The Levittown Kiwanis Club is a part of Kiwanis International which is the worldwide association of Kiwanis clubs. Kiwanis International is a thriving organization of service- and community-minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 600,000 Kiwanis-family members in 92 countries respond to the needs of their communities and address worldwide issues. The goal of Kiwanis International is to "Serve the Children of the World."

Club meetings traditionally are conducted once a week and offer an atmosphere of fun, learning, and fellowship. In addition to attending the meetings, Kiwanians generally volunteer to assist with club service projects.

Service projects often are linked to the Kiwanis program, "Young Children: Priority One." This initiative places continuing focus on the needs of children in pediatric trauma, safety, childcare, early development, infant health, nutrition, and parenting skills. Service projects also can address other needs within the community, such as working to stop substance abuse, helping the elderly, promoting literacy, supporting youth sports and recreation, responding to disasters, and supporting specific persons in need. This year the Levittown Kiwanis Club has participated in a number of service projects such as educating youngsters about fitness at community events, providing food baskets to families in need and participating in the Games for the Physically Challenged.

Kiwanis also plays a special role in developing future generations of leaders. K-Kids clubs at the elementary school level, Builders Clubs in middle school and junior highs, Key Clubs in high schools, and Circle K clubs at the collegiate level all are Kiwanis organizations that teach community service and leadership skills to young people. In addition, Aktion Clubs are made up of adults with mental and physical disabilities who enthusiastically perform service to help others. The Levittown Kiwanis Club sponsors Builder's Clubs in the middle schools and a Key Club in each of the area's four high schools.

Worldwide, the entire Kiwanis family is committed to eliminating the effects of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), the world's leading preventable cause of mental retardation. More than 1.5 billion people are at risk of suffering IDD because they do not receive enough iodine in their diet. But, because of Kiwanis' efforts, many parents who have been affected by IDD are able to watch their children grow up healthy and reach their full physical and mental potential. The results of the IDD program will benefit every future generation.

A typical Kiwanis club is a snapshot of its community, with members from all walks of life and at every step of the career ladder. They are unified in their belief that children and their communities benefit from the efforts of a proficient group of caring and involved volunteers. In a typical year, Kiwanis clubs invest more than 6.2 million hours and $100 million in communities around the world. Through these efforts, the Kiwanis organization truly leaves a lasting impression on future generations.

In order to become a member of Kiwanis those interested must attend three meetings and then the prospective members are voted on by the club's board of directors. The Kiwanis Club of Levittown encourages anyone interested in joining this active service organization to attend a meeting.

Levittown Kiwanis meets every Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at:

La Focaccia Restaurant

70 East Village Green

Levittown, NY 11756

Telephone: 796-4461

Please note that during July and August the club only meets every other week. The next meeting of the Levittown Kiwanis Club is Thursday, August 5th.

Look for the Kiwanis Korner in the Levittown Tribune every week.