The Portage Exchange Club gives back to the community with two main goals in mind.
The first is the prevention of child abuse. Supporting local children in need is something they are determined to do. During the Christmas season, they go shopping for the children, spending between $8,000 and $10,000 for clothing last year. They also do a children’s I.D. program. This program allows parents to receive a card that police can scan if their children become lost. They also work with places such as Gabriel’s Horn Homeless Shelter, which takes in and assists women and children.
The Portage Exchange Club also gives away two scholarships every year. The first scholarship is the Youth of the Year. When a student is recognized as a “student of the month” they are eligible for this scholarship. They then are asked to write an essay, which is usually themed around community service. The school then decides who the scholarship is awarded to.
The ACE Award is also a scholarship given away by the Portage Exchange Club. Students who have suffered and overcome horrendous circumstances, such as family conditions or physical disabilities are eligible. After their school chooses a recipient and the students receive these local scholarships, they then become eligible for a district scholarship, as well as another scholarship at the national level.
Portage Exchange Club’s second goal is patriotism, as evidenced by their cooperation with the city of Portage to help build the monument in Gilbert Park. They send care packages to soldiers twice a year as well as holding a Veteran’s Day Breakfast. One might see them at the Fourth of July Parade, handing out flags to all the children they pass. The children are just as excited to wave that flag, as The Portage Exchange Club is, to give it to them.
Many things that happen in local communities go unnoticed. Everything the Portage Exchange Club does is truly an act of kindness.
“Being president means, I run the meetings and make sure tasks are done on time,” says Mike Lemond, President of the Portage Exchange Club. “The majority of the work is done by the members. Every decision is made in a group discussion. We try to do as much as we can, to help the community.”
For more information on the Portage Exchange Club, or to become a member, please visit their website at www.portage-exchange.com.