Grants support therapeutic care for kids

Grants support therapeutic care for kids

Jul 14, 2025 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service projects | 0 comments

Kiwanis Children’s Fund grants for pediatric medicine will help two clubs aid hospital renovations.

By Erin Chandler 

This year, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded pediatric medicine support grants to two Kiwanis clubs that are helping local hospitals better serve their communities’ children. The support these grants provide allows Kiwanis clubs and medical centers to unite in making sure all kids get the best possible care for their physical, mental and emotional health. 

Harrison Kiwanis Pediatric Therapy Sensory Gym
Kiwanis Club of Harrison, Arkansas, U.S.
The Kiwanis Club of Harrison will use its pediatric medicine support grant to create a pediatric therapy sensory gym that will allow thousands of kids across five counties to develop physical and emotional resilience in a safe environment. North Arkansas Regional Medical Center’s current pediatric therapy service area is a former employee gym with only flimsy, makeshift barriers to divide the room and large exterior-facing windows that compromise privacy. It is also too small to accommodate the growing need for its vital therapeutic services. The club will equip a new sensory gym with swings, climbing structures, balance beams, trampolines, tactile stations, sensory play areas and padded flooring. The whole gym will be accessible to kids of all abilities. The equipment is designed to help children who have sensory processing disorders, autism, ADHD and developmental disorders hone their coordination and motor skills, regulate stress, foster independence and communicate with others — and, of course, have fun. 

Broomfield Pediatric Mental Health Project
Kiwanis Club of Anthem Ranch, Colorado, U.S.
The Kiwanis Club of Anthem Ranch may be based in a community built for those 55 and older, but club members’ focus is on improving mental healthcare for children and teens. The club consulted with staff at Children’s Hospital Colorado North Campus in Broomfield to determine how they could help efforts already underway to move past a dated model of mental healthcare — one that can increase patients’ fear and stress — to a more humane, individualized and effective one. A pediatric medicine support grant will help to create a positive, therapeutic environment in the renovated mental health unit, with murals, rocking bouncy chairs, weighted blankets, stuffed animals and sensory toys, and “psych safe” handles, windows, ceilings and other fixtures designed to prevent self-harm. In the past 10 years, 80% of Colorado’s mental health facilities have closed, but the redesigned Children’s Hospital will accommodate hundreds more children. And they’ll be helped by volunteers from the Anthem Ranch Kiwanis Club, who are dedicated to serving this worthy cause in any way they can. 

How do I apply for a pediatric medicine support grant? 
The Pediatric Medicine Support Grant Program offers onetime grants for clubs to fund projects that specifically support local children’s medical centers. Grant money can be used to purchase products or supplies for patients’ hospital stays or to support a capital improvement project.  

You can learn more and apply for a Pediatric Medicine Support Grant on the Kiwanis website. For more information about the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, visit kiwanis.org/childrensfund.  

 

Club collects socks for those experiencing homelessness 

Club collects socks for those experiencing homelessness 

Jul 14, 2025 | General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

In New Jersey, U.S., The Happy Feet Project has warmed the toes (and hearts) of more than 80,000 people.

By Laurie J. Bode, member, Kiwanis Club of Long Beach Island, Surf City 

In the same year that Kiwanis International is celebrating its 110th anniversary and Key Club International is celebrating its 100th, our Kiwanis Club of Long Beach Island, Surf City, New Jersey, U.S., celebrates its 50th. So there’s no better time to highlight an impactful project started by one of our members. 

In 2016, Faith Dixon read an article about the impact that a new, warm pair of socks can have on someone’s life. In fact, it is the most sought-after item among those experiencing homelessness in the U.S. A recent statistic shows that one in 30 children experiences homelessness — 51% of whom are under age 5. A pair of new socks prevents many common ailments, reduces bacteria and medical problems, warms cold feet, brings dignity and comfort, and shows that people care. 

With Faith’s dedication and encouragement, the Happy Feet Project was initiated. The results have been astounding. During the first year, we collected and distributed 3,650 pairs of new socks — and the project only grew from there. In 2019, with the help of our middle and high schools (the students initiated an intraschool competition), the number of sock pairs collected and distributed soared to over 16,000. In 2024, over 11,000 pairs of socks were collected and distributed. 

Partners, volunteers and others
Faith has worked hard to enlist businesses and private members of our communities to help collect socks — and to become partners in “a community that cares.” As a result: 

  • We average about 20 collection sites with drop-off bins each year. In 2024 we set a record with over 40. 
  • We deliver between 300 and 500 pairs of socks to 15 distribution centers each year. 
  • The total pairs of socks we have collected and distributed in the project’s first nine years exceeds 80,500. 

Although Faith was the force and inspiration behind the Happy Feet Project, we couldn’t have achieved these results without the service of several other club members. Our local school children also have been a crucial part of the program. It gives them great satisfaction to know that Kiwanis cares about children and members of their communities, and that they have become a big part in making a difference in someone’s life. This is life-changing for them — potentially even inspiring them to become future Kiwanians as they learn the importance of service in their communities. 

As Faith says, “When you are surrounded by people who share a commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.”  

Has your club implemented a program to help those experiencing homelessness? Let us know what you’re doing at shareyourstory@kiwanis.org. 

Microgrants fund books, boots and more

Microgrants fund books, boots and more

Jul 8, 2025 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

From January through March, smaller clubs made a big impact through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.

By Erin Chandler 

In January, February and March, Kiwanis clubs around the world received Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants for small projects that will make a big impact on kids and families. Microgrants are helping clubs teach kids how to be safe in swimming pools and when crossing the street, providing school supplies for students and teachers, and more.  

The following three projects highlight some of the ways Kiwanis clubs are using microgrants to help young people in need keep up with their peers in the Kiwanis cause areas of education and literacy, health and nutrition, and youth leadership development.  

Health and Nutrition
Huellas Seguras (Secure Footprints)
Kiwanis Club of Las Claras, Panama
One of the most common reasons students dropped out of Las Claras Arriba Rural and Multigrade School was the weather. Heavy rains exacerbated by climate change make it difficult for students to walk barefoot — as many do — over long distances on slippery roads to get to school. However, the Kiwanis Club of Las Claras saw that this was a relatively easy problem to solve, especially with a little help. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will go toward the purchase of 100 pairs of rubber boots and waterproof capes, which will be distributed to students through the local development board and the school’s parents’ association. The club hopes to see a boost in consistent attendance rates once the students have rain gear protecting their health and safety on the way to school. 

Education and Literacy
Reading is Fundamental Book Giveaway
Kiwanis Club of Highland, Indiana, U.S.
Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Highland and a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant, kids who aren’t able to purchase books from the Scholastic Book Fair still get to take home a brand-new Scholastic Book. Every year around the time of the book fair, Kiwanians visit the six area schools. They read to the kindergarten classes and tell the students about K-Kids, which they’ll be eligible to join in the third grade. Then each child gets to select a book purchased by the club from Scholastic Books, a Kiwanis partner. It’s a great way for kids to grow — or start — their home library. A favorite among club members, the project has already helped hundreds of kids get excited about reading. 

Youth Leadership Development
Calm Corners for Kids
Kiwanis Club of Freeport Golden K, Illinois, U.S.
At Jones-Farrar School, members of Builders Club — the Kiwanis Service Leadership Program for students age 12-14 — learned that not every school had spaces set aside to help students practice mindfulness and relaxation when needed. So they decided to do something about it — and the Kiwanis Club of Freeport Golden K pledged to help. Now a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will help these two Kiwanis family clubs work together to create three Calm Corners at local community centers. The Corners will be supplied with weighted blankets, noise-canceling headphones, floor cushions, sensory toys and other tools to help kids manage their emotions, reduce stress and develop self-regulation skills. The club will also provide training resources for Calm Corner volunteers and informational resources for parents. Each Corner will be codesigned with the kids who will use it. This initiative fosters the servant leadership of the Jones-Farrar Builders Club and helps more kids develop the mental and emotional resilience they will need as leaders of tomorrow. 

How you can help 
To learn more about Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants, visit kiwanis.org/microgrant-program.    

If you want to help the Children’s Fund provide grants like these that reach children around the world, you can make a gift to The Possibility Project. Your club also can apply for a grant to help kids in your community today.