SIDNEY — Brandi Motsinger was the guest speaker for the Dec. 21, 2016, meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Sidney.
Motsinger is a senior at Sidney High School and is serving her fourth term as President of the SHS Key Club.
She is also the President of Link Crew. Link Crew is a high school transition program where seniors welcome freshmen and makes them feel comfortable throughout the first year of their high school experience. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Motsinger plans to attend Tiffin University and major in forensic psychology. It is the intersection between psychology and justice system. She then plans to further her education with a degree in child ministry.
When she joined the Key Club, it only had around six or seven members. There are now around 30. She wants to continue in the Kiwanis family by joining a Circle K Club in college.
Motsinger then talked about the non-profit organization she started called Wide Arms Security Blankets. A few years ago, while volunteering at St Vincent de Paul, a homeless shelter in Dayton, a child approached Motsinger and asked for a blanket. At the time, the shelter had no blankets, only linens for cots. Seeing the disappointment in the child’s eyes, Motsinger wanted to do more.
“I went home and googled how to start a non-profit”, she said.
While looking for local assistance, she ran into some resistance due to her age. Someone told her, ‘this might not be a good idea’. She said, “Well I think it is!” She finally found Stony Creek Church near DeGraff to be her fiscal agent. With the backing and help of the church, along with other volunteers, she has been able to donate over 600 blankets to those less fortunate.
Motsinger’s greatest aspiration for Wide Arms Security Blankets is that these blankets will reach God’s children worldwide. More information can be found on the internet at http://stonycreekcob.com/content.cfm?id=362.
Also at the meeting last week, a moment of silence was held for Phil Freytag. Freytag, a 50-year member of Sidney Kiwanis, passed away on Dec. 19 due to a fall on the ice.
John Coffield led the Fun & Games activities. Since the 21st was National Crossword Puzzle Day, Coffield developed a crossword puzzle with the clues revolving around the Sidney Kiwanis club and its members.
