Summer = fun with friends + family. Including our Circle K and Kiwanis friends and family! This summer, Wayne State CKI is participating in sticker-book projects and attending Kiwanis lunches. Both are excellent ways to strengthen the bonds among fellow Circle K members, the bigger Kiwanis family, and the even greater community.

Sticker-book projects are not only fun for the members but it also serves a greater purpose of promoting education throughout the Detroit area. Literacy is an issue in many Detroit public schools and this project alleviates the problem by supplying books, the fundamental tools of reading. Various publishing companies donate books to Kiwanis, who then distributes them to Detroit public schools, poor families, and other small organizations. The sticker that is placed on the books bears the Kiwanis symbol to notify parents that the books that their children bring home are not stolen but donated. Secondly, the sticker prevents the child from selling the book for a profit. Furthermore, the sticker shows that Kiwanis is involved in promoting the literacy and education of young children in the Detroit area. JJ Villaflor, former president of Wayne State Circle K, shares her experience with the sticker-book projects saying, “It’s a lot of fun not only because we’re helping out but also because we get to meet new people. It’s nice to see everyone working towards a common goal.” Sticker-book projects are a worthwhile way to meet new people with common goals, touch the lives of young children, and spread the power of reading throughout the community.

Circle K also attends the Kiwanis lunches at the Detroit Athletic Club. This is a great opportunity for us to be involved on a larger scale. At these lunches Kiwanis describes their recent projects and future ideas. Circle K has the opportunity to relay our progress as a club. In addition, guest speakers share personal stories that inspire and motivate us to keep helping the community. Bhavika Chepuri, Membership Development Chair, says, “The Kiwanis lunches have always been such an enjoyable experience. I always love going to them to hear about all the great things our chapter is doing. In these hard times, it’s inspiring to look at the adults helping those that need it in the community. It really serves as an inspiration and motivation to achieve more in our Wayne State Circle K Chapter.”

Furthermore, Kiwanis lunches are a great way to build connections with various groups. On the July 21st Kiwanis lunch, guest speaker Bill Wenzell informed the members about the nationally recognized civil rights organization Focus: HOPE. Focus: HOPE serves the Detroit community by distributing food to senior citizens and mothers as well as providing job training workshops, information technology programs, and child care. Now, we can be more involved in the Detroit community by helping the efforts of Focus: HOPE. On October 11, Focus: HOPE is sponsoring a 4 mile diversity walk that we plan to attend. Also, this organization will be involved in the Michigan District Event, Snowpia. Fellow CKI members all over Michigan can join us in promoting the goals of Focus: HOPE-to overcome racism, poverty, and injustice.
This summer, we did not take a break from upholding the three pillars of CKI. Rather, we enjoyed the long vacation by participating in fun service projects and Kiwanis meetings, while keeping strong the tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship!

With warmth,

Nita Valikodath
Wayne State Circle K International
Club Bulletin Editor