Emergency training pays off

Emergency training pays off

Sep 26, 2023 | News | 6 comments

Thanks to guest speakers at a club meeting, a California Kiwanian helps save a life. 

By Phil Abrams, president, San Carlos Kiwanis Club, California, U.S.

We all know that being a Kiwanian is a great way to support one’s local community and the larger worldwide population. And sometimes, being an active member and attending meetings translates into something beyond everyday service. 

On April 11, 2023, the San Carlos Kiwanis Club in California, U.S., held a dinner meeting.  In attendance was club member James Dean “Reggie” Regino, (pictured below), who coaches tennis and pickleball. The seven guest speakers that evening — local firefighters and EMT/paramedics — focused on how to help someone who experiences a heart attack or cardiac arrest. Club members focused, asked questions and learned — not knowing those skills would be called into play just months later.

In mid-September, on his day off, Regino stopped by the pickleball courts in town. He was watching some of his adult students play a game when one collapsed, and he quickly realized that she was not breathing.

Remembering the training from the club meeting months earlier, Regino got help from other players and initiated an emergency call to the fire department. With support from the dispatcher, Regino gave the student CPR, using the technique he learned on that April night. He kept her alive until emergency help arrived some minutes later and the paramedics took over.  
 
Today, Reggie’s friend and student is recovering more each day. We are proud of you, Reggie — an amazing Kiwanian! 

Microgrants enhance kids’ health

Microgrants enhance kids’ health

Sep 26, 2023 | Fundraising, Kiwanis Children's Fund | 1 comment

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund helps seven clubs address kids’ nutrition, physical fitness and comfort. 

By Erin Chandler

In the months of May, June and July, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund continued to amplify Kiwanians’ ability to change lives in their communities by distributing microgrants to Kiwanis clubs with 35 or fewer members. Kiwanis Children’s Fund grants improve the lives of children around the world by identifying the projects that create a continuum of impact in a child’s life — an impact that spans their entire childhood and sets them up for a bright future. By funding projects that target the Kiwanis causes of education and literacy, health and nutrition, 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. 

Recent microgrants have gone to Kiwanis clubs around the world collecting school supplies, spreading literacy through physical and virtual libraries, and updating learning spaces for children. The following seven clubs received funding for projects focused on enhancing the health and nutrition of kids in need. 

More nutritious food
At Twin Rivers Elementary School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, U.S., 100% of the students qualify for the free lunch program. For the past two years, the Kiwanis Club of McKeesport White Oak has stepped in to make sure those students with the greatest need do not go hungry over the weekends with their Weekend Food Bag program. Kiwanis club members donate and pack food each week for the students to take home on Fridays throughout the school year. Last year, they gave a total of 1,080 bags of food to 30 students. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will help the club offer greater quantities of more nutritious food as they extend the program into the 2023-24 school year. 

Summer meals
The Kiwanis Club of Meramec Valley Community, Missouri, U.S., is teaming up with the Valley Park School District and several other local service organizations to make sure students up to age 18 have enough food during the summer months, when school is not in session. Volunteers use school kitchen and lunchroom facilities to store and pack food into lunch bags, which they distribute three times a week at three community sites. The club estimates that 50-75 children will benefit from the program, thanks to the food they purchase with the help of a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant.  

Bigger fridge, less hunger
For the past year, the Kiwanis Club of Bachten de Kupe, La Joconde, West Flanders, Belgium, has addressed both food waste and hunger in its community by turning surplus food from farms and businesses into food packages for around 1,000 children in need. Currently, one in eight children in Belgium struggle with food insecurity, and the number is growing beyond the club’s ability to keep up with the demand. A microgrant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will allow the club to purchase a larger refrigerator and double the number of children the project serves.  

Fresh veggies for school lunches
The Kiwanis Club of Leisure World, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S., has a longstanding relationship with Harmony Hills Elementary School, donating clothes and books to students there. Now members are stepping in to boost the students’ nutrition as well. With help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant, the club will donate vegetables from its community garden plot to children who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Eight club members will weed, water and manage the garden.  

Outdoor adventures
With help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant, members of the Kiwanis Club of Corabia, Romania, will organize and run AdventureCAMP, a five-day mountain camp for children. Kids involved in the camp will spend time in the great outdoors, participating in two workshops per day on topics including personal development, first aid, road safety, reading a compass, building a campfire, hiking, climbing, ziplining and photography. Club members hope that more kids will reach their potential physically, mentally and socially thanks to their time at the camp.  

Play in a time of transition
When members of the Kiwanis Club of Blairsville, Georgia, U.S., learned that a transition foster care home was being built in their community, they immediately looked for a way to help make it a safe, comfortable place for children waiting for a placement. With help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant, the club will purchase a playset for Isaiah House #117. Club members will assemble the equipment with the help of their Key Club and local Eagle Scouts. They hope the playset will be a safe and fun haven for hundreds of kids over the years. 

Comfort is a warm blanket
This year, the Kiwanis Club of Mitchell, South Dakota, U.S., has donated 25 fleece tie blankets to first responders, who give them to children in crisis situations. The club’s annual baseball tournament fundraiser was rained out, preventing members from buying supplies for more. A microgrant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help them purchase supplies to meet their goal of making at least 50 blankets per year going forward. Kiwanians schedule days with family and friends to make the blankets. They hope the blankets will help children “know that their community cares about them and will help in their time of need.” 

How you can help
If you want to amplify your impact to reach children around the world through the Kiwanis causes of health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development, you can make a gift to the Children’s Fund or learn how your club can apply for a grant to help kids in your community.

You can learn more about Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants on kiwanis.org. 

Are you ready to become a Kiwanis leader? 

Are you ready to become a Kiwanis leader? 

Sep 18, 2023 | Leadership | 7 comments

Here are six tips for taking your skills to the next level. 

By Erin Chandler

Stepping up to pursue a Kiwanis leadership position is not as hard as you may think! Whether you’re thinking of a role in your club or district, or even at the international level, we’ve compiled some helpful tips — complete with advice given in Kiwanis magazine over the years by a couple of true experts: Kiwanis International Executive Director Stan Soderstrom and Executive Director-designate Paul Palazzolo. 

1. Assess your leadership strengths and goals.
“Many [Kiwanians] are taking the leadership qualities they’ve developed and already use into roles that suit them well. And many of them do it even if they haven’t held such official titles before.” — Stan Soderstrom 

There are many different ways to become a leader. In your quest to discover what kind of leader you want to be, it can be helpful to look to others as role models. That’s one reason we’re providing this publication. It is also important to look inside yourself. What are you passionate about? What motivates you? Which of your skills lend themselves to leadership? You don’t have to have held a leadership role before — everyone starts somewhere! Maybe you have learned patience from parenthood, organization from your job or perseverance from your hobbies. Think about how these skills could be useful to Kiwanis. 

2. Attend Kiwanis conventions, read the newsletters and keep up with the blog.
“[A convention] is where you will get the spirit and ideas.” — Paul Palazzolo 

At Kiwanis district and international conventions, you will have the opportunity to encounter more models of leadership, hear from experts and talk to fellow Kiwanians about their most effective projects. Between the sessions, the conversations and the energizing atmosphere, you are likely to come home with all kinds of new ideas for your club. 

You can also find inspiration through the kiwanis.org blog, the KI Update newsletter and Kiwanis social media. The blog includes stories of clubs that are making a big difference in people’s lives. Update delivers highlights from these stories directly to your email inbox every month. And the Kiwanis accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) share stories of club projects that have made the news. You never know when you might find the perfect project for your club. 

3. Get to know your community.
“We needed to cut the cord on tired initiatives and do some new things that were a little more relevant. That is a key word in the Kiwanis world: Your service needs to be relevant to your community.” — Paul Palazzolo

Being a servant leader means putting your skills to use in a way that is most beneficial to your community. Your club may have a lot of ongoing projects and ideas for new ones — but what do the people you serve actually need? Has that need changed over time? Talk to them and find out! 

Getting to know your community’s leaders will also open doors for partnerships that make your projects more impactful. A great way to become a leader is to network with those who have skills and resources that may elevate your club’s potential.   

4. Get to know your fellow club members.
“Leadership is as much about the people around you as the qualities within yourself. At Kiwanis International, that’s one of the most important aspects we emphasize for members who become leaders within our organization.” — Stan Soderstrom 

Leadership doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. Leaders surround themselves with talented teams of people who can fill their gaps in knowledge, expertise and resources. Get to know the strengths of the Kiwanians around you and get to work building your support team. 

Getting to know your club also increases the fun and fellowship you will find in Kiwanis. You might even build lasting friendships! 

5. Build up your communication skills.
“No matter if your club is a good club or a struggling club, take the plunge because your ideas can help turn that around. Kiwanis exists as an association of clubs to help leaders in the pursuit of their vision.” — Paul Palazzolo 

You have a project idea or a vision for the future of your club — but nothing will come of it unless you convey your message in a way that inspires fellow members. If you appeal to their passions and interests, you are more likely to persuade them to act. 

And remember that communication goes both ways — it’s as much about listening as it is about talking. Others’ concerns and ideas may help refine and improve your original vision. 

6. Look toward the future.
“The definition of a leader is always shifting. The challenges may be unexpected, even unprecedented, but it’s the flexible leader who will rise to meet them.” — Stan Soderstrom 

As you climb the Kiwanis leadership ladder, be prepared to adjust your goals and projects as the needs of your community, your club and your district change. And be sure to pay forward the help you have received by becoming a mentor and leadership role model to others. A key part of leadership is helping people climb the ladder after you.