Greece resident Heather Henderson is the immediate past president of Kiwanis Club of Greece and was recently elected to the position of Lieutenant Governor of the Genesee Division of the Kiwanis Club. This position runs October 1, 2020 thru September 30, 2021. As Lieutenant Governor she oversees the 16 clubs in the Genesee Division including Batavia, Brockport, Byron, Geneseo, Greece, Irondequoit, Livonia, Mt. Morris, Nunda, Pembroke-Corfu Darien, Rochester, Rochester West Central, Southwest Rochester, Spencerport, Warsaw and York-Leicster. Henderson has been active in the Kiwanis Club for over 13 years and views her election to the position of Lieutenant Governor as an important step in her volunteer work. She said, “This is a new opportunity to see the even larger picture of what Kiwanis is, and to share in that love and passion. The resources that I have now in this roll are extensive. I can learn so much more at a higher level.”
Heather was born in Rochester. Her parents moved to the small town of Guntersville, Alabama when she was only two months old. After graduating from Guntersville High School she attended Berry College in Rome, Georgia and after graduation in 2003 she worked in Georgia as a licensed insurance agent for over 13 years. She moved to Greece in December 2016 for a “fresh start.”
Heather’s volunteerism began in middle school when she joined a service club and participated in after school programs. In High School she was a Kiwanis Key Club member, a Kiwanis organization for High School students. According to the Key Club website, “High school student members of Key Club perform acts of service in their communities, such as cleaning up parks, collecting clothing and organizing food drives. They also learn leadership skills by running meetings, planning projects and holding elected leadership positions at the club, district and international levels.”
Heather recognized that the Kiwanis Club held a special place in her heart when she attended her first adult Kiwanis event while in college. She said, “I will never forget the time when my mentor, the late Dr. Ouida Dickey, invited me to visit Kiwanis Club of Rome, Georgia back in 2007. She asked me to be a part of it. I respected and trusted her and decided that Kiwanis is my purpose in life and I wanted to carry on her legacy of community and service by helping as many kids and youth as I can.”
The Kiwanis Club is defined as a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. In Greece Henderson uses her connections within the community to determine needs. She said, “The beauty of the Greece Central School District is that they work with us to identify those children and families in the greatest need. What I love about the Kiwanis is that their assistance doesn’t need to be one set thing. We can service a family and a child with whatever the need may be, from food to a mentor, the needs are so broad.”
Henderson transferred her Kiwanis membership to Greece in 2016 and served as Greece Kiwanis Club President last year. In her new role as Lieutenant Governor Henderson has set some lofty goals for her term. “The original Rochester Kiwanis Club is the 4th oldest charter in Kiwanis International history, founded in 1916, and the first Kiwanis Club in New York State. My goal and focus as Lieutenant Governor is to rebuild and reinstate the original Rochester Club. Another project that will be a major focus for Henderson is New York District Governor Brenda Leigh Johnson’s projects, Disaster Relief & Emergency Preparedness and Veterans in need.
Henderson said the work of the Kiwanis Club can be summed up in the Six Objects of Kiwanis.
They are:
1. To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.
2. To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
3. To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business and professional standards.
4. To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive and serviceable citizenship.
5. To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service and to build better communities.
6. To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice, patriotism and good will.
On becoming involved and volunteering in your own community Henderson says, “Greece has needs just like every community and it is filled with many organizations to choose from. There are opportunities for every one at any age to volunteer, so many beautiful options to serve right here in your own neighborhood. Start with just one hour a week or one hour a month.”
In addition to her work in Kiwanis Henderson is active in many other community organizations. She is an Ambassador for the Greece Regional Chamber of Commerce and was named Young Professional of the Year in 2019. She is a member of GRC Women’s Interest Networking group, a social member of the North Greece Fire Department Auxiliary, a member of Rochester Women’s Network and Roc Girl Bosses.
For more information on the Kiwanis Club of Greece visit www.kiwanisgreece.org
Photos by Karen Fien
