Four clubs on four continents got grants that will help them help kids.

By Erin Chandler

In March, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded 18 club grants to support outstanding Kiwanis club projects on four continents. The following four projects (one from each region) show how Kiwanians are making a real difference in children’s health and education — and in their ability to just be kids.  

Promoting Child Health Through Sport
Kiwanis Club of Barranquilla, Columbia
The 14-member Kiwanis Club of Barranquilla is working on a big project: a multisport park for vulnerable children from low-income families in the Puerto Colombia community. The club already owns a plot of land in the area, which lacks dedicated space for recreational activities. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will go toward turf, fencing, gates and other materials for a soccer field, athletic track, multipurpose court and skating facility. Club members plan to be involved in every stage of the project, which is designed to keep kids out of risky situations and help them develop teamwork, self-esteem and leadership skills.  

Helping kids be kids, even during a crisis
Kiwanis Club of Penfield-Perinton Townships, New York, U.S.
In a time when young people are increasingly struggling with their mental health, the Kiwanis Club of Penfield-Perinton Townships is making sure kids in crisis receive the best possible care. Speaking to former patients and families at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), club members learned that the crowded and utilitarian conditions — with no control over light or noise and nowhere to play or move around — often increase anxiety. With a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant, the club will help create a more welcoming atmosphere at CPEP by purchasing supplies like furniture, portable lighting, white noise machines, interactive art, fidgets and therapy items. The club gets guidance from patients and staff for items that will improve the hospital environment while keeping it safe for everyone. 

Educational Formation for Beginners
Kiwanis Club of Davao City, Philippines
A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help the Kiwanis Club of Davao City launch a daycare facility in Sitio Namnam, a geographically isolated community that is home to 500 members of the indigenous Matigsalug tribe. For the community’s 40 children between the ages of three and six, the daycare will provide the basic literacy, math and social skills that kids need to begin attending school. It will also enable early intervention for developmental delays. The daycare’s curriculum will preserve the community’s cultural identity by incorporating Matigsalug traditions, language and values, including storytelling from elders. Kids at the daycare also will receive health screenings, vaccinations and nutritious meals, alleviating some of the burden on families. In addition, parents — particularly mothers — will be able to seek education and employment knowing their children are safe at the daycare. The Davao City club plans to run the facility while keeping the community involved in decision-making and offering temporary jobs to local residents. 

Ride for Life
Kiwanis Club of E-Space Mittelland, Switzerland
Ride for Life, organized by the Kiwanis Club of E-Space Mittelland and Junior Chamber International, is a community bicycle ride that raises funds for people with cancer and their families. The event includes an on-site solidarity festival and a Kids-for-Kids Mini Ride, which raises funds specifically for projects related to pediatric cancer, such as a palliative care home for children. Club members work throughout the year to bring Ride for Life together — and on the day of the Ride, all club members are on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly. In addition to raising money, the event gives families affected by cancer a chance to enjoy a fun day where they can connect with the community, including other families in the same circumstances. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant will help publicize the event and fund the Mini Ride. The club hopes that Ride for Life will expand throughout Switzerland and internationally in upcoming years. 

More club grant projects 

Other projects that received club grants in March include:   

• The “Ready for Reading” literacy outreach program from the Kiwanis Club of Saint Bernard-Arabi, Louisiana, U.S. 

• A Community Day book distribution event from the Kiwanis Club of East Meadow, New York, U.S. 

• A Story Walk from the Kiwanis Club of Pierre-Fort Pierre, South Dakota, U.S. 

• Book nooks for the Nature Warriors program from the Kiwanis Club of Stunning Davao, Philippines 

• A program that teaches kids about road safety from the Kiwanis Club of Long Beach, New York, U.S. 

• A sensory toy drive for kids with sensory processing challenges from the Kiwans Club of Central, Louisiana, U.S. 

• All-abilities playgrounds from the Kiwanis clubs of Monument Hill, Colorado, U.S., and Allen Park, Michigan, U.S. 

• Programs that provide food for kids on weekends or school breaks from the Kiwanis clubs of Ticonderoga, New York, U.S.; Crofton, Maryland, U.S.; Marion, Illinois, U.S.; and Port Townsend, Washington, U.S. 

• A camp for kids with diabetes from the Kiwanis Club of Texarkana, Texas, U.S., and a program to provide diabetes alert dogs to kids from the Kiwanis Club of the Foothills, Boulder, Colorado, U.S. 

How you can help
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund makes grants that improve the lives of children around the world by identifying 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. Through The Kiwanis Possibility Project, the Children’s Fund ensures that its grantmaking has the greatest possible impact, supporting 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 a club’s partner.  

Learn how your club can apply for a grant to help kids in your community. If you are interested in extending your and your club’s impact beyond your community, make a gift in support of The Kiwanis Possibility Project.