Did you forget to purchase your Terri Lynn nuts and other goodies before Christmas? We have good news! Although our members will no longer be selling at Grecian Gardens, Pearce Community Center and Kroger, items are still available at Plaza Cleaning, Hair Masters, Cutting Edge and Shear Grace during their regular business hours. Remember, profits from this sale provide scholarships for deserving IVC seniors. Assorted nuts (some chocolate-covered) and snacks are still available, and any of these could be an easy Super Bowl treat or Valentine’s Day chocolate for that special someone. 

Freedom Paws President Corey James and Vice President/puppy trainer Brenda Olson were the featured speakers at our November meeting. We learned so much about what it takes to teach a dog to be a service dog—including hours of training and costs—and were very moved by their efforts to support those servicemen and women, along with first responders, who suffer from PTSD. Every fee up to graduation for the dog is paid for by Freedom Paws, an amount which can total $12K – $15K. Although we cannot pay that entire amount, our club was proud to give them $800 toward expenses.

South School kindergarten and first grade students have enjoyed the flower drum, purchased by Circle of Service with financial support from the Chillicothe Foundation, which was recently installed on their playground.

As we look back on 2023, we’re proud to say we’ve supported Love-In-Action Food Pantry (now closed), Community Needs Agency, Center for Prevention of Abuse, Heritage Health Care (now Arc), Spring Planting at Three Sisters Park; provided gift cards to all area schools for supplies needed but not donated; given three $1200 scholarships to IVC seniors; bought playground equipment for the five District 321-area grade schools with financial support from the Chillicothe Foundation; and purchased wish-list items for librarians in all seven district-area schools. None of this would be possible without the support of the GREAT community in which we live. Thank you, Chillicothe!

For more information on Circle of Service, contact President Linda Krider, 309-274-5796.