We know that sometimes getting your volunteer hours in at that car wash or animal shelter each month can feel like too much. But each day, each week, each month, thousands of Key Clubbers all over the world are making the world a better place one service hour at a time. With over 275,000 members, Key Club members participate in over 13.5 million service hours a year, and that impact is huge.
We know you’re busy. You are working on your calculus, learning a foreign language, juggling a part-time job and trying to keep up on your Netflix binges, so just about every moment of your life is scheduled and the gaps are sometimes filled with upping your selfie game and YouTube videos. It’s amazing that you can find time for anything else.
It’s easy for your teachers and parents and advisors to misunderstand what teens are about. They might think you are so focused on your phone that you’re missing out on real life. But they know that when they look at members of Key Club there’s something about us that makes us a little different than your average teen.
Key Clubbers around the globe have made a commitment to volunteer and give back to their communities despite their busy schedules. And for that reason, we think you’re pretty awesome. You’re passionate about service. Passionate about making a difference. And you’re passionate about your love for Key Club. We see it. And we see you. We also see that Key Club isn’t just a club you join and it’s not just a service organization. It’s a way of life.
Key Clubbers know Key Club means something. We stand for our four core values: leadership, character building, caring and inclusiveness. When you wear your Key Club T-shirt, you stand for those too. When you’re a Key Clubber, a key isn’t just a key. It’s a symbol of leadership, service and a desire to create more good in the world.
You make this organization what it is today, and for that reason, we’re lucky that you’re a Key Clubber. Thank you so much for all that you do. Thank you for recruiting new members, for representing us well and for sharing the Key Club story with your actions. Key Club is growing every year and that means the impact we can have on the world grows every year as well. You’ve probably heard someone older than you say something like, “I can’t wait to see what you’ll do when you’re older,” but we know you don’t have to wait. You’re doing amazing things right now. You are a difference maker. And together, we are going to change the world.
We hope you thank all the people in your life supporting your Key Club journey. We hope you show the people who have impacted you as a Key Clubber, from your advisors, lieutenant governors, your fellow club members, to the very person that asked you to join Key Club, how much they mean to you and how much Key Club means to you. Most importantly, we hope you maintain your heart to serve wherever life takes you. Because you’ll always have a place to call home with Key Cub in the Kiwanis family.
You’ll have an amazing year, we know it.