The Kiwanis Club of the Chathams and Madison was chartered on Aug. 7, 1930. Worldwide, the Kiwanis club has about 280,000 members – with a mission to change children’s lives.

The local club currently sponsors five groups to help youth mature into caring and concerned adults. The groups are: Madison High School Key Club, Chatham High School Key club, ECLC of New Jersey Key Club, Chatham Middle School Builders Club, and St. Patrick’s Middle School Builders Club. Funds to support these and other worthy causes are raised by the Kiwanis Club.

Amongst the club are a variety of committees. From the finance committee to community services, all members actively partake in individual responsibilities for the club. Recently, Justin Montanaro has been appointed to head the Publicity Committee. Justin has been living in Madison for more than a year, and is the director of Admissions at Pine Acres Healthcare and Rehab Center in Madison. His favorite part of his job is the ability to help others on a daily basis – which was a major reason for him joining with the Kiwanis. The Kiwanis, as mentioned, has been serving the youth in the area since 1930.

As one of the younger members of the club, a big part of Montanaro’s role has become to increase membership. Many members of the club have upwards of 30 years of service, and they are in need of new members. If anyone might be interested in joining the Kiwanis, reach out to Montanaro at 973-714-6656.

The Kiwanis is an excellent opportunity to serve the youth of this great community, and help is needed to continue this service.