Best of 2025

Best of 2025

Dec 2, 2025 | Club building, Fundraising, General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

It’s almost time to ring in 2026, but before we toast to a new year, let’s look back at some of the amazing Kiwanis family projects, events and achievements in 2025. 

By Sarah Moreland Byrne

Help when it’s needed most

Service is the heart of Kiwanis, and 2025 was no exception. Here are just some of the ways members around the world helped kids and families in need: 

Support for education:  

  • In Uganda, the Kiwanis Club of Nakivale distributed school supplies to more than 200 students.  
  • In Jamaica, a new scholarship will cover tuition for an associate degree for 10 students each year.  
  • In Vanuatu, students at Vanua Leadership College will learn practical skills thanks to 10 new sewing machines donated by the Kiwanis Club of Christchurch in New Zealand.  

Children’s health and well-being:  

  • The Indiana District of Kiwanis committed to raising US$1 million to fund mental health services at a children’s hospital.  
  • In Italy, the Kiwanis Club of Chieti Pescara G. D’Annunzio provided free health screenings for kids and helped purchase a neonatal ambulance.  
  • The Kiwanis Club of Badenweiler-Müllheim in Germany is keeping students safe by donating 275 high-visibility safety vests.  

Relief in tough times:  

Looking for more examples of amazing Kiwanis projects? Meet the winners of the 2025 Kiwanis Signature Project Contest.
Submissions for the 2026 Signature Project Contest will be accepted beginning January 6.   

Global impact 

More than US$9 million has been raised in cash and pledges so far for The Kiwanis Possibility Project, the first fundraising campaign that solely supports Kiwanis and the children we serve. Our goal: US$25 million to help 10 million children around the world be healthy, happy and successful.  

Other highlights from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund: 

  • Meet the eight outstanding Key Club and CKI leaders who received scholarships to continue their education. Students can apply now until February 1, 2026, for the next round of scholarships. 
  • The third annual Kiwanis Day of Giving nearly doubled its initial goal, resulting in US$186,000 raised for the Children’s Fund! That’s enough to reach more than 82,000 children. Mark your calendars now: Kiwanis Day of Giving returns February 25. 

Learning and leadership 

Kiwanis Amplify: Our online leadership program surpassed 2,000 all-time participants this year! Congratulations to these Kiwanians, who are using what they’ve learned to take on more leadership roles — not just within the organization but also in their professional and personal lives. 

The journey isn’t over yet! Kiwanis Amplify returns in 2026 with 22 new subject matter experts — and the first 200 incoming Kiwanis lieutenant governors to register will participate for free. Sign up to be the first to know when registration is live. 

New leaders: At the 2025 Kiwanis International Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., delegates elected Michael Mulhaul of the New Jersey District as 2025-26 Kiwanis International president. Hope Markes of the Eastern Canada and Caribbean District was elected to serve as president-elect, and Cathy Szymanski of the Pennsylvania District as vice president. Timothy Sheppard of the Rocky Mountain District and Amy Zimmerman of the Ohio District were elected trustees for the United States and Pacific Canada Region.  

Also joining the board for three-year terms are Shinichi Yoshikuni of the Japan District and Jon-Fadri Huder of the Switzerland-Liechtenstein District. See the full House of Delegates recap.  

Start planning for the 2026 Kiwanis International Convention in Manila, Philippines, June 24-27! 

Plus new ways to …

Volunteer with the Kiwanis family: We introduced Kiwanis Voices, a pilot program that allows 18- to 26-year-olds to join Kiwanis with their peers — and helps them move together through the early years of their service journey. 

Experience Kiwanis stories: In March, we launched our new podcast! With topics ranging from teddy bears and Thanksgiving meals to farm fun and honoring veterans, “Here’s an Idea” shares fundraising tips, service project ideas and more through conversations with members, leaders and staff. Listen to this year’s 13 episodes — and growing — wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video recordings.   

Start a project if you’re part of a new club: The Kiwanis Children’s Fund kicked off its new Kickstarter grant program, which invites new clubs that charter with at least 30 active members to apply for a service grant.  

Celebrating youth leadership 

The Kiwanis family consists of volunteers of all ages. Our Service Leadership Programs (SLPs) span elementary school through university and include a club for adults with disabilities. Here are a few SLP highlights for 2025:  

Key Club turned 100! Key Club International, our program for high school students, celebrated 100 years of leadership and service with alumni events, a district-based challenge, appearances from past presidents — even a commemorative book! At the annual Key Club convention, Isabella Baldisseri of the Pacific Northwest District was elected as 2025-26 Key Club International president. 

CKI is growing! Circle K International, our program for university students, chartered 33 new clubs this year — the most since 2017. CKI joined Kiwanis in Pittsburgh to host its 2025 convention in tandem with the Kiwanis International convention. Delegates elected Jonathan Huang of the New England District to serve as 2025-26 Circle K International president.  

Supporting worldwide causes: Key Club and Circle K International continued to partner with UNICEF USA on fundraising campaigns, Start Strong: Zambia and Brick x Brick, respectively. Three Key Club board members even traveled to Zambia to see their impact in action. 

P.S. Save the dates for K-Kids Week and Builders Club Week in February and Aktion Club Week in March!  

Interested in starting an SLP club? Check out these seven reasons students in your community could benefit from an SLP club. 

Bring hope to unhoused young people

Bring hope to unhoused young people

Nov 21, 2025 | General interest, News, Service projects | 0 comments

To address youth homelessness, get inspiration from these Kiwanis family projects.

By Julie Saetre and Erin Chandler

November is Youth Homelessness Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) Month. Each year, according to the National Runaway Safeline, an estimated 4.2 million young people ages 13-25 experience homelessness — in the United States alone. And each year, members of the Kiwanis family organize service projects to help.  

Want some inspiration for your club? Use these Kiwanis family examples — and research the needs of youth experiencing homelessness in your city or district. 

The Kiwanis New Jersey District: Project on Youth Homelessness
After Kiwanians in the U.S. state of New Jersey identified youth homelessness as a serious concern in the district, they learned that shelter, support and other vital social services were often underfunded. Sometimes the needs of these young people were overlooked entirely. 

In response, the Kiwanis New Jersey District adopted a project for its Kiwanis clubs over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 service years: to contribute US$20,000 in funds and complete 2,000 hours of community service with agencies serving unhoused youth in the state. 

In addition, the New Jersey Kiwanis Foundation committed to expand the project’s impact in local communities by providing up to US$45,000 in matching and capital improvement grants to youth homeless shelters throughout the state during the same time period. – Julie Saetre 

York Castle High School Key Club: Strathmore Children’s Home Initiative
In Saint Ann, Jamaica, the members of York Castle High School Key Club are reaching out to help vulnerable children in their community with support from a 2025 Youth Opportunities Fund grant. The club pledges to revitalize Strathmore Children’s Home — a nonprofit that houses children with disabilities, those who have been abandoned, and wards of the state — with new security gates, paint, tiles and a community garden. Members also will provide essential supplies such as food and hygiene products. Altogether, this initiative will make Strathmore Children’s Home a safer and more welcoming place for residents and staff for years to come. – Erin Chandler 

Northwest Indianapolis Kiwanis Club: Snacks for Homeless Students
More than a decade ago, members of the Northwest Indianapolis Kiwanis Club in Indiana, U.S., discovered that over 160 students at a local high school were unhoused and hungry. And more students were suffering the same problem throughout the local school district. So the club began collecting nonperishable items and monetary donations for the school district’s food pantry, including prepackaged snacks that are easier for the kids to eat on the run. During the last five years, which have included the COVID-19 pandemic and economic challenges, the pantry has expanded its support to assist students’ neighbors as well — and the Northwest Indianapolis club continues to do its part to help. – JS 

Circle K International Club of Northern Arizona University: Care Without Conditions
Members of the Northern Arizona University CKI Club in Arizona, U.S., are helping their community’s unhoused population — including fellow students — by assembling and distributing care packages containing hygiene products, nonperishable snacks, socks, bottled water and more. Each package also includes a handmade card and a guide to local resources, including shelters, food banks and healthcare services. Club members hope the care packages will bridge the gap between people experiencing homelessness and the larger university community. – EC 

Key Club of Desert Oasis High School: Care Kits for Kids
In Nevada, U.S., the Key Club of Desert Oasis High School is helping youth who are 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. – EC 

The Atascadero Kiwanis Aktion Club/Gum Springs Elementary School K-Kids: Blankets for those in need
The Atascadero Kiwanis Aktion Club in California, U.S., donated 20 handmade, handtied blankets to children staying at the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) shelter, which provides safe and secure overnight shelter to families facing hunger and homelessness. 

“Receiving these beautiful handmade blankets means so much to the children and families we serve,” ECHO CEO Wendy Lewis told club members. “The care and effort the Aktion Club members put into creating them truly embodies the spirit of community and compassion.” 

In Georgia, U.S., the K-Kids of Gum Springs Elementary School did their part to give the gift of warmth. They brought in pairs of blankets, which were then tied together to make insulated blankets. The assembled blankets then were distributed to people without access to warm shelters.  – JS 

Malaysia club takes kids on a green adventure

Malaysia club takes kids on a green adventure

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

A grant helps the Kiwanis Club of Klang plant seeds for future climate leaders. 

By Erin Chandler

Click “play” on the Kiwanis Club of Klang’s five-minute video recap of Green Generation Adventure Camp 2025, and you’ll see kids’ curiosity and creativity ignite as they encounter new ideas, new challenges and even new animals in a beautiful region of Malaysia.  

The Kiwanis Club of Klang has organized camps for underprivileged children for nearly a decade. In 2024, however, the club merged its signature project with 2023-24 Kiwanis Asia-Pacific Chairman Sujan Kumar Shrestha’s campaign to empower youth toward environmental stewardship and sustainability. That’s when the first Green Generation Adventure Camp was born. 

“The name ‘Green Generation’ reflects both urgency and hope: a call to action and a celebration of young changemakers,” says club president Eric Chin. “It’s not just a camp. It’s a living classroom, a playground for purpose and a reminder that even the smallest hands can plant the biggest seeds.” 

Glimpsing a wider world
The club was surprised by the first camp’s popularity in 2024 — and they resolved to build on that success. The 2025 camp took place in September at Mantin Farmstay, a resort and farm in the heart of Malaysia’s tropical rainforests. Farmers there grow jackfruit, durian and rambutan through sustainable agricultural practices. The farm also runs a mini-zoo.  

Over three days, the 150 Green Generation Adventure campers took part in forest hikes, leadership development training, interactive workshops on climate action and immersive, farm-based activities focused on sustainable agriculture. The hands-on nature of the activities was especially important for children from urban areas who don’t interact with wildlife and agriculture in their everyday lives.  

“For some of these children, especially those who’ve never stepped beyond the walls of their shelter homes, this camp is their first glimpse of a wider world,” Chin says. “A world where nature speaks, where friendships form around campfires and where they are seen not just as recipients but as changemakers.” 

Clearly, the Kiwanis Club of Klang has big ambitions for its camp. The art of balancing those ambitions with available resources has been one of the project’s biggest challenges. 

When seeking sponsorships and funding, Chin says, “asking becomes an art form of equal parts courage, empathy and timing. We’re not just seeking funds, we’re inviting belief. And that’s a vulnerable thing to do.” 

An act of stewardship
One productive “ask” was a grant application to the Kiwanis Children’s Fund. Green Generation Adventure Camp was awarded a club grant in August 2025 to help cover participation and transportation costs for kids whose families couldn’t otherwise afford the camp.  

And the camp still has room to grow. That fact can tempt the club to say yes to everyone, Chin says, but they resist — as difficult as that can be.  

“Sustainability demands discernment,” he adds. “Drawing the line by saying, ‘not this time’ or, ‘not yet’ can feel like a betrayal of our own ideals. But it’s also an act of stewardship, ensuring that what we offer is meaningful, not just generous.” 

Green Generation Adventure Camp has proved meaningful for campers and Kiwanians alike. For the Kiwanis Club of Klang, the annual event has become an opportunity to rediscover their values and reasons to serve — and to have a real impact on the lives of children. 

Seeds planted in young hearts
Chin likes to tell campers to “be a sponge, not a rock. Every moment, every interaction, every challenge is a lesson waiting to be absorbed.” 

Among his favorite moments from this year’s camp: watching a shy child gain confidence and leadership skills, seeing volunteers become friends, and the sense of togetherness that came with a marshmallow roast under the stars. 

“These bonds are the invisible scaffolding of community,” Chin explains. The 2024 and 2025 Green Generation Adventure Camps “aren’t just events — they’re seeds planted in young hearts, watered by experience and left to bloom in ways we may never fully see.  

“That’s the beauty of service: you give, not knowing what will grow. But you give anyway.”