BettyAnn Klein was stunned when Laura McLaughlin presented her a bag filled with children’s books.
As she browsed over the titles, Klein, of Center Hill, said, “It feels like Christmas morning. The kids will be so excited when they see how many new books we now have.”
Klein’s nonprofit, Center Hill Children’s Mission, which dresses and educates Hispanic children, is one of the organizations that the Hometown Civitan Club will support with revenues from the 2020 Adopt-a-Precinct initiative. Individuals or groups can contribute their time to help in the voting booths in Sumter County during elections through this initiative. Instead of compensating volunteers for their time, the county gave the proceeds to local organizations selected by the teams.
“Each of these individuals representing these nonprofits have made a difference in the lives of others,” said Hometown Civitan Club member McLaughlin. “We have formed wonderful relationships with each of them and just want to help them further their missions.”
The committee met with representatives from five of the six charities receiving monetary donations during their September meeting at Perkins Restaurant and Bakery. Klein, of the Center Hill Children’s Mission in Center Hill, was one of them. The others were David Douglas and Rebecca Randall of Hand in Hand, a Eustis-based nonprofit that helps people recover from addictions,; Linda Kruspki and Nancy Hartkop of LovExtension, a Lake County nonprofit that works to enhance the lives of the elderly and disabled; Karen Cunningham of Marion Therapeutic Riding Association in Ocala, a non-profit that provides therapeutic horse rides to people with MS; and Carole Savage of Marion County’s PACE Center for Girls, a nonprofit that provides education, food and personal hygiene items to adolescent girls in need.
Young Performing Artists, a charity that provides scholarships to children with musical skills, received the last payment from Hometown Civitan.
Hometown Civitan had intended to give the organizations a total of $11,100, but after hearing about how they serve the community, the group decided to give an additional $1,000 to Marion Therapeutic Riding Association, bringing the total to $12,100.
According to McLaughlin, of the Village of Collier, “All of the money raised from Adopt-a-Precinct went into a pool and was divided into groups determined by the philanthropy committee, made up of five people.”
The committee makes selections based on needs, according to Mary Anderson, president of Hometown Civitan.
“It’s a win-win situation because all the money we raise goes back into the tri-county area,” Anderson said.
Betty Rohan founded the club in 2015, and it has fought to provide a brighter, better future for the next generation in need since then.
“Each of our donors have been chosen because of the relationship we have with them and the work they do,” said Rohan. “We tend to choose groups that work with children or those with special circumstances.”
Cunningham mentioned during the check presentations that the group’s most recent gift went for a handicap accessible lift, which permits those with physical impairments to engage in therapeutic horseback riding.
“When you see the light on the faces of those who thought they would never be able to ride, you almost cannot breathe because of all the emotion,” said Cunningham. “It is absolutely amazing to see the reactions of our clients, which wouldn’t be possible without community donations.”
Visit hometowncivitanclub.com for more information on Hometown Civitan.