Kingston Kiwanis — President, Dale Rude: (360) 265-6761.

Meetings are at 7 a.m. every Thursday morning at Little City Catering.

Connect through Kiwanis Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time. Info: www.kiwanis.org.

Kingston North Kitsap Rotary — President, Dan Martin: (360) 297-6640.

Rotary club members are part of a diverse group of professional leaders working to address various community and international service needs. Through community service and other means, Rotary club members help promote peace and understanding throughout the world. Its members are its most important asset as they are the force that allows Rotary to carry out its many humanitarian efforts and achieve its mission. Web site: www.kingston-nkrotary.org.

Greater Kingston Community Chamber of Commerce — President, Pete DeBoer: (360) 297-3813.

The chamber is an association of business people organized to improve our community. We are an independent non-profit corporation run by its members through an elected board of directors which services Kingston, Port Gamble, Hansville, Indianola and Suquamish. The Chamber of Commerce runs the Tourist Center which welcomes locals and visitors from all over the world. The Tourist Center desk is manned by a group of volunteers who share the duties of greeting guests and giving guidance, recommendations and directions. www.kingstonchamber.com

The chamber is home to three vital committees which are very active in the workings of the community:

Festivals and Events Committee — Downtown Kingston Association, President, Dan Martin: (360) 297-6640. The FEC is responsible for many of the events which occur in town: Concerts on the Cove in August, Paddle Kitsap, Kingston Country Christmas/Holiday Home Tour, the Fourth of July Ball Race and more.The DKA meets the first Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m. at Cleo’s Learning Center.

Community Beautification Committee — Chairperson, Wendy Armstrong, (360) 297-3133. The CBC is responsible for all the projects that affect the appearance of our little town: Flower baskets, weeding, West Kingston Road Project, Kingston Cemetary, town cleanups, etc. Regular meetings will be set up shortly, please visit the Chamber website calendar for dates and times: www.kingstonchamber.com.

Urban Economic Development Committee — Stakeholders Group, Contact Stephen Barrett at (360) 930-3223. Stakeholders is made up of individuals and business leaders who are interested in Kingston’s future. The Stakeholders meet the first and third Friday of every month at 9 a.m. at Cleo’s Learning Center.

Fourth of July Celebration — Contact: Pete DeBoer at (360) 649-1806 or visit the Web site at www.kingstontinytown.com. This nonprofit group takes on the responsibility for making Kingston the place to be on the Fourth of July. It is responsible for the coordination of Tiny Town (entertainment, management, booth vendors, child’s games/rides, etc), parade (float coordination, judging, management, etc.), entertainment at Mike Wallace Park and the fireworks show in Apple Tree Cove. They meet at 5 p.m. every second Thursday at Cleo’s Learning Center.

Kingston Garden Club — Contact: Maxine Healy at (360) 297-8250 or visit the Web site at www.kingstongardenclub.com. Meetings are at 9 a.m. the third Wednesday of every month at the Redeemer United Methodist Church on the corner of Parcell and Shorty Campbell roads. The Garden Club is responsible for the Blanche Gray Horticultural Show at the local elementary schools every September which involve local children in displaying their garden treasures from over the summer. They hold an annual Plant Sale which helps fund local community projects such as the downtown flower baskets, the fireworks, etc. They have an Aloha Wright Grant Program which supplies grants to community organizations for garden projects.

Village Green Foundation — Executive Director, Bobbi Moore, (360) 297-2845. The Foundation meets at 10 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at Cleo’s Learning Center. The purpose of the foundation is to fund and build a new Kingston Community Center at the Village Green Park.

Kingston Friends of the Library — President: Jerrianne Helberg at (360) 297-9509. The FOL meets at 10:30 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month in the Kingston Library. The purpose behind the FOL is to provide additional funding to the library to buy books, etc. They hold used books sales. They make community programs possible.

Kitsap Arts and Crafts — President: Evy Holstein at (360) 297-2828.

The Kitsap Arts and Crafts Festival will be moving to Kingston to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Celebrating the works of 150 arts and crafts vendors, the festival will take over the town on July 24, 25 and 26, and every summer from here on.

Kingston Food Bank — Vi Weaver, at Kingston VFW Hall from noon to 3 p.m., Wednesday and Friday.

Kingston Historical Society — Bill Reynolds, (360) 297-4010, meets at 10 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday at the Kingston Community Center.

Schools – The elementary schools are always looking for volunteers for their reading, art docent, lunch buddies, mentors and many other programs. Please call the individual schools or drop in to ask about their volunteer needs and policies. Info: www.nkschools.org.

If you have a community organization that welcomes volunteers, Kingston Community News would like to hear from your organization in Kingston, Hansville, Indianola, Port Gamble or any adjacent areas. Just send a brief note about the organization’s focus and a contact number to editor@kingstoncommunitynews.com.