The Kiwanis Club of Glendale has organized a community event that will benefit families and children and provide a sustainable project that will benefit the overall community.

With the mission of improving the world one child and one community at a time, the 99-year-old organization will be hosting a food and book distribution event on Saturday, May 1 at the Salvation Army Glendale, 320 W. Windsor Road. Families who are in need of groceries are encouraged to attend this drive-thru event between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. In addition to food, every child who visits will receive a new book. The culmination of this event will be the unveiling of a book box, which is being created by Kiwanis partners at the Kiwanis Literacy Club Foundation. Kiwanis Club of Glendale members are pleased to provide a book box at the Salvation Army facility that helps many of Glendale’s children develop their literacy skills.

To assist in the efforts of the Kiwanis Club of Glendale in distributing food to families in need consider dropping off food donations to the Salvation Army throughout the month of April. Ask for Captain Kelly Berggren.

“This book box fits into what we are trying to do with our after-school Zone Program,” said Captain Kelly Berggren of the Salvation Army in Glendale. “We try to help neighborhood kids with their homework, especially in families where English is a second language. If we can encourage young kids to read they won’t be disadvantaged as they progress too and graduate from high school.”

Added Monica Sierra, Kiwanis Club of Glendale president, “The Kiwanis Club of Glendale has served the children in our community for almost a hundred years. We also have a long-standing relationship with the Salvation Army, so we feel this event will benefit both the children and the Army by providing food and books to families in need. We encourage kids to ‘Read a book, change the world!’”

Toni Beck-Espinoza is this year’s event chair and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Glendale.

“As Kiwanians, we are excited to host an event that provides food for the mind and food for the body,” said Beck-Espinoza. “We know that many kids have never had brand new books of their very own. By providing books to kids in our community we are fulfilling an important need and hope to improve literacy while creating avid readers for life.”

For more information about the Kiwanis Club of Glendale visit www.GlendaleKiwanis.info or contact Club President Monica Sierra at monicasierra.ms@gmail.com.