Part One of "Beyond the Meeting: Get to Know Your Community" - A series celebrating the organizations, volunteers and partnerships that help Lindenhurst thrive.
LINDENHURST, NY — Have you ever driven through Lindenhurst, looked up at one of those beautiful Hometown Heroes banners honoring a local veteran, and wondered who makes it all happen?
The answer might surprise you.
Behind those banners is a dedicated group of community volunteers known as the Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst, New York, Inc. And while honoring veterans is one of its most visible initiatives, it represents just a fraction of what this organization contributes to our community.
In fact, thanks to the generosity of residents and the dedication of Kiwanis volunteers, the Hometown Heroes Banner Program has helped generate more than $190,000 in charitable donations, supporting children, families, veterans and local nonprofit organizations.
And it's exactly I thought Kiwanis would be the perfect organization to introduce our new community spotlight series.
During the Village of Lindenhurst's Veterans Day observance on November 11, 2026, members of the Kiwanis Club joined local officials, veterans and community members to honor those who have served our nation.
As part of the ceremony, the club's Hometown Heroes Banner Program presented a $3,000 donation to Operation VEST, an organization serving veterans.
But the accompanying remarks by club president, Joann Boettcher carried a message worth sharing far beyond Veterans Day:
A single day of appreciation is not enough.
Veterans and their families may face challenges involving housing, employment, healthcare, food insecurity and other essential needs long after their military service has ended.
Recognizing their sacrifices is important. Helping them navigate those challenges is equally important.
Since launching in 2020, the Hometown Heroes Banner Program has contributed more than $87,000 to support local veterans.
Among the veteran-serving organizations recognized during this year's ceremony were Operation VEST, the Amity Harbor Civic Association, VFW Post Wade Burns #7279, American Legion Fuestal Kurt Post #1120 and American Legion Sgt. John Sardiello Post #1634.
The banner program is made possible through partnerships with the Town of Babylon, the Village of Lindenhurst and the Village of Amityville, along with the support of residents, businesses, municipal employees and countless volunteers.
Those patriotic banners are certainly beautiful. But the real beauty is what happens because of them.
One of the club's most impressive accomplishments is also one that many residents may not know about.
The Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst established its scholarship fund in 1961. Since then, it has awarded approximately $467,000 to 290 local graduating high school seniors.
That's 290 young people whose educational journeys received support from neighbors who believed in investing in their futures.
Behind each scholarship is a student with goals, a family celebrating an achievement and a community demonstrating that it values education.
Among the club's scholarships is the Arthur M. Cromarty Hometown Heroes Scholarship, awarded to a local graduating senior whose family has served in the United States Armed Forces. The club also supports four additional scholarships.
The scholarship program is particularly meaningful given the club's history.
Founded on April 5, 1950, the Lindenhurst club counted the Honorable Arthur M. Cromarty among its founding members. Judge Cromarty went on to serve as a Justice of the New York State Supreme Court and remained connected to the club throughout his life.
Today, the scholarship bearing his name helps carry that legacy of service forward.
And scholarships are only one part of the club's investment in young people.
If you think Kiwanis is simply a group of people gathering for dinner and planning fundraisers, you might be surprised by the organization's reach.
Here's a look at some of the ways Lindenhurst Kiwanis invests in its community.
Developing young leaders
The club sponsors the Lindenhurst High School Key Club, the middle school Builders Club and a local Scout pack.
These youth programs introduce young people to volunteerism, leadership, citizenship and community responsibility.
The idea is simple: when children are given opportunities to serve others, they begin to recognize their own ability to make a difference.
Creating childhood experiences
Kiwanis helps send children from families with limited financial resources to Kamp Kiwanis each summer.
Throughout its history, the Lindenhurst club has helped more than 250 children attend camp, providing opportunities for recreation, friendships, confidence-building and experiences they might not otherwise have enjoyed.
Promoting literacy
At Harding Avenue Elementary School, a book vending machine donated by the club helps encourage children's interest in reading.
Helping families during the holidays
Kiwanis regularly adopts local families during the Christmas season and supports community food pantries.
Most recently, members partnered with social workers at Lindenhurst Middle School to identify families who could benefit from additional support during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The club is providing holiday food and gift cards, allowing families to purchase additional groceries or other necessities.
Members have also approved additional funding to assist families during the December holidays.
Sometimes community service means addressing a significant challenge. Other times, it's simply making sure a family can enjoy a holiday meal together.
Supporting children's health and community wellness
Kiwanis supports organizations addressing some of the most difficult challenges faced by local families.
These include the Christina Renna Foundation and its work in the fight against childhood cancer, pediatric trauma care at Stony Brook and Cohen's Children's Hospitals, and the new Ronald McDonald House at Stony Brook.
Closer to home, the club has supported the Lindenhurst Community Cares Coalition in its efforts to prevent youth substance misuse and strengthen community wellness.
It also supports the Lindenhurst Youth Center, local food pantries and the Lindenhurst Memorial Library's annual Veterans Luncheon.
Different organizations. Different missions. One shared commitment to improving life in our community.
The familiar blue-and-gold Kiwanis emblem represents an international tradition of community service dating back to 1915.
The name Kiwanis was adopted in the organization's early years and has long been associated with the idea of building communities.
Its guiding motto, "Serving the Children of the World," reflects the organization's central purpose: improving the lives of children and strengthening communities through volunteer service.
The Lindenhurst club has carried that mission forward since 1950.
For more than 75 years, generations of local volunteers have demonstrated that meaningful community change can begin with ordinary people deciding to work together for a common purpose.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons from the Kiwanis story is that successful community service rarely happens in isolation.
The Hometown Heroes Banner Program depends on the cooperation of local governments, village and town employees, participating families, businesses, volunteers and residents.
Kiwanis volunteers coordinate the program throughout the year, while municipal partners assist with the installation, display and maintenance of the banners.
And because residents choose to participate, those acts of remembrance become opportunities to support people who need assistance.
It's a powerful example of how different sectors of a community can work together to accomplish something none could achieve quite the same way alone.
A banner honoring a loved one becomes a scholarship. A summer camp experience. Support for a child in a hospital. Assistance for a veteran.
That's what happens when community pride becomes community investment.
The Kiwanis Club of Lindenhurst has been serving the community since 1950.
Over those decades, the community has changed, generations have grown up, and the needs of families have evolved.
But the central purpose of Kiwanis remains rooted in service, especially service that improves the lives of children.
And while residents may recognize the club's name, its members hope more people will come to understand the many ways their efforts make a difference.
Because here's something worth remembering: these projects don't happen automatically.
Someone has to organize them. Someone has to make the phone calls, attend the meetings, coordinate volunteers, raise the funds, work with partners and follow through.
That's the quiet work of civic engagement. And that's the work that helps a community thrive.
Perhaps you've admired the Hometown Heroes banners. Maybe your child participated in Key Club or Builders Club. Maybe your family attended an event, received a scholarship or benefited from one of the many organizations Kiwanis supports.
Or perhaps you're simply looking for a meaningful way to become more involved in Lindenhurst.
The Kiwanis Club welcomes community interest and invites residents to learn more about its mission, projects and membership opportunities.
Visit www.LindenhurstKiwanis.org for more information.
You might discover that the people sitting around a table planning the next fundraiser are the same neighbors helping make our community stronger every day.
And you might just decide to pull up a chair.
Every community has organizations working quietly behind the scenes, civic clubs, volunteer groups, nonprofits, service organizations and neighborhood associations whose contributions often receive little recognition.
"Beyond the Meeting: Get to Know Your Community" is a recurring spotlight on the people and partnerships making a difference in Lindenhurst and the surrounding communities.
Because when we understand who is doing the work, what they're accomplishing and how we can participate, we strengthen the connections that make a community a place where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.
The people. The purpose. The community impact.
Know a local organization whose story deserves to be told? We'd love to help the community get to know them. Email: lori@babyloncares.org
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