Key Club Giving Back Amidst The Pandemic
Many high schools throughout the nation provide students with an opportunity to join Key Club. Key Club is a student-led, high school organization where the members make the world a better place through service. During the pandemic, many clubs were halted or even stopped because of how severe the situation was. This did affect Key Club, but students knew that this was the best time to give back.
“What makes me want to help people and my local communities during the pandemic is the sense of happiness and service one can provide to their community,” freshman Christoper Xu said. “In Key Club, you can physically see your impact on others and how you have helped shape the community.”
Key Club members around the world are learning how to lead and stand for what’s right through service and volunteerism. In partnership with their local Kiwanis club, high school students are making a positive impact as they serve others in their schools and communities.
“Volunteering and helping people make me and others feel better about ourselves since we are contributing to the environment and helping those in need,” freshman Richard Gao said. “Some of us aren’t fortunate to have some things that others do, especially during the pandemic and ongoing conflicts.”
Francis Lewis Key Club has participated in many events over the past years. One of the more recent events was the Kehilat Food Pantry. Students distributed Kosher food from local small businesses to hand out to families and the elderly of the neighborhood. There was no price or charge, just solely for the purpose of giving back to the public.
“In the past we have handed out packaged food at pantries located at multiple different locations and there is never a cost to them,” Gao said.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. Each year the Kiwanis family dedicates more than 18.5 million hours to service and raises more than US$100 million for local and global causes.
“You get to help the community and others that are in need of help such as the elderly or those that need food or supplies,” Gao added. “Also, service hours are acquired for the amount of time you give to corresponding events.”
As the largest and oldest service program for high school students in the world, Key Club has a rich and proud history that spans many decades. As of August 2012, Key Club membership has surpassed 264,000, spread out in 4,877 in 30 countries worldwide.
“I have been in Key Club since my freshman year, around October of 2019,” junior Jena Kim said. “Even throughout Covid, I stayed a committed member. Although it was hard at times for me, I knew that Key Club was a community I did not want to leave.”
Director of Key Club International, Matt Ellis says the club provides its members with “opportunities to provide service, build character and develop leadership.”
“I have always imagined myself as someone who has always wanted to do more in my community,” Kim said. “I was for sure concerned if I would even be able to get the position, but in my eyes, every opportunity to do better is one that should be taken. I decided to run for President after seeing the amount of change that could be made in Key Club.”
