Kiwanis Club of Glen Ellyn IL

1 week ago

Great ideas for all of us to materializeThanks so much to Backseaters Kelly and Dick for the amazing and generous donation of food items to the families in need of help in St Paul. Rev Spence was all smiles after the fun shopping spree. ... See MoreSee Less

Kiwanis Club of Glen Ellyn IL

1 week ago

Great hearts generate great things!Follow Project Nightfall for more stories about everyday heroes feeding more than just stomachs.

Before most alarms go off, she is already making sandwiches.

In North St. Louis, Missouri, a mother of six named Champale Anderson has quietly built a lifeline for children in her neighborhood. Every day, she prepares more than 100 free lunch bags.

Inside each bag are simple essentials: sandwiches, fruit, snacks, drinks. Nothing extravagant. Just enough to make sure a child does not spend the day hungry.
And most of it comes from her own pocket.

Champale keeps an open‑door policy before and after school. Kids know they can stop by. They know there will be food.

Hunger is often invisible. It hides behind quiet kids in classrooms. It sits in the back row during math. It walks home slowly because there is nothing waiting in the fridge.
Champale saw that reality in her own community. And she refused to accept it.

More than 100 bags a day means more than 700 bags a week. Thousands over the course of a year. Groceries stacked high. Early mornings. Constant preparation.
She is raising six children of her own. And still, she makes space for dozens more.

Her mission is simple: no child around her should go hungry.

It would be easy to say this is unsustainable, that one person cannot fix food insecurity. But to the child who opens that bag, she has already fixed today. And sometimes, today is everything.

In a world where we scroll past headlines about shortages and systems, Champale stands in her kitchen and does the work anyway. One sandwich at a time. One child at a time.

Hunger does not always make the news. But kindness like this deserves to.

#Community #Kindness #Humanity ... See MoreSee Less

Kiwanis Club of Glen Ellyn IL

2 weeks ago

Congratulations to the winners this year!We had the pleasure of visiting the 2025 nominees and are happy to announce the 2025 nominees. Check out all the nominees photos on our website and purchase your ticket so you can see the live presentation of the winners!

Going Greener Organization of the Year:
• à la main
• Faith Lutheran Church
• Forest Glen One Earth Environmental Club
Non-profit of the Year:
• Glen House Food Pantry
• Glen Ellyn Youth & Family Counseling Service
• Teen Philanthropy Network
Restaurant of the Year:
• Glen Oak Cafe
• Javi’s Burritos
• Sushi Ukai Glen Ellyn
Retail of the Year:
• Bench492 Studio
• Local Glass Studio
• Gather & Collect
Service Industry Business of the Year:
• JCD PLumbing
• Jet Brite Car Wash
• Life Care Wellness

Early Bird ticket pricing ends TOMORROW at 5pm, so be sure to secure your seats before rates increase. Purchase your tickets here: www.glenellynchamber.com/awards/ ... See MoreSee Less