The Kiwanis Club of Chelsea, led by President Elaine Monge, hosted an Inter-Club Divisional Dinner May 14 at the Merritt Club.
Members from area clubs including Everett, Malden, Somerville, and Medford joined Chelsea Kiwanians at the dinner.
The Kiwanis Club of Chelsea, first established in 1929, conducts community service projects throughout the year and provides financial assistance to various initiatives including the Chelsea High School Scholarship Fund, the Salvation Army, the Jordan Boys and Girls Club, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, and the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute.
The guest speakers for the Inter-Club dinner were Emily Trautwein, Director of Recruitment and Enrollment at Big Sister Boston, Teagan Hosbein, Recruitment Specialist at Big Sister Boston, and former Little Sister Adrianna Vega.
Trautwein talked about the mission of the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston which is “to ignite girls’ passion and power to succeed through positive mentoring relationships with women and enrichment programs that support girls’ healthy development.”
Trautwein, who has worked with the agency for more than a decade, told the gathering that Big Sister is in 69 cities and towns in the greater Boston area.
“We started in 1951 and served six girls that year,” said Trautwein. “We have grown to serve more than 1,000 girls (ages 7 to 15) in the Boston area. We are a national affiliate of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.”
Hosbein talked about the many programs offered by the agency and their positive impact on girls.
“Our largest program is called Community-Based Mentoring,” said Hosbein. “For this program we provide intentional matching for long-term mentoring relationships. We take time to get to know the Little Sisters and the Big Sisters who apply to be in our program and match them based on similar interests and complimentary personalities and any other factors, including location.”
Hosbein said the agency is always looking to partner with community organizations.
Concluding her presentation with some heartwarming individual success stories associated with the agency, Hosbein said, “This is what it’s all about, allowing girls to reach their full potential, access their childhood and have that one-on-one time with a non-family member who genuinely cares about their life and dedicates times to them.”
With her parents, Kiwanis Vice President Carolyn Boumila-Vega and State Assistant Secretary Juan Vega sitting at a nearby table, Adrianna Vega sparkled in her role as a guest speaker.
Vega, a member of the Jordan Boys and Girls Club starting at seven years old who became a Little Sister in 2015, said of her Big Sister/Little Sister experience, “We definitely just clicked, for sure. Immediately, it was a perfect match. We’ve done things from just having a picnic in the park, a run on the Charles [River], to us meeting her family, including me in those special moments. This past year she got married and I went to her wedding with my mom. It was just a very special thing to be a part of. I appreciate it every day.”
Vega received a warm ovation from the audience following her remarks.
Kiwanis President Elaine Monge presented appreciation gifts to each of the three guest speakers.