Young Children, Priority One

 At the heart of Kiwanis is our organization's service to the children of the world. Research tells us with study after study that the earlier in a child's life a service or intervention can be delivered, the greater the impact will be.

Unfortunately, Kiwanis has fewer members, our clubs have less money and our members have less time. As we struggle to do more with less, our service projects need to be directed to where they will have the greatest impact. That is with young children through Young Children Priority One (YCPO) service projects.

As Kiwanis International re-focuses its efforts on young children and YCPO through the ELIMINATE project, Gov. Mike is asking Kiwanis Clubs in the New York District to follow suit. Through the New York District Young Children Priority One Achievement Report, Kiwanis clubs are encouraged to support the ELIMINATE project through contributions to the Kiwanis International Foundation and to help young children through service.

Young Children Priority One service projects help young children across a wide variety of areas. These areas include Maternal and Neonatal Health, Child Care and Development, Parent Education and Support, and Safety and Pediatric Trauma. Club service projects might include an educational fair, fund raising for a particular cause such as the March of Dimes or KPTC, providing parenting classes, or running child safety workshops. Working on a YCPO service project also provides a wonderful opportunity for a K-Family project. K-Kids, Builders Clubbers, Key Clubbers, Circle Kers and Aktion Clubbers all share an affinity for helping young children and babies. In fact, Circle K Board members throughout the District were trained by the NYS Safe Kids Coalition to run child safety workshops and many Key Clubbers in the downstate area have also been trained in the Safe Kids curriculum through the KPTC Service Leadership committee. Therefore, I encourage Kiwanis Clubs to reach out to your Service Leadership Clubs and plan a joint YCPO service project.

As we near the Geneva launch of the ELIMINATE fund raising campaign, Kiwanis International has run several focus groups seeking responses from members about the best ways to garner support for the ELIMINATE campaign. International VP Tom DeJulio has made it clear that for ELIMINATE to be successful every branch of the K-Family must be engaged. He has also reminded participants that while the major push for fund raising will begin this summer, it is never too early to make contributions to ELIMINATE. Any major fund raising campaign needs "seed money." Therefore, if your club is ready you can start making you donations, you can complete your YCPO Achievement Report now and be one of the first clubs in the District to be recognized for completing the New York District 2010-11 YCPO Project. YCPO Achievement Report Forms can be downloaded from the New York District Kiwanis Website at www.kiwanis-ny.org under the District tab and Forms on the drop-down menu.

If I can be of any assistance in helping you or your club plan a YCPO service Project, please do not hesitate to contact me at rs2wdld@aol.com I will be attending the Kiwanis International SLP Conference in Indianapolis later this month and look forward to returning with many new ideas to share with the district. I hope to see many of you at the YCPO workshop at the Mid-Year Conference and to reading your YCPO Achievement Reports as they are submitted. Thank you for choosing to serve the children of the world. 

Column Posted on Web Site February 3, 2011