Kiwanis starts new Winter Garden chapter

A new service organization has started in West Orange County with the goal of supporting local children and creating student-oriented clubs at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

The Kiwanis Club of Winter Garden is going through the chartering process and hopes to have that completed next month. Fifteen residents who expressed an interest in starting a Kiwanis in Winter Garden already have met and have worked on several community service projects around the city.

They participated in a cleanup day on the West Orange Trail and took part in a Build Saturday with West Orange Habitat for Humanity, and they are planning a sandwich-making day and clothing collection for Matthew’s Hope.

Now seemed like a good time to form the local club, said Stacy Vu, lieutenant governor of Division 10, which comprises Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.

“This is a critical time for all members of our community to start helping one another,” Vu said. “The past year-and-a-half has been incredibly hard on everyone. If we can come together as a community to help others and connect with each other, no matter how big or small, then we can really make a difference. Starting to get involved in groups such as Kiwanis is a great way to do that.”

Darnell Mahone is serving as club president, with Debbie Carroll as secretary and Shirley Tsang in the treasurer’s role. Vu said the club is looking for a vice president, as well as three members to serve on the board of directors.

Hashtags promoting “Help Kiwanis Help Children” and “Kids Need Kiwanis” put emphasis on the club’s mission; the club is open to anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of children in the community.

As lieutenant governor, Vu is tasked with supporting the existing clubs in Central Florida, chartering new clubs and reinstating those that took a break. This is a new club and separate from the former West Orange Kiwanis.

There has been tremendous growth in West Orange County, and Vu said her vision is to see two or three Kiwanis clubs in the area.

“The hope is that I kind of serve as a coach in a way for the club,” she said. “We’ve done a couple of things, but that was more to bring people in to show them, ‘Hey, we’re a volunteer organization and we’re dedicated.’ Kiwanis is dedicated to serving children, so the focus is helping kids. In my mind, the heart of Kiwanis is its service leadership programs.”

Officers currently are going through training from Kiwanis International. This allows them to connect with resources to help them operate a club and come up with service project ideas, and it also gives them access to leadership conferences.

Kiwanis clubs aren’t just for adults, either. They start at the elementary school level with the K-Kids program and advance to the Builders Club at the middle school level and Key Club in high school.

Vu was a member of Key Club when she was in high school, and she said it was through this organization that she developed a love of volunteering that remained throughout college, in Kiwanis’ Circle K International leadership program. She joined Kiwanis right after college.

“I benefited so much,” Vu said. “I’d love for this club to do as much as it can.”

Dr. Phillips and Windermere high schools have active Key clubs, and several schools have K-Kids and Builders Club. Vu wants to add more.

“The benefit of having these service leadership programs in the community is it really builds the character and leadership skills of the students who are involved in the leadership programs,” Vu said.

Key Club is led by the students, and Kiwanis members serve as mentors.

“What makes Kiwanis unique is the network of individuals that you can meet who are all interested in volunteering,” Vu said. “By working together for a common goal — helping kids — you bring out the best in people and develop lifelong connections. Over the years, I have met some of the most caring individuals through Kiwanis, many of them becoming some of my closest friends.”