Returning Veteran, Author, Non-Profit Directors Among Menlo Park Kiwanis Club Speaker Lineup

MENLO PARK-ATHERTON, CA - From the Kiawanis Club of Menlo Park: A returning veteran, an author, and directors of two vital non-profit services are slated to speak at Menlo Park Kiwanis Club meetings in September.

September 5
Paul Limson served six years in the U.S. Navy as a medic. Since his discharge he has
embarked on a four-year college degree in medical sciences and is currently in his second
year of study at Canada College. Paul will discuss services available to returning vets and
the challenges of transitioning from the military to civilian life.

September 12
Author Gisela Zebroski will speak about her book, “Berlin Airlift, the Candy Bomber Story
and I”. When WWII broke out in 1939, Zebroski’s privileged childhood came to an abrupt
end. She and her family fled from one country to another, eventually winding up in Berlin at
war’s end, but without her father who was missing in action. In 1948, Stalin blocked all land
access to the city, and over the next 11 months, American and British bombers brought 2.3
million tons of supplies to the city’s residents via “Operation Vittles”. Her talk covers some
of the details of survival during those years and additional historical background that led to
the Iron Curtain and the Cold War. Her other books include “The Baroness” and “Mephisto
Waltz”, which also recount other interesting experiences from her past.

September 19
Daniel "Apollo" Chacon, Assistant Director of the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, will talk
about work done by the foundation on burn prevention and safety. The non-profit
organization works with health care providers, firefighters, emergency workers, burn care
professionals, burn survivors and others to enhance the quality of life for burn survivors
and to make burn injuries a thing of the past.

September 26
Laura Swartzel is Associate Director of Older Adult Services for Peninsula Family Service.
While getting older is inevitable, no one needs to face aging alone. That’s why the
agency’s Older Adult Services helps people stay connected to their community, to their neighbors, and to their passion for life. Programs are designed to break down barriers and to provide opportunity, financial stability and wellness for aging members of the community. She'll provide a progress report on the organization's efforts and results. Kiwanis Club Meetings are held every Tuesday at Allied Arts Center, from 12:00 – 1:15, and the club welcomes visitors. Contact the club to attend any of the programs or for more details.

Image via Kiawanis International