From July through September, smaller clubs made a big impact through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.
By Erin Chandler
In July, August and September, Kiwanis clubs around the world received Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants for projects that found creative ways to give more kids and families access to services, opportunities and enrichment. The following four projects highlight some of the ways Kiwanis clubs are using microgrants to give young people of all ages a promising start in the Kiwanis cause areas of education and literacy, health and nutrition, and youth leadership development.
Education and Literacy
Orange City Public Library E-Bike Project
Kiwanis Club of Floyd Valley, Iowa, U.S.
In its first year since chartering, the Kiwanis Club of Floyd Valley is already forming strong community partnerships to expand literacy. When the club heard that the local library was raising funds for a new e-bike program that will increase access to books and library programming in underserved areas, they decided to pitch in and purchase a safety and accessory package. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will go toward a helmet, umbrellas, a first aid kit, lights, a horn or bell, a tire pump and repair kit, a phone mount, a basket, safety vests and more supplies to make the library’s e-bike safer. With the bike, library staff will be able to host remote story hours and even remotely check out materials to library patrons.
Pencil Case Project
Kiwanis Club of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
The Kiwanis Club of Brisbane discovered a simple way to reduce barriers to learning and participation in school. Every January for the past four years, club members have purchased pencils, colored pencils, erasers, rulers and highlighters. They then pack these supplies into durable, zip-up cases for teachers to distribute to kids who arrive without them for their first day at area schools. The project can set the tone for the year, enabling kids whose families might not be able to provide school supplies to feel included and prepared from the start. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will help stock up to 150 cases for the upcoming school year.
Health and Nutrition
Pediatric Medical Equipment
Kiwanis Club of Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
The Kiwanis Club of Tallahassee has a longstanding relationship with Bond Community Health Center, assisting in community outreach and providing chaperones for special events. Now members are teaming up with the Kiwanis Clubs of Southside Tallahassee, Tallahassee Northside, and Tallahassee-Killearn to provide new screening equipment for the clinic’s pediatric patients, many of whom attend Title I schools or are on Medicaid. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will help purchase equipment for hearing screenings, benefiting thousands of children.
Youth Leadership Development
Building a Disc Golf Program for Students in Chugwater
Kiwanis Club of Wheatland, Wyoming, U.S.
In the small, rural community of Chugwater, there are limited opportunities for kids and families to engage in outdoor activities. The Kiwanis Club of Wheatland is stepping in to fix that by purchasing a portable disc golf kit for the town’s only elementary school — with help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant and the Prairie View Charter School K-Kids. The 12 K-Kids club members have committed to raising US$500 for the equipment, giving them the chance to develop as leaders in the community and be personally and financially invested in the disc golf course. The club is excited to help, and working with them is the Kiwanians’ favorite part of the project. Once Kiwanis members have installed the equipment, they plan to provide initial instruction to students and teachers on how to use it.
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 Kiwanis Possibility Project. Your club also can apply for a grant to help kids in your community today.