When a neighbor asked him to join the local chapter of Kiwanis International, "it seemed like an opportunity to get involved and help other people," Rubino said.

He became a member of the Kiwanis Club of Willow Glen and began pouring his efforts into volunteering, coordinating the club's various activities and raising funds. Eight years later, Rubino, 54, is the chapter's president.

"Ninety-eight percent of the money we raise goes right back into the community in some way or another," he says.

The organization works toward the improvement of broad social and public health problems at a local level. It has existed since 1915 and boasts 600,000 members in 96 countries. Willow Glen's chapter has a modest enrollment of 25.

In early October, another local Kiwanis club, the Sunrisers, merged with the Kiwanis Club of Willow Glen to streamline its membership. Although the larger chapter is relatively diverse, Rubino would like it to see it grow.

"We're always, always looking for new members to work on our projects," he says, particularly young people.

In Willow Glen, the Kiwanis Club plans community events such as the Music in the Glen concert series, Santa's House, which is part of the downtown holiday festivities, and the annual Thanksgiving turkey drive.

The turkey drive, known as the John Farley Turkey and Holiday Food Drive, after the KNTV meteorologist who started the program three years ago with his family, took place Nov. 19. Some 350 Kiwanis members volunteered in about 100 Albertsons grocery stores countywide. The volunteers handed out fliers to shoppers as they walked in and collected donations of food and money as the shoppers walked out.

Rubino is hoping the Kiwanis Clubs can gather more than 2,000 individual food donations countywide for the Second Harvest Food Bank and other community service organizations.

The push to increase the food drive efforts began in August when Rubino met with Lance Lew, KNTV's community relations director about combining the channel's efforts with those of the Kiwanis. It became a joint project between the countywide Kiwanis Clubs and the television station. Rubino ratcheted up his involvement by coordinating volunteers, distributing publicity materials and orchestrating the program in conjunction with other local Kiwanis clubs.

"I'm overwhelmed with joy that all these people have stepped up to the plate to volunteer and do this project," he said. "This is a huge, huge effort."

Rubino, a handyman by trade, appreciates the effort people make when they give time versus money. And he has given so much that in October, his fellow Kiwanis elected him president.

"It's a nice position to hold," he says, "but it's not something I set out to do. It just happened."

The Kiwanis' presidency changes each year and most members have served in the position at some point. Rubino thinks this simply happens to be his year. But he agrees it's a good fit for him, since he coordinates many of the fundraising events and is, as he put it, "always around."

And the reason he puts in so much time is simple he says, "I like working with people to help serve the community."

For more information about Kiwanis International, visit www.kiwanis.org. For more information about the Willow Glen chapter contact Michael Rubino at michaelrubino@sbcglobal.net.