Ramona Kiwanis gives $520 to St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church’s Outreach Ministry

Debbie Benson, left, and Dawn Kezer, co-chairs of St. Mary’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church’s Outreach Ministry, accept a check for $520 from Kiwanis Club of Ramona President Pat Bell during the service organization’s breakfast meeting on Saturday, July 9. The money will go
toward the ministry’s annual effort to provide new shoes, socks and underwear for Ramona schoolchildren before the start of the school year.

Vista Hill SmartCare in Ramona provides the ministry with a list of children in need of the back-to-school items, the women said, noting that the Kiwanis donation will aid at least 70 students.

“The kids are so excited and the parents are so appreciative,” Benson said.

The children will choose new shoes, socks and underwear from the selection at Walmart Supercenter in Poway in mid-August in preparation of the first day of the 2022-23 school year on Monday, Aug. 22. More information about the back-to-school program is at 760-789-0890.