Division 14 Project: Sarah's House Activity Day

     Today was a good day.

     Division 14 Kiwanis cooperated with Division 14 Key Club to host an Activity Day for the residents of Sarah's House.  Sarah's House is a Catholic charity sponsored by the U.S. Army, that provides shelter and professional casework for homeless families.  Families live in "transitional housing" for 18-24 months, while the parents receive assistance in my programs, such as parenting classes, employment programs, and GED classes.  Many of the children in these families attend Anne Arundel County public schools.

    The Kiwanis Clubs of Division 14 have annually hosted an activity day for the residents of Sarah's House for some time now (According to my knowledge).  While Kiwanis provided the food for the residents that came, the  Key Clubs were in charge of playing with the kids.

     This counts as my first Divisional Project for my term as Lt. Governor, and the first project in some time for Division 14.  (Though I did little more than beg people to come and help).   Naturally, I did everything last minute, and was very nervous about the project.  What if there aren't enough Key Clubbers to play with the children?  What if all the Key Clubbers from different schools don't like each other?  What if it is...awkward?

     Like always, I over-worried and everything went great.  16 Key Clubbers from 7 different Key Clubs (though one is not fully formed yet) volunteered over 30 hours of service playing with the children of Sarah's House.  When I arrived there, I rallied some of the Key Clubbers to make this "awesome" obstacle course for the kids to play on.  Boy were they going to be happy to see it!  Of course, they never played on the obstacle course, and just threw water balloons at my the whole time.

     In all seriousness, it was an outstanding day.  We played kickball, cornhole, bean bag toss, and threw a LOT of water balloons.  Most of them at me.  I could tell that the kids were happy to be there, and their families were so appreciative as well.  All of the children left with prizes for playing the games and I could tell that we had made their day.

     As an added bonus, I think that the Key Clubbers really enjoyed the project and meeting people from different Key Clubs, especially those who had never attended a divisional event before.  What I saw today is why I love Key Club, and why I love doing what I do.  I saw people who had never met each other before today, working together, playing with children, and serving their community.  From what I have heard, the feedback for the project has been extremely positive.  I have already started talking about planning a Division 14 Christmas Party for the Sarah's House residents.  No matter what happens down the road, today, Key Club came together and made a difference in the lives of children.  That's what it's all about.
Until next time, keep serving.


If you or your club is interested in organizing a project at Sarah's House, here is the link to the website: http://www.catholiccharities-md.org/sarahs-house/
They love to have groups come in and organize kids' nights for the children.  Contact me for information or questions!

 

Fundraising Tips: Face Painting and Balloon Animals

NCHS Key Club VP making balloons.

     For the past two days, I have done something I thought that I would never do: make balloon animals for little kids.  I was helping 3 other students at a North County High School Key Club Fundraiser, making balloon animals for kids while others painted their faces in a multitude of designs.  I was expecting this to be a modest fundraiser and make between 40-50 dollars for the 4 hours that we were at the mall.  We ended up making 140 dollars on both days, simply from painting simple designs and creating straightforward balloon animals.

NCHS Key Club Pres. modeling face paint

     What shocked me the most was the goodwill of people at the mall these past few days.  We did not charge for the balloons or face painting; it was on a donation only basis.  While there were some instances of some people taking the balloons and not paying for them, the majority of people gave very freely, many giving far more than a twisted balloon and five minutes of painting was worth.  Plus, the little kid's faces when we give them the balloons is priceless.  :D

     This is a great example of an easy fundraiser that all Key Clubs can do.  Painting supplies and balloons are fairly cheap, and you will be reimbursed very quickly.  Making balloon animals is very easy, and it will take only an hour of preparation to learn a variety of balloon shapes (Dogs, swords, and hats are easy to learn, and very popular with children).  Chances are someone in your club has done face painting before, and you can enlist their help in the fundraiser.  Designs can be as simple as you want; kids are just excited to get their faces painted.

Elephants: My specialty.

     Getting a good location at an appropriate time is key.  Malls are filled with families on weekend afternoons, and most teenagers will be available for help then.  Ask stores at your local mall if they will let you set up in front of their store.  They more than likely won't object, and will be happy about the increased traffic provided by your fundraiser.  Make sure you post a sign in the store as well, advertising your various designs and creations.

Advertising in the store.

    The most crucial part is to make sure that you do not set a fixed price for the face painting or the balloons.  Making it a "donations-only" fundraiser allows people to freely give, which often results in more income than a fixing prices would.  Since you are serving the community by giving joy to local children, this also counts as a service project, giving your members even a fun way to earn more hours.

     This is a can't-miss opportunity to make money for your club, gain some service hours, and learn some new skills that you didn't you had (Making balloon animals are way more fun than I expected).  These guidelines can help make any fundraising project successful, whether it be for your club or a charity.  Hopefully, this will inspire you to get out in your community and provide them with a service, all the while raising funds for your club.

     Until then, keep serving!