Grants make kids’ days special

Grants make kids’ days special

Feb 5, 2026 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service projects | 0 comments

From October through December, smaller clubs made a big impact through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.

By Erin Chandler

In October, November and December, Kiwanis clubs around the world received Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrants for projects that fostered children’s growth through memorable moments and everyday experiences. The following three 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: education and literacy, health and nutrition, and youth leadership development.   

Health and nutrition
Animal-Assisted Happiness
Kiwanis Club of Milpitas, California, U.S.
A Kiwanis Children’s Fund microgrant will give students with severe disabilities a day of fun with therapeutic barnyard animals. Students at Russell Middle School and Milpitas High School will be accompanied by a mainstream student “buddy” as they greet the chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs and miniature goats. Many of the students have limited communication skills and difficulty interacting with people, but their caregivers say that outside stimuli and interaction with animals may help with their development. The project’s trial run, in collaboration with an organization that brings the animals directly to the school, has been a great success. 

Education and literacy
Book Nooks
Kiwanis Club of Barbados-In Action, Barbados
The Kiwanis Club of Barbados-In Action has already installed “book nooks” in 37 nursery and primary school classrooms, motivating kids and teachers around the island to enjoy reading. A microgrant from the Children’s Fund will help the club toward its goal of creating 200 book nooks over the Kiwanis year. Club members set up each nook with mats, cushions, books and a book display unit, and they inaugurate the nook with a story-time session. They have also recruited community partners to continue visiting and reading to the children. This project supports the Barbados government’s initiative to improve literacy in the country — and while many programs are focusing on adults, the Kiwanis club is directing its efforts toward early learning. The club’s goal is to “create a reading revolution in Barbados” by inspiring kids to love reading, improving literacy levels and strengthening bonds between schools and communities. 

Youth Leadership Development
Rock Indian Grove Rehabilitation
Kiwanis Club of Hemet Valley, California, U.S.
The Ramona Pageant, which dramatizes conflicts between Native Americans and settlers in 19th century California, is the state’s official outdoor play and has been performed annually for over 100 years. A Children’s Fund microgrant will help the Kiwanis Club of Hemet Valley become a part of this dramatic legacy as they rehabilitate the long-neglected staging area for the 75 child volunteers who portray the play’s Native American villagers. The club will fund and assist with grading the area, removing graffiti, cleaning and rebuilding a spring-fed pond, clearing brush, trimming trees and installing picnic tables. A safe and fun place for the kids to get ready for their performance will emphasize the significance of their role in telling an important story — encouraging them to stay engaged in community service and California history. 

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.   

Key Club projects unite communities and Kiwanis family

Key Club projects unite communities and Kiwanis family

Jan 16, 2026 | General interest, Kiwanis Children's Fund, Service Leadership Programs, Service projects | 0 comments

The Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded 45 Youth Opportunities Fund grants to outstanding Key Club projects in November. 

By Erin Chandler

Last year, Key Club International celebrated 100 years of making a difference in schools and communities around the world. The Kiwanis Children’s Fund established the Youth Opportunities Fund so Key Club leaders can continue taking action for the next 100 years and beyond.   

In November, the Children’s Fund awarded Youth Opportunities Fund grants for 45 outstanding Key Club projects that provide essential items for those in crisis, create memorable holidays for kids and families, plant gardens that serve as outdoor classrooms, and more. And many of them turn their projects into Kiwanis family affairs, involving other Key Clubs, Builders Clubs, K-Kids, Aktion Clubs and sponsoring Kiwanis clubs. 

In alphabetical order by club name, the top nine projects — as determined by the Key Club International Board committee and Children’s Fund representatives — are:  

“Key to Sweet Dreams” Bedtime Kits
Boyd County High School Key Club, Kentucky, U.S.
The Boyd County High School Key Club leads a project that has grown to include five other Key Clubs, two Kiwanis clubs, a Builders Club and a K-Kids club across multiple counties. Through donations and fundraising, club members assemble bedtime kits containing a set of twin-size sheets, a comforter or blanket, a mattress cover, a pillow, a stuffed animal, a book, a night-light and an alarm clock — everything a child needs to form a healthy bedtime routine. Through a partnership with Ashland Build-A-Bed, the kits are given along with bedframes and mattresses to kids who need beds of their own to sleep in. Last year, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant helped the club provide over 175 kits, and this year, they hope to give even more, along with hygiene products and essential supplies for the whole family. 

WASH for Borana
Carmel High School Key Club, Indiana, U.S.
Thanks to the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) for Borana project, members of the Carmel High School Key Club will grow as leaders and environmentalists by organizing three fundraising events to bring clean and accessible drinking water to the Borana Zone in Ethiopia. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will go toward supplies for Walk for Wells, a symbolic walk representing how long women and children must walk for water in the Borana Zone; Art for Access, a student and community art exhibition and auction that raises awareness about water insecurity; and the Splash Summit, a multi-school youth leadership conference on service, global health and sustainability. Proceeds from the three events will be allocated by the Holistic Relief Organization. 

Winter Blitz
Clackamas High School Key Club, Oregon, U.S.
Winter Blitz is a longstanding tradition (and recipient of multiple Youth Opportunities Fund grants) that calls for members of Clackamas High School Key Club and Adrienne C. Nelson High School Key Club to help those in need during the winter holidays. Each year, the two clubs organize fundraising events and donation drives to collect essential items like clothing, hygiene products, household goods, toys and even small appliances. Some of the items go into a free “storefront” at Clackamas High School, while others are delivered directly to families. Each year, Winter Blitz supports over 600 families — and each year Key Club members work to raise more funding and better tailor the event to community needs. 

Children’s Christmas Project
Foxcroft Academy Key Club, Maine, U.S.
In an area that ranks highest in Maine for poverty, food insecurity and mental health issues, the Foxcroft Academy Key Club is stepping up to make sure kids still have a magical holiday season. Parents submit lists of the winter clothing items and shoes their kids need as well as some of the toys they want. Key Club members with a budget of US$210 per child are then given the chance to “play Santa” — and the local Kiwanis club makes sure every child gets a pair of boots. A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help the club meet its goal of sponsoring 30 children and allow for the purchase of more “fun” gifts like toys and games. 

Harvest Pack
Fridley Senior High School Key Club, Minnesota, U.S.
In 2025, Fridley Senior High School Key Club teamed up with classmates, its sponsoring Kiwanis club and the local Builders Club to pack 32,488 meals for people struggling with food security all over the world. This year, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help them attempt to pack even more meals during another Harvest Pack event. Volunteers spend all day weighing and adding healthy ingredients, packing boxes of meals and loading them into a truck that will take them to Harvest Pack for distribution. 

Hygiene Kits
Lincoln East High School Key Club, Nebraska, U.S.
A past Youth Opportunities Fund grant helped the Lincoln East High School Key Club surpass its goal of assembling 500 hygiene kits for those in need in the community. This year, another grant will help them assemble over 600 kits containing shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste, a toothbrush, bandages and other essential hygiene supplies — along with a handwritten or hand-drawn card from a Key Club member or member of the St. John School Builders Club. The kits will be distributed between Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, People’s City Mission and a new addition this year, the Foster Care Closet. 

Pollinator Garden
Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Key Club, Michigan, U.S.
With support from a Youth Opportunities Fund grant and the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Plymouth, the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Key Club will plant a wildflower pollinator garden on unused green space at Starkweather Academy school. Creating Habitats for Pollinators will provide seeds and supplies, while Key Club members and Starkweather Academy students will install and maintain the garden. By aiding biodiversity and conservation in the area, the pollinator garden will serve as a living outdoor classroom. 

Care Bear Towels and Hygiene Packages
South River High School Key Club, Maryland, U.S.
A Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help the South River High School Key Club team up with the school’s National Organization for Women Club to create hygiene packages for Sarah’s House, a local emergency center for families experiencing homelessness. The packages will contain shampoo, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and other essential items, as well as towels folded into the shape of teddy bears. The club plans to assemble 125 kits — enough to help every resident of Sarah’s House.  

Knapp and Play Learning Center
Webster High School Key Club, South Dakota, U.S.
The whole community of Webster is coming together to support the opening of the new Knapp and Play Learning Center, a daycare and after-school program for children from infancy through fifth grade — in a building donated by a Kiwanian! For the Webster High School Key Club, which has been helping to set up the center, a Youth Opportunities Fund grant will help purchase cubbies, chalkboards, art supplies, games and books. Other supplies will be donated by local businesses and collected by Builders Club and Key Club members. 

How to get involved 
Does your Key Club have a project idea that could benefit from a Youth Opportunities Fund grant? Learn more about the grant and how to apply on the Key Club website. If your club does not yet sponsor a Key Club, learn about the advantages of chartering one today.   

Small club, large impact 

Small club, large impact 

Jan 14, 2026 | General interest, Service projects | 0 comments

With just 12 members, the Kiwanis Club of Lansing addresses its community’s critical needs. 

By Frank L. Goss, member, Lansing Kiwanis Club 

 In the heart of Lansing, Kansas, U.S., a small but dedicated group of Kiwanis volunteers is making a big difference. With just 12 members — led by the president, Mike Nielsen — the Kiwanis Club of Lansing focuses on hands-on projects that touch lives across Lansing and neighboring Leavenworth County.  

Here’s a closer look at how our small club is building a stronger community. 

Partnering for health
We organize five to six blood drives each year, in partnership with the City of Lansing and the local Lions Club. These events draw an average of 50 to 60 donors, providing vital blood supplies to local blood banks and hospitals. This project turns community goodwill into a pivotal lifeline when emergencies strike.  

While local partnerships are vital, every individual makes a big difference. At the heart of the blood drive effort is Betty Klinedinst, our treasurer and volunteer coordinator. Her tireless work exemplifies how one person’s commitment can inspire an entire community to give back. 

Combating hunger
Each month, our members collect nonperishable items and cash donations from generous shoppers at the local Dillon’s food store. These drives typically yield 500 to 700 pounds of food, which we distribute in the Lansing and Leavenworth areas to school food banks, Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army and other essential organizations. 

What sets this initiative apart is our hands-on approach: Any cash collected is immediately used to purchase additional food items there in the store, maximizing the immediate impact of every dollar. 

Investing in education
Our club gets involved in almost every aspect of students’ experience at Lansing Elementary School. We provide cash donations for books, supplies and other essentials, and during the annual book fair, we purchase books directly for classrooms to foster a love of reading. We also fund their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs and are actively collaborating on fundraising for playground enhancements.  

We also support the school’s veterans’ program each year by providing food for events that honor our local heroes, many of whom have children in area schools. We also donate awards for the local spelling bee. 

Fueling creativity
One key event for us is the community pancake feed that we sponsor during the Lansing School Art Fair. This annual event features student artwork from all grade levels — elementary, intermediate, middle and high school — and offers the community a vibrant display of visual talent from across the district. Proceeds from the pancake feed help sustain our year-round activities, turning “flapjacks” into real community impact.  

Investing in the future
Each year, we proudly provide scholarships to high school graduates from the Lansing area who are embarking on paths in trade schools or higher education.  

Our scholarship program is a holistic investment in the community. By supporting students in diverse fields — from vocational trades such as plumbing, welding or automotive technology to academic pursuits in engineering, business, or the arts — we aim to build a more skilled and innovative workforce. We select awardees based on a mix of academic merit, community involvement and demonstrated passion, ensuring that our support reaches those who will make the most impact. It’s our way of strengthening the fabric of our hometown — and fostering the growth and potential of tomorrow’s leaders. 

Spreading holiday cheer and support
Our club makes a point of supporting other local organizations that serve the community. During the holiday season, for example, our club joins forces with the community to collect and pack food baskets for those in need. This tradition provides nutritious meals during a festive time while spreading warmth and solidarity throughout Lansing. 

In addition, we support the Lansing mayor’s Christmas drive with cash donations and volunteer efforts, helping to deliver holiday provisions to needy families. Our members also participate in the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle drive, ringing bells to attract donations that help provide emergency assistance and support for our local families.  

Advocating for vulnerable kids
With every project or partnership, we lead with Kiwanis values. Our partnership with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) underscores our dedication to protecting the most vulnerable in our community. We provide cash donations to aid their mission of representing abused and neglected children in court. We also sponsor a table for the local CASA organization during its annual fundraising event.

The Lansing Kiwanis Club may be small, but our impact is profound. Through these initiatives, we’re not just addressing immediate needs — we’re fostering a sense of unity and resilience in Lansing.