Kiwanis International membership spans the globe, with more than 300,000 members in 82 countries. Kiwanis members give $70 million and 7 million volunteer hours for community service each year.
Kiwanis International sponsors several service clubs for young people:
- Circle K International on college campuses
- Key Club International in 4,574 high schools
- Builders Clubs have been organized in 2,000 junior high and middle schools.
Kiwanis’ continuing service emphasis is called “Young Children: Priority One,” which focuses on the special needs of children from prenatal development to age 5. Kiwanis also launched its first Worldwide Service Project, campaign in partnership with UNICEF to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders by the year 2000. Iodine deficiency causes mental and physical retardation in areas where iodine is not present in the diet.
The Six Permanent Objects of Kiwanis International
- To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material values of life.
- To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human relationships.
- To promote the adoption and the application of higher social business, and professional standards.
- To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and serviceable citizenship.
- To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better communities.
- To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness justice, patriotism, and goodwill
