Sweetheart Splash, art event benefit local families in need
Sandy Waite, director of the North Kent Service Center, recently visited Rockford Rotary Club to thank the service organization for generous donations made over the years. She said need requested from the center is at an all-time high and each donation helps a local family that is in financial difficulties.
“In 2005, your generous donation of $10,000 was designated to be used by our clients who needed assistance in paying utility bills,” she said. “Money spent on our clients utility needs in 2006 and 2007 was $3,938 and $5,717, respectively, with the balance of $759 used in January 2008.”
Waite said the Rockford Rotary donation of $500 in 2008 was used to purchase a variety of meat averaging 50 cents per pound. The donation allowed the center to buy approximately 1,000 pounds of chicken, sliced hams and other meat to stock the food pantry. In 2008 the center distributed 739,000 pounds of food.
The 2007 Art Gala, jointly organized by four local Rotary groups including Rockford’s, and held in the Wolverine World Wide corporate offices, raised $17,000 for the center. That money, Waite said, was used for operational expenses, such as the building mortgage, electric, heat, waste removal and gas for company vehicles. Waite reported that utilities for the center are approximately $30,000 per year. “Your donation helps keep our facility up and running so we are able to service our families,” she said.
In the past four years, Sweetheart Splash, also a Rockford Rotary event, raised $10,790. “As you can see, there is always a financial need here at the North Kent Service Center,” Waite said. “The Rockford Rotary has played a significant role in allowing us to continue ‘Helping Our Neighbors in Need.’”
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