PEORIA, Ill (Aug.8, 2013-001) — Children’s Miracle Network and Peoria area Kiwanis Clubs are again partnering to provide car seats to eligible needy families, as well as Car Seat Safety Instruction to any family utilizing a car seat. This year marks a quarter of a century in providing car seats to needy families in Central Illinois. Local area Kiwanis clubs have raised funds to donate over 1,013 car seats to area agencies.

Volunteers from Peoria area Kiwanis Clubs will assist locally-certified agencies with the annual distribution of car seats for the families served by those agencies. Distribution is 1 – 4 p.m. Tues., Aug. 13 at Advanced Medical Transport on Sterling south of Nebraska in Peoria. Please note that this distribution is for certified agencies only and NOT open to the public. Car seats will be individually distributed to client families by each certified agency.

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. The area division of Kiwanis Clubs has raised the funds needed to provide these car seats to area agencies for their needy clients. The certified agencies receiving car seats include OSF/Children’s Hospital of Central Illinois (Entire Area), Fulton County Health Department (Canton), Graham Hospital (Canton), Tazewell County Health Department (East Peoria and Morton), Eureka Sheriff’s Department/Heart House (Eureka), Pekin Hospital (Pekin), Catholic Charities Diocese of Peoria (Peoria Area), Lutheran Social Services (Peoria Area), Methodist Medical Center (Peoria Area), and Proctor Hospital (Peoria Area).

This program was originally started by Garland Criswell, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Peoria (Downtown) in 1991, and has continued since that time.