Why?

As incoming governor of the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan Kiwanis, I was looking for ideas.  We needed a service project that we could do with ALL our Kiwanis clubs.

What if... it could be something we could do during co-vid

What if... it would be low cost because we all lost our fundraisers this year.

What if... it involved children (our mission is:  Serving the children of the world)

What if… we could help build community

Enter Cops ‘N Kids

There are several models that we are suggesting. This could be done with a Kiwanis club of 10 members or of 60. You find what works best for the style of your club. 

1)  Reading at a public spot, a Kids Corner.  Perhaps it is meeting at a little library, perhaps outside the city library, or even at a school.  You pick the spot; you pick the time.   Perhaps once a week, it would be posted on social media by Kiwanis and the PD that we would be meeting at the Kids Corner and that police officer (and perhaps a police dog or McGruff) would meet to read and visit, to say hello, and build a connection.  This can be done virtually in the winter. 

At the same event, you can have Kiwanians safely handing out books to kids (masks and gloves).  The books are our biggest expense.  Unless you do a…

2)  Kids book drive and distribution.  

Collect gently used children’s’ books.  Sort by age.  Wait a week (72 hours according to the National Library Association).  Then distribute the books with safe distancing, perhaps at the schools where meals are being distributed.  Give out a bag of books to a family.

Both events can be done now, during co-vid, safely.  We can do service.

Involve your police, sheriff, schools, diverse groups from your community, library, and of course, Kiwanians!  

Together, we can serve the children of the world.  #KidsNeedKiwanis