Westbrook Kiwanis members build a shed for the Pride’s Corner Elementary School in 1951. Contributed / Westbrook Historical Society
WESTBROOK — Westbrook Kiwanis, a club that had nearly 100 members at one point and nearly disbanded at another, marks its 95th anniversary this year.
The service club, part of Kiwanis International, focuses on children. Over the years, through its own fundraising, it has donated to Westbrook organizations like My Place Teen Center, sponsored local youth sports teams and donated thousands of books to young students.
At its height, it had close to 100 members, but around 2010 the group dwindled to just six. The members had to decide whether to keep the club going.
“We do a lot for the children of Westbrook. It was my thought that we certainly didn’t want to lose that,” said Dana Smith, a member since 1971.
Smith, now 88, was introduced to Kiwanis by a friend, and since he joined, he’s attended nearly every event it has held.
“I grew up in a rural area, down on Mount Desert Island. There was never anything like this there,” Smith said. “I think I learned that it just gave me joy.”
Smith said the Westbrook group survived thanks to the energy and tech savviness of newer members Dr. Kelly Larsen-Brunner and her husband, Matt Brunner. There are now 12 members and while still a small group, they pride themselves on their work. In 2019, the small group spread over $8,000 in donations.
“Giving back was how I grew up,” Larsen-Brunner said. “I watched my parents, who were teachers. They always went above and beyond. They’d go in early, stay late, bring in goodies for the students. They were always giving whatever they could, and it just was part of my life.”
Larsen-Brunner was a member of Westbrook High School’s Key Club, a student-led community group that Kiwanis sponsors, and now volunteers her time with the group. Fellow Kiwanis member Amie Boucher works with the Kiwanis-sponsored Builders Club at the middle school.
Boucher said she, too, grew up helping her mom, who worked at a nursing home, help others.
“Whatever was needed, my mom went above and beyond for the residents, so that’s how I was raised,” Boucher said.
Larsen-Brunner and Boucher credit Smith for the group’s survival.
“It is smaller now, but the core group of people, like Dana, do a lot and that is inspiring,” Larsen-Brunner said.
The coronavirus halted a lot of their work, much of which involves visiting the schools, something that is not allowed during the pandemic. Kiwanis members usually go to classrooms to read to children, leaving copies of the book behind for the students to enjoy. They hold bike safety seminars for third graders.
The club brings snacks to My Place Teen Center and holds snack drives for them, said CEO Donna Dwyer.
“They have some awesome members like Dana,” Dwyer said. “They always want to learn and get updates from us and see how they can help. We have little projects they work on for us. They are a solid dependable community partner that is a quiet partner but always there if you need them.”
The cancellation of last year’s Together Days and Halloween on Main Street, where members hand out books rather than candy, also impacted the group, and they are looking forward to the normal ways they help the city’s kids.
“This group is here to serve the children of the world,” Boucher said. “And when people come to us and ask us if we can help donate, depending on the organization, our question is always, ‘Will this help the children of Westbrook?'”
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