of several community groups and organizations.

 

●   Economic Development: we work actively with the Rosemead Chamber of Commerce and City government to identify needs and publicize information of general interest to residents. We also work to maintain a healthy environment and business climate.

 

●   General Community Activities: These center around holiday and special community events, such as the annual Postal Service Union’s Food Bank Drive, Rosemead’s 4th of July Parade and the Thanksgiving Food Basket Program.  We also collect used eyeglasses and help support the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

 

Obviously much of this is done in partnership with others.  The population of Rosemead is now over 50,000. There are over fifty religious groups, several score organizations and numerous government agencies in an ethnically diverse environment.  Our membership and community partnerships reflect this diversity. Together we continue to believe in and practice the Kiwanian motto of 1922 -- “We Build.”