General interest | Kiwanis International

5 steps to growth through Two For Two

Jan 31, 2024 | Club building, General interest | 0 comments

Kiwanis clubs are finding members through our membership program. Here’s a quick way to get your club started.

By Tony Knoderer

Have you and your fellow club members heard of Two For Two but don’t know how to begin? Try these five steps:

Decide to increase your club’s impact. It starts with commitment. After all, membership growth is not a one-time campaign or event. It’s a continuous club operation. Inspire your club to make that commitment — to help more kids in the community.

Download the Two For Two guide. The guide is filled with pages of information and ideas: who to approach, how to approach them, ways to identify prospects and more. Cards help you follow through on contacts — and they also offer prospect suggestions. Use the guide’s back cover to track your club’s progress.

Spend a club meeting working the plan. Identify two club members to reach out to two prospects for each of the next several months. Members who work in pairs can support each other and reach more people more rapidly. Refer to the Two For Two guide for help identifying people and personalities your club may be missing.

Reach out. When recruiting, make an appointment to talk to potential members — rather than “cold calling” or simply showing up at their location. Ask for a date and time.

Meet with a prospect. While discussing what Kiwanis is about, focus on impact. Potential members need to know what you do, how you do it, why the community needs them and where they can immediately fit. Then invite them to join your club! And remember the key message: Kiwanis is a global organization of members, clubs and partners who are dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.

Learn more about Two For Two and find helpful materials — including the program guide — at kiwanis.org/twofortwo.

Grants galvanize Key Club projects

Jan 23, 2024 | Fundraising, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Leadership, Literacy, News, Service Leadership Programs | 0 comments

Key Clubs around the world receive Youth Opportunities Fund grants from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.

By Erin Chandler

Key Clubs are making a difference in their schools, their communities and the world — and their impact should not be underestimated. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Youth Opportunities Fund to provide resources that help Key Club service projects reach their full potential.

This year, the Children’s Fund awarded Youth Opportunities Fund grants to 43 Key Clubs around the world — 25 of them totaling US$1,000 or more. Of all the projects receiving grants, more than half provided essential supplies to vulnerable people in clubs’ communities. Some projects helped clubs improve their schools, transforming them into better places to learn. Others supported Key Club members in mentoring younger students. And some projects stood out for focusing on fun and creative events.

The following, in no particular order, are the top 15 projects as determined by representatives of the Key Club International Board and the Children’s Fund:

ElevateEd: STEM in the Himalayas
Key Club of Kathmandu, Nepal
With a series of code camps and robotics workshops, the Key Club of Kathmandu is bringing a practical approach to STEM education into Nepal’s secondary schools. Led by Key Club members and volunteers with expertise in STEM fields, the workshops will help students of all backgrounds apply concepts they have learned in class to hands-on projects. In addition to developing vital skills in scientific fields, participants will learn teamwork and how to present their projects in exhibitions.

“Key to Sweet Dreams” Bedtime Kits
Key Club of Boyd County High School, Kentucky, U.S.
Every year, the Key Club of Boyd County collects donations and holds drives to gather enough new sheets, blankets, mattress covers, pillows, stuffed animals, books, night-lights, alarm clocks and hygiene products to make 125-250 “bedtime kits.” Their partner organization, Ashland Build-A-Bed, then builds a corresponding number of twin beds and purchases mattresses for children ages 2-18 in the five-county area. The Boyd County High School Key Club founded this project in 2019, and this is the fourth time it has received a Youth Opportunities Fund grant.

Blankets From Mae
Key Club of Melvindale High School, Michigan, U.S.
In cooperation with the Kiwanis Club of Dearborn and other area Key Clubs, the Key Club of Melvindale High School has set a goal to make 350 blankets to donate to University of Michigan Health Infusion Services. Chemotherapy and infusion treatments can take multiple hours, and the club’s handmade blankets will make the experience more comfortable for patients. The “Blankets From Mae” project is named for a club member’s mother, who receives infusions at that location.

Helping the Homeless Initiative
Key Club of Hagerty High School, Florida, U.S.
The Key Club of Hagerty High School aims to help the unhoused population in its community by collecting donations of food, toiletries and other essentials — such as blankets and clothes — and distributing them via local shelters. Club members also will make sandwiches for the shelters. In addition to helping those in need, the club hopes to educate classmates about homelessness and compassion.

Walk for Clean Water
Key Club of Hershey High School, Pennsylvania, U.S.
The Key Club of Hershey High School is doing its part to end the global water crisis by partnering with Thirst Project in its Walk for Clean Water. Participants walk 3.75 miles — the same average distance women and children walk in many developing areas of the world to reach the nearest source of water. Funds raised via the Walk for Clean Water will go toward constructing clean wells in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Care Kits For Kids
Key Club of Desert Oasis High School, Nevada, U.S.
The Key Club of Desert Oasis High School is focusing on helping youth experiencing homelessness in Las Vegas. The club will assemble different types of care kits — hygiene kits containing travel-sized toiletries; holiday gift kits with items such as phone chargers, journals, blankets, socks and more; and snack kits containing canned meats, fruit, granola bars, chips and juice— to offer care, support and hope to young people. The club will donate kits to local homeless and youth centers.

Fulfilling Need With Seeds
Key Club of Fruita Monument High School, Colorado, U.S.
The Key Club of Fruita Monument High School is partnering with the Mesa Club, which designs and builds projects, to establish a hydroponic gardening system at its school. By caring for the garden, students will learn sustainable gardening techniques, leadership skills and responsibility. The club will donate the freshly grown garden produce to families of fellow students in need and to local food banks.

Growing Together Garden
Key Club of Sharon High School, Massachusetts, U.S.
The Key Club of Sharon High School is turning a designated plot in a local community garden into a space where students can join with other community members to learn about sustainable gardening and grow fresh produce. A portion of the food grown in the garden will be donated to local food banks and shelters. The club hopes the garden will become “a vibrant, sustainable and educational resource.”

Life Skills Prom
Key Club of Kewanee High School, Illinois, U.S.
Each year, the Key Club of Kewanee High School holds a prom for students with disabilities in the school’s Life Skills program. In recent years, club members have invited students from neighboring school districts as well. Many of these students are not able to attend the school’s official prom, which occurs on a Saturday evening, so the Life Skills Prom is held in the gym during the school day. Students’ families also attend to take pictures and watch their kids have a blast at an event geared to make them feel included.

Lifeline Meal Packing Project
Key Club of Bay High School, Ohio, U.S.
At least 100 members of the Key Club of Bay High School will participate in a food packaging event for Project Lifeline. Participants will mix, weigh, seal and box meals in a 10-station assembly line, after which the boxes will be shipped to communities in Somalia struggling with hunger and malnutrition.

Packages 4 Preemies
Key Club of Fiorello LaGuardia High School, New York, U.S.
When the Key Club of Fiorello LaGuardia High School learned about the challenges of finding clothes and supplies small enough for premature babies and caring for preemies as they grow, members knew they had to help. Throughout the year, the club will collect care items for premature babies and raise funds for the babies’ families. Club members will package the items and attach handwritten messages of care and encouragement.

Homeless Care Pac-KEY-ges
Key Club of Piedmont Hills High School, California, U.S.
The Key Club of Piedmont Hills High School plans to purchase enough supplies, including shelf-stable food and personal hygiene items, to make 100 care packages for people experiencing homelessness. Club members will hold a service event to assemble the packages, which they will donate to local shelters.

Suzy Foundation Walk
Key Club of Tempe Union High School, Arizona, U.S.
The Key Club of Tempe Union High School plans to raise funds for the Suzy Foundation, which provides medical equipment for children with disabilities, with a carnival located around the school’s athletic track. Attendees will be able to purchase food and play fun games. The Suzy Foundation is named for a current student in the Tempe Union High School district.

The Nepean Annual Spaghetti Dinner
Key Club of Nepean High School, Ontario, Canada
The Key Club of Nepean High School’s annual spaghetti dinner event serves two purposes. First, it raises funds for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario via a silent auction of items donated by local businesses. It also welcomes the incoming class of new students and their families with a delicious dinner, engaging them in the school community for the first time.

Winter Blitz 2023
Key Club of Clackamas High School, Oregon, U.S.
The Key Club of Clackamas High School (left), teams up with the Key Club of Adrienne C. Nelson High School for its Winter Blitz project to collect essential items — including food, clothing, furniture, toiletries and toys — for local families in need. The project has been held each winter for the past 26 years. It helped 631 families last year alone.

How to get involved
Does your Key Club have a project idea that could benefit from a Youth Opportunities Fund grant? Learn more about the grant and how to apply on the Key Club website. If your Kiwanis club does not yet sponsor a Key Club, learn about the advantages of chartering one today on the Kiwanis Service Leadership Programs page.

Grants help Kiwanians to serve communities

Dec 22, 2023 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund | 0 comments

Kiwanians celebrate the spirit of giving all year with clothing, food and essential supply drives

By Erin Chandler

At this time of year, people everywhere are looking for ways to help their neighbors — whether they need warm clothing to get through winter in the northern hemisphere or gifts to make the holidays brighter. As always, Kiwanis clubs are stepping up to lead these efforts all year long. In August, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded grants to seven clubs that are meeting the needs of their communities in classic and innovative ways. Read all about them and get ideas for your club’s next big project in the new year!

A Thanksgiving network
When the Kiwanis Club of The Bellmores, New York, U.S., first teamed up with Carroll’s Kitchen, a local nonprofit, to provide American Thanksgiving meals for families in need four years ago, members did not dream how big the project would become. Today, the club says it “has created a network of churches, synagogues, food pantries and other local Kiwanis clubs in order to maximize the reach of the annual project” and serve thousands of people. Volunteers from Kiwanis clubs as well as local businesses and other organizations come together to prepare and package the meals. The local high school’s culinary program makes side dishes. As prices and food insecurity continue to rise, however, the project’s budget doubled between 2021 and 2022. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help the Thanksgiving meals continue and expand the club’s reach going forward.

A community baby shower
Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S., has been devastated by multiple hurricanes and floods over the past three years, putting many families in difficult circumstances. The Kiwanis Club of Lake Charles helps alleviate the burden by holding a “community baby shower” every year, providing essential supplies for hundreds of infants. The club creates a list of baby items that shoppers at a local Walmart can buy and donate. The items are then distributed among various local agencies that support mothers, expectant mothers and young children. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help the club purchase additional items — such as Pack ‘n Plays, car seats, diapers and wipes — that are expensive but essential for new parents.

A year-round “Angel Tree”
When the Kiwanis Club of Campbellsville, Kentucky, U.S., held a community meeting to assess what needs it could address in 2023, members learned that the number of children participating in the Angel Tree program — which provides holiday gifts for those in need — had doubled in the past year. Families’ requests were often for essential clothing items for children ages 12 and younger. There was clearly a need for an Angel Tree-like program that would last year-round. That’s how the club decided to partner with community family resource directors, the Taylor County Caring for Kids Foundation, the Green River Early Childhood Regional Cooperative and local school districts to implement a Virtual Children’s Community Closet. Unlike a brick-and-mortar community closet, which might not have what a shopper needs when they need it, the virtual closet will fulfill specific needs through online request forms. Each household will be able to request up to US$100 in clothing the first year. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help purchase requested clothing items, which Kiwanians will shop for and deliver.

Middle school supply closets
The Kiwanis Club of Findlay, Ohio, U.S., initiated its Kiwanis Closets project in 2015, stocking cabinets in 16 local elementary schools with new clothing items for kids who needed them. The project was so successful that the club was approached about expanding it to the 11 area middle schools. School faculty and staff determined that the items most needed were clothing, personal hygiene supplies and nonperishable food. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will go toward purchasing storage cabinets and enough supplies to get all 11 closets off the ground at the same time. Because middle school-age children are more self-conscious and aware of social stigma, the supplies will be handed out discreetly and will be restocked as needed. The club hopes that supplies from Kiwanis Closets will help promote stability and dignity in thousands of kids’ lives.

Shoe bank marches on
The Kiwanis Club of The Blue Grass, Lexington, Kentucky, U.S., has been providing shoes to children in need in its community for over 65 years. The club works with local schools to find out which children have shoes that don’t fit or are falling apart. Teachers give each child a card to take home, notifying parents and guardians about the shoe bank. Club members then purchase socks and shoes and deliver them to the schools as soon as possible after the school year starts. The project is covered on local TV stations, and club members also spread awareness with signs and cards at University of Kentucky athletic events. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help meet the increasing need for shoes and help the club expand the project to more area schools.

Warmth in winter
A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help the Kiwanis Club of Perry Township-Indianapolis in Indiana, U.S., purchase coats, hoodies, hats and gloves for families in need. Of the 17,000 students in the Perry Township school system, 75% live at or below the poverty level, and 51% are immigrants — many of them refugees — whose families are struggling to establish homes in a new country. The club works with student services, social workers, community centers, churches and the local YMCA to identify families in need of essential supplies such as shoes, socks, clothing and food. They then host an annual giveaway on the first Saturday in November, making sure these families have what they need to stay warm and comfortable through the Indiana winter.

A mobile resource
A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help the Kiwanis Club of Broomfield North Metro, Colorado, U.S., purchase a trailer that club members will customize and convert into a “shop at no cost” store for its community. Kiwanians consulted with local schools and with county health and human services to determine which items were most needed by underserved populations in the area. Over the course of its first year, the trailer will hold four events to provide, in turn, winter necessities, basic essential and household necessities, move-in kits for young people transitioning to live independently, and backpacks and school supplies. In the future, the club hopes to bring the trailer to additional community events so that hundreds more will have access to their service.

How you can help   
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund makes grants that improve the lives of children around the world by identifying the projects that create a continuum of impact in a child’s life — one that spans their entire childhood and sets them up for a bright future. By funding projects that target the Kiwanis causes —health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development whether through a Kiwanis club’s local service project or through a club’s partner, the Children’s Fund ensures that its grantmaking has the greatest possible impact.   

If you are interested in extending your club’s impact beyond your community, make a gift to the Children’s Fund or learn how your club can apply for a grant to help kids in your community.

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