Kids Get an Early Christmas Present from Kiwanis

The Kiwanis clothes and coats event held every November may provide warm clothing to nearly 500 San Juan County School children, but it also warms the hearts of volunteers. You're watching the Local News Network, brought to you by ServiceMaster Restore and Farmington ACE Hardware. I'm Hannah Robertson. Christmas came early to area school children when Farmington Rio del Sol Kiwanis Club members took more than 300 kids on a shopping spree at the local Target store. The children are nominated by their teachers, and Kiwanis volunteers help them shop for a hundred dollars worth of school clothes during the clubs annual Kiwanis Clothes for Kids event held in November. Another 200 kids picked out new or gently used winter coats at the Coats for Kids event that followed a few days later. Kiwanis member Brian Turner said the annual events are supportive by Kiwanis fundraisers, businesses, and individual donations. Turner estimates that the club has given away more than 3,600 coats since the event's inception 10 years ago. While the new clothes and coats will provide warmth in the months ahead, Turner said club volunteers benefit from the warmth of giving.

I love this. I mean, it's a big event, but for some of these families that come with their situations, to have them walk out with a warm coat, we had a lady just a little bit ago saying they didn't have any money for Christmas, and this was their Christmas present. So we had some sleeping bags earlier, that's what they sleep in at night, 'cause the windows don't work, so it's nice just to have some small impact on somebody's life.

The Farmington Rio del Sol Kiwanis Club meets at noon on Thursdays. If you'd like to know more about the club and its activities, visit riodelsolkiwanis.com. Thanks for watching this edition of the Local News Network. I'm Hannah Robertson.