Background:

Children’s Challenges Affect Everyone.  Communities must do their best to break the cycle…..

According to childrensdefense.org:

·         18% of children between ages of 10 and 19 live in poverty.  45% of these children live in extreme poverty.

·         Child abuse and neglect cost the U.S. $80.3 billion each year in direct costs and lost productivity.

·         A single case of nonfatal child abuse and neglect costs $210,012 over a lifetime, and a case of fatal child abuse and neglect $1.27 million, mostly due to lost productivity.

·         67% of public-school children in 8th grade cannot read at grade level

·         The estimated loss in lifetime earnings per Indiana student is $15,150 or $15.5 billion for the entire state and over $800 Trillion nationwide as a result of pandemic-related learning interruptions. (NCES).

·         Childhood poverty is up 138% from 2022 to 2023 to 12.4% (US Census Bureau).

·         2023 child poverty will cost the nation at least $1 trillion this year alone in extra education, health and criminal justice costs and in lost productivity.

Kiwanis’ Focus is Success for Kids: “Kiwanis is a global organization dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.”   The Kiwanis Club of John Chapman Foundation’s general service area is the 11 counties of Northeast Indiana.

Why ChocolateFest?  Chocolate is irresistible.  Doctors say, “Eating chocolate is a pleasurable experience that stimulates the emotional 'feel-good' centers of the brain.  In short, the chocolate tastes good, so we feel good.  Kiwanis needs more funding to support requests and these needs compound every year.  The Kiwanis Club of John Chapman Foundation, has been challenged to raise more and more funds to support growing requests and hands on projects.  ChocolateFest 2024 is a fun and entertaining answer to raise the needed funding: feel good to do good!  This gala although elegant in nature is casual.  This will be our 10th year raising money for our projects and you can be a part of it!

The event, to be held at Ceruti’s Diamond Room on February 9, 2024 from 6-9pm, has three all-you-can-eat chocolate dipping stations with white, dark and milk chocolate, chocolate desserts, a full dinner, and a make your own sundae bar.  This event also includes a silent auction and this year, Al Parr’s Creole Candy Band.  Expenses are primarily underwritten by our sponsors which allows us to give more to kid’s charities and projects in NE Indiana, including Project Read, Big Brothers/Sisters Skating Party, City Scouting, NAMI Adolescent Mental Health, and Riley Hospital, just to name a few.