Grants fund many ways to read 

Grants fund many ways to read 

Thanks to Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grants, more kids around the world are reading and learning. 

By Erin Chandler 

Kiwanis clubs around the world are turning kids into lifelong learners — and the Kiwanis Children’s Fund is there to help. In August, the Children’s Fund awarded grants to eight clubs that brought books into children’s homes and classrooms, overcame language barriers, bridged learning gaps with online apps and combated the stigmas surrounding learning disabilities. And they recruited lots of new Kiwanians along the way! 

Textbooks and other tools for learning
The Kiwanis Club of Yaoundé, Cameroon, noticed that some children in low-income areas were going to school without the necessary textbooks, while others were not attending school at all. In 2019, the club launched a project in conjunction with area partners to provide textbooks and notebooks to 100 kindergarten and primary school students. The children they helped saw dramatic progress in their academic achievement. With help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant, the club hopes to meet this year’s expanded goal of delivering textbooks, notebooks, writing utensils and other school supplies to 250 children.  

The reward of reading
With help from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund club grant, the Kiwanis Club of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S., plans to install book vending machines in area elementary and middle schools that are part of the Title I program. The club estimates that over 5,000 students will be able to select books from the machines as rewards for good deeds, good grades and good citizenship. Club members will also work directly with the students. The machines will be continuously stocked with books purchased through club and school fundraisers.

A little holiday reading
Before the month of December, 60 children in kindergarten through second grade will each be given a basket of 25 giftwrapped books by the Kiwanis Club of Jefferson, Georgia, U.S. It’s all part of the club’s Literary Launch program. One book can be opened each day of December leading up to Christmas, with the addition of a toy to open on the last day. Book basket recipients are selected by local schools based on family income, so that children who might not have many books at home will be able to build their own home libraries. With help from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, the club hopes to purchase all new books this year. 

A community culture of reading
The community of Ormond Beach, Florida, U.S., knows the Kiwanis Club of Ormond Beach as “the organization that gets books into kids’ hands.” Through their Kiwanis READS! Backers-4-Books program, the club supplies books to Ormond Beach Elementary School’s media center and classrooms. They also organize an annual sponsored book fair that lets children take home four books for free. In partnership with Volusia County Library, the club hosts a summer reading challenge and read-a-thon, and at the beginning of the school year, they honor top readers with an ice cream party. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help the club expand its efforts across the five Ormond Beach elementary schools. 

Literacy across languages
Three years ago, the Kiwanis Club of Plano, Texas, U.S., launched Books and Buddies, a project to provide bilingual books in English and Spanish for early readers who come from Spanish-speaking families. The project has received positive feedback from both parents and teachers. This year, a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will help the club print 1,500 copies of a brightly colored bilingual booklet containing a story and information about dialing 911 in an emergency. The booklets will be distributed at after-school events and to Boys and Girls Clubs, waiting rooms, Head Start programs and more. 

Apps for accessibility
Last year, the Kiwanis Club of Papine in Kingston, Jamaica, helped 130 students at the Jamaica House Basic School and Danny Williams School for the Deaf improve their literacy skills. The club served the students through a combination of the Lalilo online early childhood literacy tool, donated books, access to virtual libraries, tuition support and a reading competition. However, they had to limit the scope of the project to schools that had access to the necessary electronic devices. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will help them bring students and schools with greater financial need on board with the purchase of more tablets and more accessible devices for deaf students. The Reading For the Stars program saw great success in its first year, with 80% of parents reporting improvements in their children’s reading. The club plans to continue its effectiveness based on regular community needs assessments. 

Literacy through technology
The Kiwanis Club of Imperial Beach-South Bay, California, U.S., is also turning to technology. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help the club purchase more subscriptions to the Readability Tutor online app — as well as tablets so more students can access it. The club will also partner with the local library for literacy events, where they will give out free books. In an area where the primary language in many homes is Spanish — and fewer than 30% of students currently meet English Language Arts curriculum standards — the club hopes to help 100 children in kindergarten through sixth grade to meaningfully enhance their English reading skills and scores through its 2023-24 Literacy Program. 

Raising awareness, fighting stigmas
The Kiwanis Club of Montego Freeport, Jamaica, is helping to end the stigma surrounding learning disabilities. Through its Learning Disabilities Awareness Program, the club partnered last year with Sam Sharpe Diagnostic and Early Intervention Centre to assess 45 students for issues such as ADHD, dyslexia and others. Those in whom learning disabilities were identified have seen improved verbal skills and academic performance, thanks to academic intervention and treatment. In addition, teachers have been trained to recognize signs of learning disabilities. Sam Sharpe is currently the only public facility in western Jamaica that diagnoses learning disabilities, with over 100 students on a waitlist, so the Montego Freeport Kiwanians decided to expand their assessment program this year. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help them assess 100 children and establish a support group for parents. 

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

If you are interested in extending your and your club’s impact beyond your community, make a gift to the Children’s Fundor learn how your club canapply for a grantto help kids in your community. 

Generations of service

Generations of service

In Louisiana, U.S., one family has been represented in Kiwanis for more than 8 decades

By Julie Saetre 

Hunter Wellan’s induction into the Kiwanis Club of Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S., in August 2023 marked a milestone: He represents the Wellan family’s fourth generation of Kiwanis membership. 

Louis Wellan, Hunter’s great-grandfather, was a charter member when the club was founded in March 1937. An esteemed member of the Alexandria community, Louis founded and owned Wellan’s Department Store, at the time the largest department store in central Louisiana.  

His success in business was matched by his commitment to philanthropy. When Louis learned that the Louisiana College basketball team had no way of traveling to away games, for example, he purchased a bus and had it delivered to the school.  

He also was instrumental in funding the club’s Camp Kiwanis, a 150-acre plot of greenspace complete with a 22-acre lake. The camp provided a two-week summer getaway for underserved children for several decades. Today, the venue still hosts numerous youth groups — including Terrific Kids — and the Alexandria Kiwanis Club holds its annual crawfish boil/raffle fundraiser and a children’s fishing day on the property. 

“Louis was one of the quiet donors,” says David Curry, a current member of the Kiwanis Club of Alexandria.  

In fact, Louis contributed to many civic and religious organizations — and his generosity did not go unappreciated. Most of Alexandria’s stores and businesses, along with City Hall, closed on the day of his funeral in 1956.  

“Town Talk,” the local Alexandria paper, reported that the crowds “may have been the largest number ever to attend a funeral here.”  

A family tradition begins
For the Wellan family, a tradition of Kiwanis service had just begun. On the day of Hunter Wellan’s Kiwanis club induction, his grandfather, Myron, was presented with the Legion of Honor for his 65 years of service in the club. He joined the club in 1958 and went on to serve as a board member in 1961-62, 1981-82 and 1985-86.  

Myron showed his commitment to service even before joining the Alexandria Kiwanis Club. As a teen, he was a member of the Bolton High School Key Club in Louisiana. 

“I joined Kiwanis after LSU [Louisiana State University] and military service,” he says. “Joined the family management of Wellan’s Department Store and enjoyed years of active membership in the Alexandria Kiwanis Club.” 

Myron’s son, named Louis after his grandfather, joined the Alexandria club in 1985. He served as a board member in 1994-95 and 1995-96 and as club secretary in 1996-97. He recalls especially enjoying attending the board night/club social with his dad. Louis has been an attorney practicing general law for over 30 years. 

The next generation
Now Hunter is continuing the Kiwanis tradition. All together, in fact, the four Wellans represent 121 years of Kiwanis service. 

Myron Wellan has no doubt the family history will remain strong in Hunter’s hands. 

“He will be an asset — Louis will see to that,” Myron says. “It’s unfortunate that my father didn’t live to see Louis and Hunter grow up to be such fine men and Kiwanians.” 

The possibilities of leadership

The possibilities of leadership

Experience has shown Kiwanis International President Katrina Baranko that everyone has potential — and an opportunity to fulfill it. 

For many Kiwanis members, the path to leadership doesn’t start with a grand personal ambition. In fact, a leadership journey often begins with someone else’s encouragement. Even the first step comes only after a little nudge from fellow Kiwanians.  

That’s how it began for Katrina Baranko. Now the 2023-24 Kiwanis International president, Baranko was about a year into her membership with the Kiwanis Club of Albany, Georgia, U.S., in 1994 when she was asked to be a committee chair.  

She didn’t reject the request, but she wasn’t sure what the role required — and she said so. Fortunately, her fellow club members understood that leadership roles often come with a learning curve. 

“They assured me they’d support me, show me what to do, give me my little task list,” she says now. “And they did.” 

That support was decisive for Baranko. It was also an early insight into what makes leadership roles seem possible for Kiwanians. 

“I hope we encourage and emphasize mentorship this year,” she says. “It’s so important that we tap people on the shoulder and ask them to step up, but also assure them that if they do, we’ll be there to support them and help them do a good job. That’s what my Kiwanis mentors did along the way.” 

Commitment and community
That sense of being needed was a big reason why Baranko felt persuaded to join Kiwanis. She had worked as an educator for 15 years before leaving the profession to start her own business in women’s apparel. But her previous work with young people made her a natural prospect for the Albany Kiwanis club. 

“A friend of mine asked me to join — at least six times — before I said, ‘Fine, I’ll go to lunch,’” Baranko says, smiling at the memory. “She wasn’t going to give up.”  

“I was brought up that you give back to the community that supports you. So, I thought, ‘Wow, this is a win-win. They’re doing that kind of work and I can get on that vehicle and be part of it.’”

As it turned out, the club had recently raised money to purchase a van for a local shelter for kids who were victims of abuse — and they were presenting the key to the organization’s director at the club meeting Baranko visited. It was an eye-opening moment regarding the club’s impact, she says, but it also resonated with her belief in community. 

“I was brought up that you give back to the community that supports you. So, I thought, ‘Wow, this is a win-win. They’re doing that kind of work and I can get on that vehicle and be part of it.’” 

What distinguishes Kiwanis
Baranko’s career in education also gave her experience in a core Kiwanis cause: youth leadership development.  

She taught business education in high school as a teacher, and she was an advisor to the Future Business Leaders of America. During that time, she found that the brightest talents don’t always belong to the most obvious people. 

“So many of them are not the star students,” Baranko says. “It was important to me to help those kids find their way because they can kind of fall by the wayside. When we went to district and national competitions, some of them would come in first place in something for the first time.”  

That kind of experience continued with Kiwanis. One of her fondest memories came during her time as the Georgia District governor, a position that requires service on Key Club’s district board. 

“There was a young man who was a new member of the board,” she says. “He wouldn’t talk, he was very shy — and three years later he was elected Key Club governor of our district. Just to watch their growth, from when they’re not sure of themselves to when they’re using the things they’ve learned, it’s special to watch them kind of find themselves.” 

For Baranko, the Kiwanis family is unmatched in creating stories like that. “When people ask who Kiwanis is, what distinguishes us, that’s what I say: Nobody does service leadership for youth like we do.” 

Wide-open opportunity
One point of emphasis for Baranko in 2023-24 will be Builders Club. As a high school teacher, she learned how important students’ middle years are to their future success.  

“If you haven’t reached a kid by high school, it can be hard to get through that shell,” she says. “Those middle years can be a volatile time in a kid’s development, and it’s an important time for us to work with them.” 

Baranko credits 2022-23 Kiwanis International President Bert West’s emphasis on K-Kids as an excellent building block — and a way to help members see the broader scope of personal development. 

“Ultimately we want to promote the whole Kiwanis family,” she says. “It’s about the journey from K-Kids to Kiwanis.” 

“If you haven’t reached a kid by high school, it can be hard to get through that shell. Those middle years can be a volatile time in a kid’s development, and it’s an important time for us to work with them.”

The journey doesn’t stop with adulthood. For Baranko, that’s a key reason for continuing to support personal growth within Kiwanis clubs as well — whether a member is actively interested in leadership or needs reinforcement. 

“I think the leadership opportunity is wide open for anyone who wants to pursue it,” she says. “But not all of us say, ‘I’ll do it, I’ll do it.’ We need to keep an eye out for people with leadership qualities. We need people to be tapped on the shoulder.” 

Baranko remembers. When she was first asked about committee leadership, she thought of herself as “more of a presenter, not a speaker.” It was helpful to have fellow members who believed she could meet requirements rather than telling her they didn’t exist. 

“It was important to be pushed a little bit out of my comfort zone,” she says. “It turned out to be a good thing.” 

Expectations and support
When someone asks Baranko about a leadership role, she tries to be specific about a position’s duties.  

“We need to be honest about the expectations of leadership,” she says. “But we also need to be clear that they have support — including Kiwanis resources, district resources and Club Leadership Education. They have help.” 

Even people who become Kiwanis International trustees need encouragement. Baranko was elected to the Kiwanis International board in 2018, and she initially had no intention of running for vice president. As she got more than halfway into her three-year term as a trustee, she remained wary. 

“I struggled with it a bit — I didn’t know if I wanted to do it,” she says. “But (as a trustee) I met so many people in the districts and realized I wanted to be part of watching them grow. Sometimes when I go to a district, I think, ‘Oh, yeah — this is why I’m a Kiwanian. This is why we do this.’ 

“As I got closer to my third year, I got a lot of encouragement from people, and I decided I was going to give it a shot.” 

All one issue
Now she’s stepping into the role of Kiwanis International president. Like her immediate predecessors, she considers membership growth the primary task for the organization. She says it’s the issue from which everything else flows. 

“Leadership, education and our Service Leadership Programs are important,” she says, “but without members we don’t have a pool of leaders to choose from. And without members, who do we educate? Without members, who’s going to support our SLPs? 

“To me, it’s all one issue. We’ve got to get new members in.” 

There are always challenges, Baranko adds, but she believes it’s a time for Kiwanis clubs to stay positive and remember why they exist.  

“They just need to continue focusing on the work they do — supporting our youth programs and making our communities better,” she says. “Like I tell them, you’re the light in your community. You’re the ray of hope.”