Local Kiwanis Club spotlights its Warm the Children Initiative, invites folks to donate

The Hopkinsville Kiwanis Club launched the Willie Renshaw Warm the Children Initiative three decades ago, and this year, club members are asking for the community’s support to help them provide winter clothes for up to 300 local kids.

Kiwanis Club members Amy Jones and Nikki Chambers recently appeared on WHOP to talk about the initiative and how folks can donate. Chambers says when the initiative started in 1995, club members initially focused on providing coats, but it eventually expanded to include all winter apparel.

Willie Renshaw started the initiative while searching for a service project and he got the idea from a Kiwanis club based in Connecticut. In its first year, Chambers says the initiative raised $16,000 and ever since the support has grown.

The club partners with the Hopkinsville Salvation Army and the Christian County Public School System to help identify children that could benefit from the initiative. While bringing children warmth, Jones says the initiative also helps bring them a confidence boost because some of them have never had new clothes.

Club members started shopping with kids for winter clothes on Wednesday and will continue shopping through Tuesday. Those interested in making a monetary donation can do so at hopkinsvillekiwanis.com or by mail to P.O. box 470 Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Since its inception, the initiative has raised around $450,000 and provided clothes for over 5,000 children.