Key Club promotes public service, leadership skills

The+Key+Club+board.+Key+Club+is+a+club+dedicated+to+acts+of+service+and+volunteering+within+the+community.+Pictured+left+to+right%2C+Webmaster+Katelyn+Piechowski%2C+Vice+President+Brenna+Mosier%2C+President+Anna+Schumacher%2C+Unofficial+Co-Secretary+Ethan+Brunke%2C+Bulletin+Editor+Aleea+Lichtenberg%2C+Treasurer+Jenna+Tuinstra%2C+and+Secretary+Laurel+Miller.

Submitted by Anna Schumacher

The Key Club board. Key Club is a club dedicated to acts of service and volunteering within the community. Pictured left to right, Webmaster Katelyn Piechowski, Vice President Brenna Mosier, President Anna Schumacher, Unofficial Co-Secretary Ethan Brunke, Bulletin Editor Aleea Lichtenberg, Treasurer Jenna Tuinstra, and Secretary Laurel Miller.

Anna McCarthy, Editor-in-Chief

The joke about Key Club only making keys has been made many times before; however, what Key Club actually does, is looked over. 

“Key Club is an international organization that is student-run where students perform acts of service in their communities and also learn leadership skills by running meetings, planning projects and holding elected leadership positions at the club, district and international levels,” Key Club adviser Suzanne Wood said. 

Key Club consists of two main activities; service projects and fundraisers. 

Service projects are strictly volunteer work with no monetary gain for the club. Some examples of this include volunteering at Trunk or Treat, making tie blankets to donate, writing letters to soldiers, picking up trash, and volunteering at the Kiwanis Christmas dinner. The other type of activity is fundraisers. These put money into the club account which funds service projects. This money also helps lower expenses for club members when they are purchasing t-shirts or looking to attend DCON (Key Club’s leadership conference),” President Anna Schumacher said. 

Key Club can help students be involved in school activities, make new friends and gain volunteer experience.
Students looking to gain volunteer hours and make a positive difference in the community have greater access to these opportunities through Key Club. Additionally, scholarship opportunities are available to members of the club, but we don’t want this to be the reason for joining the club. Key Club is truly about being an inclusive environment for students looking to better the world around them,” Schumacher said. 

Wood is new to advising Key Club this year. She says that she enjoys the camaraderie of the meetings.

“I love that these students choose to be part of Key Club and want to make a change in their community,” Wood said. 

Being a part of a club based on community service can be rewarding for members. 

“It’s difficult to put into words how incredible it feels to help others. I think our generation is financially driven, in that it’s difficult to convince us to do something we won’t be compensated for. You would be surprised how much quicker the time flies by when you’re not so fixated on what you’ll get in return. Being able to see the positive impact you make in others’ lives firsthand is one of the best feelings,” Schumacher said.

Key Club meets every Monday during lunch in Wood’s room, A202. 

Students should join Key Club because it is a fun club to be in and there is always stuff going on,” Vice President Brenna Mosier said.