Shenandoah Valley Kiwanis Club awards special grants to two library programs

Shenandoah Valley Kiwanis Club has awarded two special grants to local organizations. The Club announced the availability of funds for a special $5,000 allocation earlier this year; and 28 local organizations submitted requests.

The grantees are Infant & Toddler Connection of Staunton-Waynesboro, who received $4,500 for an Assistive Communications Devices (AT) Lending Library, and Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, who received $500 for development of an exhibit for children.

“We were overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the responses,” said Amy Kiger, chair of the Grant Review Committee.  “We did not know what to expect, but we believe the response is a reflection of the need that exists in our community, as well as some new and innovative ideas.  The proposal from the Infant & Toddler Connection seemed to be especially in-line with the Kiwanis mission of changing our world, one child and one community at a time.”

The Infant & Toddler Connection will use the grant to build a lending library of AT devices for local families to borrow.  A wide variety of items will be purchased—software for making picture books, switches, switch-activated toys and voice output devices.  Through this lending library, children in need of the devices for short periods of time will have immediate access, and those who need long-term devices will have the opportunity to try different devices with their therapists to determine the best option for purchase.

The Infant & Toddler Connection of Staunton-Waynesboro serves families within the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro, and is part of the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia network that provides services for children between the ages of birth and three years old who are experiencing developmental delay.

Shenandoah Valley Kiwanis Club is a local chapter of Kiwanis International, a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.  For information on Shenandoah Valley Kiwanis Club, contact President Rod Owen at [email protected].