KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — A newly forming service organization in Katy is inviting residents to volunteer, build leadership skills and support children and families throughout the community.
The Kiwanis Club of Katy is part of Kiwanis International, a global service organization that allows communities to establish local chapters dedicated to serving children through hands-on projects, fundraising and leadership opportunities. The adult volunteer organization is perhaps best known for its youth outreach programs.
"Since we're starting up, we can really shape the club to whatever the members' interests are," said Kaelyn Nguyen, a founding member of the Katy chapter and a former member of the South Central Indiana Kiwanis Club. "Kiwanis as a whole, we focus on serving the children of the world, one community, one child at a time."
Global Organization Has More Than a Century of Service
With more than a century of volunteer service, Kiwanis International has grown into a worldwide network of communities focused on improving lives. The organization says its members participate in more than 1.3 million service projects each year.
"We have special programs, such as K-Kids, where we help them build leadership skills. We also have the ELIMINATE Project, which is to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus throughout many countries," Nguyen said. "We focus on the children, but we also do stuff for the community — like natural disasters, helping out, flooding and hurricane response, and whatever the special interests of our members are."
Katy Chapter Plans Service Projects and Signature Event
The Katy chapter plans to offer monthly service projects, hold meetings twice each month — currently on the second and fourth Wednesdays — and establish an annual signature project.
"Everyone is welcome. We just want people who are passionate about volunteering and want to make a difference," Nguyen said. "That's what keeps bringing me back, is the fulfillment of feeling happy after helping out someone else."
Joining the Kiwanis Club is not simply about community service, Nguyen said, but also about personal growth and finding purpose.
"I was a really shy kid in high school and middle school. Instead of being president, I wanted to be vice president. Instead of being the governor, I wanted to be the assistant," Nguyen said. "But through the Kiwanis family, I was so excited to make a better volunteer club that it made me become a better leader."
Youth Leadership Programs Remain a Core Mission
Although Kiwanis is an organization for adults, it sponsors programs designed to help young people develop leadership skills and a commitment to service. K-Kids, Builders Club and Key Club all offer volunteer opportunities and connections for students and will be supported by the Katy chapter.
"We can sponsor our Key Clubs and help fund them to go to district conventions to build those leadership skills, and we can fund scholarships for high schoolers and college kids and help them pave their way through college," Nguyen said.
Businesses Also Have Opportunities to Get Involved
The Kiwanis Club of Katy also plans to provide ways for local businesses to engage with the community through sponsorships, memberships and partnerships.
"We offer corporate memberships for businesses that want to get involved, but everyone's welcome to attend our service projects," Nguyen said. "I want people to see what we do first and then decide if they want to become a member."
Building Connections Through Service
The organization also offers opportunities to connect with other volunteers around the world. Through Kiwanis, members can attend district and international conventions focused on service and leadership.
"I have friends all over the world because of Kiwanis. You can really meet like-minded people whose focus in life is just to help others. It's a beautiful thing," Nguyen said.
Nguyen believes the new chapter can help bring together residents who want to make a positive difference in the Katy area.
"People want to help the community and get involved. The world may seem like a dark place right now, but everyone wants it to be a good place," Nguyen said. "Bringing Kiwanis around can help draw out those people and show the community that there are still good people in the world."
To learn more or express interest in joining, residents can visit the Kiwanis Club of Katy on Instagram or Facebook at @kiwanisclubofkaty and complete the group's interest form. More information about Kiwanis International is available at kiwanis.org.