Lakewood Kiwanis K Kids Awareness Week

February 19-23, 2018 is Kiwanis International recognition week for Kiwanis K Kids. Lakewood Kiwanis is proud to sponsor 3 K Kid Clubs in our community: Grant Elementary School, Horace Mann Elementary School and Family Life Before and After Care at Harrison Elementary School.

K Kids is the youngest youth leadership club in the Kiwanis family. Each K Kids club has a school/administrator advisor and Lakewood Kiwanian advisor. Each club has their leadership team of K Kids selected through essays submitted at the beginning of school. After that is in place, the voting of projects by the kids are done for the year. Our K Kids projects include PenPals with K Kids around the world, community trash cleanup in the Spring and local initiatives that they have chosen to do. The kids learn that they have a voice in the club and need to make the commitment to complete their projects. As advisors, we try to have different speakers come in to connect the kids to the community service they complete. Win, win for all. Lakewood Kiwanis also sponsors Builders Club at Harding Junior High and Key Club at Lakewood High School.

Our K Kids have been busy this school year. Grant School K Kids just completed a successful food drive for LCAC (Lakewood Charitable Assistance Corp.). By making posters and having Special Days (Hat Day, Pajama Day) through the week, the K Kids drew attention to the importance of the food drive. Horace Mann K Kids collected toys for the Lakewood Christmas Store. Again, posters were made and the kids promoted the collection to their classmates. Family Life K Kids made Snowman Soup (hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, a candy cane and a holiday poem) for a homeless ministry in the area. The K Kids were thanked by a representative who spoke to the children about homeless initiatives in our community.

K Kids motto is to Build Leaders and Lakewood K Kids are doing it in Lakewood.

Anna Bacho is a member of Lakewood Kiwanis.