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Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kiwanis International is a thriving organization of service- and
community-minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 600,000 Kiwanis-family members
in 76 countries make their mark by responding to the needs of their communities and pooling their resources to address worldwide
issues. Through these efforts, Kiwanis International truly is "Serving the Children of the World."
Guided
by six permanent Objects, Kiwanis clubs view their role within their respective communities with a great deal of foresight.
Key aspects to operating an effective club include:
Evaluating both childrens issues and community needs on
an ongoing basis,
Conducting service projects to respond to those identified needs,
Maintaining an active membership
roster of professional business people who have both the desire and the ability to serve their community,
Club
meetings traditionally are conducted once a week and offer an atmosphere of fun, learning, and fellowship. In addition to
attending the meetings, the typical Kiwanian volunteers each month to assist with club service projects.
Service
projects often are linked to the Kiwanis program, Young Children: Priority One. This initiative places continuing focus on
the needs of children in pediatric trauma, safety, child care, early development, infant health, nutrition, and parenting
skills.
Service projects also can address other needs within the community, such as working to stop substance
abuse, helping the elderly, promoting literacy, supporting youth sports and recreation, responding to disasters, and supporting
specific persons in need.
Kiwanis also plays a special role in developing future generations of leaders. K-Kids
clubs at the elementary school level, Builders Clubs in middle school and junior highs, Key Clubs in high schools, and Circle
K clubs at the collegiate level all are Kiwanis organizations that teach community service and leadership skills to young
people. In addition, Aktion Clubs are made up of adults with mental and physical disabilities who enthusiastically perform
service to help others.
Worldwide, the entire Kiwanis family is committed to eliminating the devastating effects
of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), the worlds leading preventable cause of mental retardation. More than 1.5 billion people
are at risk of suffering IDD because they do not receive enough iodine in their diet. But, because of Kiwanis efforts, many
parents who have been affected by IDD are able to watch their children grow up healthy and reach their full physical and mental
potential. The results of the IDD program will benefit every future generation.
A typical Kiwanis club is a
snapshot of its community, with members from all walks of life and at every step of the career ladder. They are unified in
their belief that children and their communities benefit from the efforts of a proficient group of caring and involved volunteers.
In a typical year, Kiwanis clubs invest more than 5.7 million hours and US$135 million in communities around the world. Through
these efforts, the Kiwanis organization truly leaves a lasting impression on future generations.
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