District Service Initiatives

Each year, the CNH District of Circle K endorses a Service Initiative in order to focus service efforts across the district towards one unified cause. For the 2011-2012 year, the District Board has chosen to adopt Special Help for Special Needs, as the official District Service Initiative. Circle K Clubs across the district are highly encouraged to incorporate this DSI into their service efforts and truly make a difference in their community! Read more about it below!

Focus:
Promoting the wellbeing of the mentally challenged. This can be done through helping them in the following areas: behavioral, social, and literary skills. In doing so, this would help people with developmental disabilities to better adapt to living independently.

Service Project Possibilities:

• Coaching Sports Teams
  

  • This is when a person chooses to assist a group of mentally challenged children or adults and coach them in a specified sport. This can work specifically with the Special Olympics which organizes team sports for mentally challenged children. This would have to be long term due to sports seasons.

• Running Small Competitions
  

  • This is one of the programs hosted by Special Olympics. Running small competitions would require one to run small tasks for local events such as regional games or fall games. This also can be done with different organizations that host small competitions for the mentally challenged. This can also be a single service event for the school.

• Arts and Crafts Events
  

  • This can be working with programs that focus on helping people with developmental disabilities increase their social levels through assisting them with arts and crafts.

• Assisting in an Educational Program

  • There are schools in various locations with programs to help educate the mentally challenged; volunteers can help by assisting the teacher of these programs.

• Hosting a Workshop that Teaches a New Skill

  • cooking, music, safety, etc

• Helping in Transitional Houses that Host People with Developmental Disabilities

  • This would be when the club goes to the houses and assists in running the house such as cooking a meal for the people living in the house, cleaning around thehouse, organizing items, etc.

• Working in Walks/Fundraising Events

  • Many organizations that address awareness and medical research to the mentally challenged host walks and other fundraisers that help them raise money to the issue. Such organizations include: BuddyWalk from the NationalDown Syndrome Society; Autism Speaks; National Alliance on Mental Illness; The Help Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children with specialneeds

• Host Donations Drives

  • There are many organizations that host housing for the mentally challenged. Many of these organizations need donations of household goods to keep them running.

Focus on the International Service Initiative (Focusing on the Future: Children): Working with the mentally challenged still provides opportunities for Circle K to help children, and many of the opportunities with this initiative have service events that specifically help children with developmental disabilities.