One of the most rewarding aspects of Kiwanis service is finding new ways to connect people, encourage growth, and build community. Recently, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene had the opportunity to do exactly that through a special partnership involving our Club’s sponsored Kootenai County Aktion Club, Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR), and the North Idaho College Head Start program.
For the first time, a member of SNR and our Kiwanis Aktion Club visited a Head Start classroom as a guest reader. Ursula, an Aktion Club member, spent time reading to the children and interacting with the class during story time. While the experience was something of an experiment for everyone involved, it quickly became clear that it was a success. The children were engaged and enthusiastic, and Ursula did an outstanding job connecting with them throughout the visit.
Specialized Needs Recreation is a Coeur d’Alene nonprofit whose mission is to enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities through recreation, socialization, and opportunities for personal growth. Aktion Club, sponsored by Kiwanis International, is the only service club in the world specifically for adults with disabilities, helping members develop leadership skills while serving their communities. Through our local Kiwanis sponsorship, Aktion Club members are encouraged to participate in meaningful community activities that build confidence, independence, and relationships.
The reading visit also beautifully complemented the mission of the Head Start program, which provides early childhood education and school-readiness opportunities for young children and families in our area. For Ursula, the experience represented an important personal growth opportunity, and she has already expressed excitement about returning to read again next school year. Encouragingly, other SNR and Aktion Club members are now interested in participating as well. What began as a simple idea may very well become a meaningful ongoing partnership — one that benefits not only the children being read to, but also the readers themselves.
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene is proud to support programs that create inclusion, leadership, and connection within our community. Sometimes the most meaningful service projects begin with a single small step — and this one was a wonderful start.
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Posted: May 21, 2026 by Matt Palmer
A New Voice for Story Time: Aktion Club Member Reads to Head Start Students
One of the most rewarding aspects of Kiwanis service is finding new ways to connect people, encourage growth, and build community. Recently, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene had the opportunity to do exactly that through a special partnership involving our Club’s sponsored Kootenai County Aktion Club, Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR), and the North Idaho College Head Start program.
For the first time, a member of SNR and our Kiwanis Aktion Club visited a Head Start classroom as a guest reader. Ursula, an Aktion Club member, spent time reading to the children and interacting with the class during story time. While the experience was something of an experiment for everyone involved, it quickly became clear that it was a success. The children were engaged and enthusiastic, and Ursula did an outstanding job connecting with them throughout the visit.
Specialized Needs Recreation is a Coeur d’Alene nonprofit whose mission is to enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities through recreation, socialization, and opportunities for personal growth. Aktion Club, sponsored by Kiwanis International, is the only service club in the world specifically for adults with disabilities, helping members develop leadership skills while serving their communities. Through our local Kiwanis sponsorship, Aktion Club members are encouraged to participate in meaningful community activities that build confidence, independence, and relationships.
The reading visit also beautifully complemented the mission of the Head Start program, which provides early childhood education and school-readiness opportunities for young children and families in our area. For Ursula, the experience represented an important personal growth opportunity, and she has already expressed excitement about returning to read again next school year. Encouragingly, other SNR and Aktion Club members are now interested in participating as well. What began as a simple idea may very well become a meaningful ongoing partnership — one that benefits not only the children being read to, but also the readers themselves.
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene is proud to support programs that create inclusion, leadership, and connection within our community. Sometimes the most meaningful service projects begin with a single small step — and this one was a wonderful start.
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Kiwanis Club of Coeur d'Alene
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d' Alene meets every Wednesday except the last of the month from noon to 1pm at MacKenzie River Pizza , 405 W. Canfield Ave.
Anyone welcome to join us for a meeting to see what we're all about!
Building Stronger Communities Through Giving!
At the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d'Alene's meeting on October 21, we welcomed Emma Hoagland, Community Engagement Associate for North Idaho with the Idaho Community Foundation.
Emma shared how the Foundation connects generous donors with nonprofit organizations throughout Idaho, investing charitable contributions and distributing grants that help strengthen our communities.
We were particularly impressed by the Foundation's impact right here in North Idaho!
During the 2026 Forever Idaho grant cycle:
đź’™ $315,000 was distributed to local nonprofits.
đź’™ 40 organizations received financial support.
đź’™ Approximately $1.2 million has been distributed in our region over the past four years!
We were also pleased to learn more about the Foundation's support for Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR), an organization with close ties to our Kiwanis Club.
Emma also highlighted Idaho Gives, an annual four-day fundraising event that brings Idahoans together to support nonprofit organizations. In 2026, North Idaho donors contributed more than $776,000 to 112 local nonprofits!
📅 Mark your calendars for the next Idaho Gives: May 3–6, 2027.
The Foundation's commitment to strengthening communities aligns closely with our own Kiwanis mission of serving children and improving lives. We look forward to exploring opportunities to collaborate in the future.
Thank you, Emma, for an informative and inspiring presentation!
👉 Read more about Emma's presentation, the Idaho Community Foundation, and its impact on North Idaho on our website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/idaho-community-foundation-investing-in-the-future-of-north-idaho/ ... See MoreSee Less
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🥫🚗 320 FAMILIES SERVED — ANOTHER GREAT DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE! 💙
On October 8, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene once again teamed up with Second Harvest Inland Northwest to distribute food to local families at Community United Methodist Church.
The need was clear! Cars began lining up a couple of hours before the scheduled start, so volunteers got to work early. Over the next 4½ hours, 320 families received much-needed food assistance!
đź‘Ź We were grateful to be joined by volunteers from the United Women in Faith, Wells Fargo Bank, our Aktion Club, and other community members who generously gave their time.
🌟 A special shout-out to our amazing Aktion Club members! Several joined us for the distribution, enthusiastically pitching in and enjoying the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their community. Seeing their pride, energy, and joy in serving others was one of the highlights of the day!
Events like this remind us what can be accomplished when neighbors and community organizations work together.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this another successful food distribution!
📸 Read the full story and see photos on our Kiwanis website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/kiwanis-and-community-partners-serve-320-families-at-second-harvest-food-... ... See MoreSee Less
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Celebrating a Great Year of Kiwanis Service! 🎉
Our annual Installation Banquet on September 30 was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate an incredibly busy and successful year for the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene—and, most importantly, to recognize the members who made it all happen.
Throughout the past year, our members gave generously of their time, talents, and resources, participating in a remarkable variety of service projects, supporting local organizations and young people, strengthening our community partnerships, and enjoying plenty of fellowship along the way. Thank you to every one of our members who helped make the year such a success!
And, of course, the banquet marked the beginning of a new Kiwanis year. Kim Cummings was installed as President, Jeanie Nugent as President-Elect, with Kathy Bush continuing as Secretary and Matt Palmer as Treasurer. Mike Lane moves into the role of Immediate Past President, and we welcomed our new and returning Board members.
The evening also included a special recognition as Matt Palmer was named our 2025–26 Kiwanian of the Year, honoring his service and contributions to the club during the past year.
We’re grateful to everyone who served in a leadership role this past year and to those who have stepped forward to lead us in 2026–27. But most of all, thank you to all of our members. Everything our club accomplishes is possible because of your willingness to serve.
It was a great year—and we’re excited to see what we can accomplish together in the next one!
👉 Read more about the past year's accomplishments, our new leadership team, and the Installation Banquet on our website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/celebrating-a-great-year-and-welcoming-our-new-kiwanis-leadership/ ... See MoreSee Less
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