WEST ORANGE, NJ - Several parents are working to start a local West Orange Chapter of the Kiwanis Club, and a meeting has been scheduled for Sept. 25 at Harper's Cafe, 134 South Valley Road beginning at 6:30 pm.

"Hello West Orange!" began parent Krista Punsalan.

"We are working hard to bring a Kiwanis Club to West Orange, and we need your help. Kiwanis is an international service organization that is over 100 years old and located in 87 countries. Kiwanis is dedicated to improving the lives of children and supporting communities through volunteerism and leadership development," she explained.

15 members are required to form a local Kiwanis Club. Members must be adults 21 years of age or older, but there will be many volunteer opportunities for kids and teens once the group is up and running. Parents are welcome to bring children to the information session, and Kiwanis members can be from both the school community and the broader West Orange community. (The grants, scholarships and programs they bring benefit kids, teens, families, seniors, and more.) 

"Kiwanis supports several outreaches in local towns, like: food drives, building playgrounds, tutoring programs, after-school enrichment, offering scholarships to deserving students, and much more. Please stop by the Harper's Cafe on Thursday, 9/25 at 6:30 pm, or visit JoinKiwanis.org to learn more. Let's work together to make West Orange the best it can be!" she concluded.

For questions concerning the Thursday night meeting, contact Krista Punsalan at kbpunsalan@gmail.com.