The Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club has been serving the children of our community – the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County generally - since the founding of our club in 1950.  We do this by actively supporting the Objects of Kiwanis International all year long.  Our club achieves its charitable and philanthropic goals in the community through the Kiwanis Club of Biscayne Bay Youth Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization.  The purpose of the Youth Foundation is to support community-based organizations, the Miami-Dade Public School System, and the Miami-Dade County Drug Court Program.  The Youth Foundation was chartered on September 20, 1950 (registration # CH32387).  Our principal means of raising funds for the Youth Foundation has been an annual dinner auction for more than thirty years.  

In addition to bringing the Programs and Projects of Kiwanis International to the Miami community, we are dedicated to enhancing education in the Miami-Dade Public School System through our recently expanded initiative to prevent artistic, cultural, and science-centered programs and fieldtrips from disappearing from the schools we serve. 

In this time of unprecedented budget cuts in our public schools, this initiative is one of our most critical objects.  Artistic, cultural, and science-centered programs and fieldtrips are undoubtedly invaluable features of a well-rounded, quality education.  Our goal is to make sure that the children of historically underserved communities will have access to these educational opportunities.  Our initiative includes: art classes, etiquette and civics lessons, guided tours of the Everglades, visits to the Biscayne Nature Center, and more.

The impetus for this expanded initiative is the reading program that we started more than fifteen years ago at our primary Miami-Dade Schools Partner, Santa Clara Elementary.  The reading program has had a significant impact on Santa Clara, which has risen from an “F” to an “A” school.  Originally, our program was remedial - members and volunteers read with students who were lagging far behind.  There is no large group of struggling students any longer.  We now work with third grade students who are reading at, near, or even above their grade level.  The reading program is at the core of our relationship with each of the schools we are expanding to serve.  We welcome volunteer readers from our community who are willing to make the time to read with a child once a month. 

We intend to have a powerful and lasting influence in each school we serve.  Our presence at Santa Clara has increased over the years to include providing backpacks full of school supplies for every student at the start of each school year, uniforms and shoes for homeless and indigent students, and fieldtrips that are both educational and fun.  For the past five years, we have provided each graduating class of fifth graders a fully-paid four year college scholarship.  The students can apply for the scholarship in their junior year of high school.  The purpose of the scholarship program is to encourage the students to stay in school till graduation and work diligently to achieve all they can.  

We proudly mentor Key Clubs teaching leadership through service at Booker T. Washington High School, Miami Springs High School, and iPrep Academy in Downtown Miami.  Our club awards several scholarships for college bound Key Clubbers each year. 

We also support valuable community resources.  At the Hope Center for developmentally disabled adults, our tradition has been to fulfill the Christmas present wish lists of all the center’s residents.  We have long-standing relationships with Horses and Handicapped and the Miami Rescue Mission.  We recently supported Troy Academy’s organic Garden Program at the Juvenile Justice Center with two cash donations. 

Since 2009, we have partnered with Neat Stuff, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to providing homeless, abused, and neglected children with brand new clothing.  The only charity of its kind in South Florida, Neat Stuff provided $1.7 million worth of new clothing in 2010.  By partnering with Neat Stuff, the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club has been able to provide school uniforms, backpacks, shoes, and other necessities so that hundreds of children in dire need can go to school confidently and proudly.  In 2011 alone, the Biscayne Bay Kiwanis Club made it possible for Neat Stuff to acquire $75,000 (retail) worth of brand new clothing for distribution to needy children in the Miami area. 

More importantly than money, each year our club members donate thousands of individual service hours to make our community a better place to live.  We show children that we care about them and show them by our example that they should care about their community.  As members of a club, we have opportunities to make business and professional contacts; learn firsthand about local, national, and international issues; improve and use leadership skills; participate in the life of the Miami community; and develop life-long friendships. What more could you ask for?