In celebration of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation’s 70th Anniversary, the Kiwanis Club of North Port is one of seven organizations selected to receive a $5,000 grant in honor of a Selby Scholar. This special award is made possible by Tamen Prada who wrote the essay below about the impact of the Kiwanis Club of North Port in his life.
The Kiwanis International mission statement is: a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world – one child and one community – at a time”. This goal is accomplished through implementing and maintaining various hands-on service projects and initiatives. I personally benefited from the award-winning, signature project of The Kiwanis Club of North Port shortly after moving to North Port, Florida in 2016.
My mother was seeking employment and struggling to make ends meet when she was told how the Children’s Community Clothing Closet, which was run by Kiwanis Club of North Port volunteers, could help. Children in the community received five free outfits every three months as well as fun items like books and toys. They also supplied five free pairs of socks and underwear for each child. This assistance helped our family get through a very tough time until my mother was able to find employment.
In the eighth grade, I wanted to pay it forward, so I began volunteering at the Children’s Community Clothing Closet. My duties included sorting clothing by quality and size, hanging up the clothing on hangers, carrying heavy boxes and bags for volunteers and parents. I also supervised young children while their parents selected free items.
Then in ninth grade, I joined the North Port High School Key Club, which is a part of the Kiwanis family for teens. I participated in many of the Kiwanis service-learning projects in North Port. The Kiwanis Club of North Port, which has less than 20 members, is extremely active in the city. I volunteered at their events like the women’s health expos that offered free screenings including mammograms for women and men without insurance. I worked at their pet expos that assisted in finding forever homes for multiple shelter pets. I was part of the Happy Unbirthday parties for children in foster care and grandparents raising their grandchildren. I helped at the annual fishing tournament for children and their parents the day before Father’s Day. I spent hours working at the community emergency pop-ups after Hurricanes Ian, Debby, Helene, and Milton. I volunteered as the Easter Bunny at the free kid’s breakfast and helped to distribute small gifts at the breakfast with Santa. Volunteering taught me there are many families in need in my community and I have a responsibility to help. Through this service, I logged more than 400 volunteer hours in North Port.
Unfortunately, in 2022 the Children’s Closet was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. With no building and a huge need, the club held multiple community emergency pop-up responses. Canopy tents were set up in the clothing closet parking lot. Kiwanis and Key Club members distributed clothing, household goods, cleaning supplies and canned goods to those impacted. I helped each weekend by doing the heavy lifting, speaking to individuals affected by the hurricane, and assisting with any needs that older Kiwanis Club members and volunteers struggled with.
The Kiwanis club member that helped me the most is also one of the North Port High School Key Club advisors, Jacqui Clarke-Naklen. She helped me obtain both local and international Kiwanis Club scholarships. She also encouraged me to attend the 2024 District Convention (DCON) where we celebrated Key Club’s achievements. I also attended leadership workshops to learn skills and met students throughout Florida. They too shared a community service mindset. Due to the North Port Kiwanis’ dedication and assistance to my community, I strongly recommend this nonprofit for a $5,000 Selby Foundation Grant.