November is the month for giving thanks and we have so many wonderful things to be thankful for including our dear friends and family.
That being said, one particular organization we would like to shed some light on in appreciation is the Kiwanis Club of Opelousas!
We recently attended the second annual banquet for the 'Spice Up the Night' event where members of the community were honored in recognition to their contributions in supporting children of the community. Kiwanis is a global organization whose mission is to support kids in their community, specifically those who struggle academically in school.
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Among the many projects the club actively participates in, Kiwanis Kids is an on-going project with volunteers who work closely with school faculty to recognize & reward students that struggle in school. These are the students that may not make honor roll or principal's list but have shown increased efforts to improve in areas such as participating in class, improving their grades, showing advancements in character development, self-esteem, and perseverance by improving conduct, peer relationships, attendance, or schoolwork.
The 'Spice Up the Night' banquet held on Wednesday honored and recognized members for their dedication and support to Kiwanis' mission serving the needs of the community and giving back. The honorees of the evening were:
St. Landry Parish President, Jessie Bellard
City of Opelousas Mayor, Julius Alsandor
Judge Shaunn Callier Harden
Opelousas Parks and Recreation Superintendent, Chris Rideau
St. Landry Bank CEO, Robbie Tomlinson
DCG Agency Owner/CEO, Joseph F. Godchaux
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The work and support of these individuals plays a vital role in carrying out the mission of Kiwanis to continue supporting their community through much-needed programs from offering positive encouragement towards improving academic performance to scholarships.
Another reason we love Kiwanis is for their active involvement in the community, bringing family-friendly fun through events that families can look forward to such as the Trick-or-Treat Trail and Pictures with Santa.
