Saluting our Non-Profits

On Saturday, I headed – virtually – to the Keen Pub to take part, with my fellow Glendale Kiwanians, in a pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration. We had a good crowd show up for games, chit-chat and, of course, the chance to raise a glass of Irish whiskey.

The St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Keen Pub (the Keens are longtime Kiwanis members) is a tradition that was unceremoniously canceled last year when the pandemic took hold. Over the course of the year, Kiwanis – like so many other non-profit organizations – discovered ways to stay connected and remain relevant to the community it serves and its many members. For example, whereas pre-pandemic Kiwanians met weekly in Glendale for lunch, laughs and an educational presentation, when the shutdown occurred, lunch meetings were canceled indefinitely. However, after a couple of weeks (and Zoom tutorials) we started meeting virtually. Were there hiccups? You bet. Do we sing on key – or even in unison? Not a chance. But we share words of inspiration during our weekly meetings and a joke or two and get to meet some important people in our community who aren’t afraid of making a presentation virtually to our group.

During the last year, the Glendale Kiwanis Club has installed a new president, held trainings and fundraisers and enjoyed a couple of social events. We plan on interviewing, via Zoom, candidates for scholarships that will be handed out in the next few months. (This is the second year this will be done virtually.)

Maintaining an active non-profit organization is challenging; I wanted to share some creative ideas that have been thought up to keep in the forefront of some of our local organizations.

In this week’s paper, you can read Lori Bodnar’s article on the Montrose Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce and their Egg My Home project. Just in time for Easter, members and supporters of the MVCC will scatter eggs on the yards of local homes. What a great way to surprise kids, grandkids or just some neighbors. There is a list of prices depending on the number of eggs that are purchased for spreading; the deadline to order is Friday, March 26.

The historic Alex Theatre/Glendale Arts, in partnership with the Greater Downtown Glendale Association, is hosting Savor. Savor “nourishes connectivity, promotes health + fosters civic engagement.” Patrons are encouraged to support this event by dining out during Restaurant Week, attending the signature event, The Illuminate Dinner, participating in an interactive conversational event and watching and learning during the Cooking + Cocktail/Mocktail classes. You can learn more about Savor at https://www.savorglendale.com/.

Many civic organizations have continued with their meetings, too. The CV Town Council meets tonight, Thursday and on March 25 at 7 p.m., the Crescenta Valley Community Assn., which keeps abreast of local construction projects in both the local unincorporated portions of the county and the northwest section of Glendale, has continued to inform the community of upcoming projects. For example, at its next meeting there will be a discussion surrounding the housing element update, which must be done every eight years. According to a social media post, “It’s up to the city, or in unincorporated La Crescenta it’s LA County, to plan where the new housing units will be located. LA County has chosen 33 parcels in Montrose [in which] to modify the zoning to allow for much greater density than the current zoning would allow. Glendale’s plan is not available to the public yet, but they must find parcels to allow over 13,000 additional units to be built in the next eight years.”

Interested parties can take part in this virtual meeting via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/91644895134. Meeting ID: 916 4489 5134; password: 826439.

Though we’re turning a corner in the fight against COVID, virtual meetings and events are still being held. I, for one, applaud the efforts of these organizations to maintain a presence in our community.