St. Matt's Kids Care Club in the Spotlight!

Taken from http://www.kidscare.org/node/10063

Saint Matthew's Kids Care Club

“Although the numbers were small, the heart of each member was so large, we were able to accomplish great things!”
Liz Goldman, Facilitator Saint Matthews Kids Care Club

After a five year hiatus, the Saint Matthew’s Kids Care Club in Green Bay, WI resumed in September of 2007. The club has 16 dedicated members from the fourth, fifth and sixth grades who have made a big impact on their community. Their facilitator, Liz Goldman, a fourth grade teacher, started the club in 2001. Her class was involved in community service. But Liz says, “When a parent brought Kids Care Clubs to my attention, I was thrilled. Joining the Club and becoming part of a bigger [national] group was awesome. The kids could see that they were not alone in trying to make a difference.”

After one year of running the club, Liz moved to Virginia and worked with students in the DC area. The following year, the club was run by Mary Gomoll, Jane Lehman, and Amy Weiss. This past year, when the club started again, Liz was joined by co-facilitator Jen Nemetz. They have done a terrific job guiding the Club through many terrific projects and activities.

In October, at their first meeting the Club brainstormed ideas for the year. Each child was very excited. As one of the first projects, the Club visited a retirement home near their school called the McCormick Home. Students and residents there were able to see connections across the generations by bonding over stories, dancing, singing and playing games together. Painting finger nails was a special activity that was really fun for all. Smiles appeared on the faces of young and old alike!

In December, students gathered at a local mall to ring bells for the Salvation Army. Their good cheer and sweet music brought many visitors throughout the day including the man in red! Santa bellowed his "Ho! Ho! Ho!" as he passed by several times. It was great to contribute their small part to this important big Holiday project.

With the cold winters in the area, the children were very pleased to help at a local homeless shelter, St. John's Shelter. St. Matthew’s Kids Care Club cooked a warm meal for the homeless, using their school kitchen. They prepared several spaghetti casseroles, warm bread, and veggies. Donated drinks and sweets were served and the meal was enjoyed by over 50 people who came to the shelter for the night.

Several Saturday mornings, they took trips to Paul's Pantry, a local food bank, to package butter and eggs assembly line-style. Some students did not care for this kind of work because they would have preferred to work with people face-to-face. Club members changed their minds, when they saw people waiting in line outside the pantry. They realized how much their help means to those who depend on the pantry to feed their families. Will, age 10 noted, “It is special to be a part of this club. It feels good to help others who are lonely or in need…really fun!”
In the spring, the Club made beautiful cards and wrote heartwarrming notes to accompany care packages which they sent to soldiers overseas. Liz, says the Club also keeps the service men and women in their prayers.

One of their projects turned out to be especially touching for Liz. The Saint Matthew’s Kids Care Club purchased fleece to make blankets for children staying at a local hospital. When Liz’s daughter was briefly hospitalized, her daughter received a warm fleece blanket. Liz says, ”I cannot tell you how touching it was to be on the receiving end. It was great for me to share with the kids, that my daughter received a blanket like the blankets made by our Club. This was probably the most poignant project of the year for me!”

The last project of the school year, was the largest project -- a Hamburger, Hot Dog, and Brat Sale to raise money for Heifer International. With the help of Saint Matthew’s Parish Mens' Club, who purchased all of the food and supplies, the Club raised almost $800.00! The funds paid for farm animals which will be given to familes in need around the world. Corrie, age ll said, “It was fun deciding what animals would help people the most. I loved choosing the animals for people in need.”

Saint Matthew’s Kids Care Club has had a wonderful school year filled with events which not only made a difference for others, but also impacted their own lives as well. Liz is proud of their club and its accomplishments. She says, “It is awesome to see the faces of these children as they work to make a difference in our world. Their ideas are thoughtful, their actions are sincere, and their hearts are filled with love. I have such hope for the future knowing that kids like these are part of that future.”

GOOD WORK Saint Matthews KCC ! 16 great kids with HUGE hearts making a BIG difference in their community and in the WORLD!