History

The Kiwanis Club of Bensalem was chartered on July 29, 1998, with 15 charter members.  Our First President was Fred Harran, Bensalem Township Public Safety Director.  Our first members included Bensalem Public Service employees, Bensalem Educators, Local Business People, and Township Residents.  Our mission is to provide programs to better the lives of the children of Bensalem.

What is a Kiwanian?

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.

The name “Kiwanis” means “we trade” or “we share our talents.” It was coined from an American Indian expression, Nunc Kee-wanis.

The first Kiwanis Club was chartered on January 21, 1915 in Detroit, Michigan.  This date is considered the birth date of Kiwanis.

Kiwanians are volunteers changing the world through service to children and communities. Kiwanis members help shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, mentor the disadvantaged, and care for the sick. They develop youth as leaders, build playgrounds, raise funds for pediatric research, and much more. No problem is too big or too small. Why? Because working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. When you give a child a chance to learn, experience, dream, and succeed, great things happen!

Membership

Kiwanis has about 8,000 clubs in 96 countries, with more than 260,000 adult members & approximately 320,000 youth

Mission

Our mission is to serve the children of the world.

Each year, clubs engage in nearly 150,000 service projects, raising more than $107 million.

Global Results

Members and clubs have contributed more than $80 million toward the global elimination of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), the leading preventable cause of mental retardation.