Caring people like Kiwanis can make a difference

Kevin McKenna

I love Burbank. I love this city because it is one of the most kind

and generous cities in the world.

This is not a commentary about the second coming of Gandhi or the

resurrection of St. Francis. It is just a humble story about one

person helping another. A saga of brotherhood, generosity and a

simple humanity that often seems nonexistent in this sometimes cold,

cruel showbiz town.

A few months ago, I wrote a Community Commentary about the Burbank

Noon Kiwanis Club and its program Kiwanis Care About Children (KCAC).

This is a plan to lend a helping hand to deprived families in our

community. Past Kiwanis President Stephen Veres started this

astonishing project. His idea was to provide disadvantaged families

some assistance in the way of food, clothing and financial aid.

Last year, Stacy Schumacher at the Burbank Temporary Aid Center

informed the Burbank Noon Kiwanis Club about an unfortunate cancer

patient named Mike Hele, 55, and his daughter Allison, 14. In May

2003, the Kiwanis started to assist this very needy family

monetarily.

Mike was incredibly ill and unable to work. The bills were

escalating as he was undergoing chemotherapy for an inoperable tumor

on his neck. The Kiwanis pulled out all of the stops, and would not

give up or abandon this vulnerable family. The magnificent members of

the Kiwanis club gave them a gift card for food, reinstated the

family’s auto insurance (paying six months of premiums), paid the

phone bill and electric bill, and paid DMV fees and other bills that

had mounted over time. Stephen Veres and his wife also took Allison

to the mall and bought her some clothes and shoes.

Families like the Heles sometimes need aid, and I truly must

applaud and commend the Kiwanis Club for their kindness and

overwhelming commitment to our marvelous community. The Kiwanis

removed some of the major problems from the Hele family’s list of

troubles. The great generosity of this amazing service club removed

tremendous financial stress from Mike’s tired shoulders.

At first, the months of therapy seemed to help Mike. But in early

October, the horrific cancer came back. This was a dreadful shock to

Mike, Allison and the Kiwanis Club. The radiation treatment was not

working. Mike had few choices left, and all were a horrifying

nightmare. Trying to save his life, Mike finally decided to have a

team of surgeons remove his tongue and larynx.

This seemed to work, and Mike came home for Christmas. He spent

all of Christmas day with Allison, who received many gifts from the

Kiwanis Club. Unfortunately, Mike’s condition got worse, and he was

soon back in the hospital.

Then, in March, Mike received the bad news: He had only three

weeks to live. Mike also had made no provisions for anything that

might occur after his death, including care of Allison. Veres did not

want to see Allison fall into the hands of a foster-care system run

by the county’s Department of Children and Family Services.

Veres and Tom Cotrel completed legal papers and a will, including

guardianship provisions for Allison. Many others came to bat for Mike

and Allison; friends and neighbors like Pastor Kevin Schreiner and

George and Marti Meeks all pitched in to help.

On April 23, Mike’s short life ended, leaving his young daughter

without a father. Allison is now living in Tennessee, and a trust

fund has been set up for her future. Anyone wishing to donate can

send a check to: Burbank Kiwanis Club c/o Allison Hele Fund, P.O. Box

1922, Burbank 91507-1922.

The Kiwanis would also like me to thank everyone who donated their

time and money to help this truly needy Burbank family.

I have always been very impressed and humbled by the compassion

and generosity of the Noon Kiwanis Club of Burbank, and would also

like to offer IDEAS’ assistance and support to this truly amazing

organization. If anyone would like to donate or find out more

information about this extremely worthwhile project (KCAC), please

call Stephen Veres at (818) 843-2600. Your financial support will

help many impoverished families and children, and also will make this

incredibly necessary mission a success.

It is not easy to change the world, but in time -- one step at a

time, one day at a time, and one city at a time -- we might just do

it. But only with caring people, like those running service clubs

such as Burbank Noon Kiwanis Club, will we accomplish this important

mission.

* KEVIN MCKENNA is an award-winning filmmaker and executive

director of IDEAS (Investigative Documentaries Educating American

Society), a 501C nonprofit corporation. He can be reached by e-mail

at ideasfilm@sbcglobal.net.