SERVICE:   HELPING OTHERS

Civitans are dedicated to improving their communities through helping others.  On the local level, Charleston Civitans are involved in a variety of community service and fundraising projects, including:

·        Annual Clergy Appreciation Luncheon

Every February, the club honors clergy of all faiths for their constant selfless service to others.

·         “Blizzard Boxes” project for AARP

The club assembles 200 kits and fills them with non-perishable food supplies for homebound senior citizens in case of an emergency.

·        Annual Art Auction

Each spring, the club partners with the Kanawha Business Club and local Junior Civitan Clubs to sponsor this community event.  In 2007, over $20,000 of art was sold, netting the Charleston Civitan Club nearly $3,000 in profit.  Proceeds from the event are used to help support the club’s charitable projects.

·        Collecting pop can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House

The club donates over 20 pounds of pop can tabs each year, which are recycled to help fund operations of the House.

·        Thanksgiving Dinner for residents of Brooks’ Manor

Club members and Junior Civitans cook and serve a full Thanksgiving dinner for residents of this assisted living facility.

·        AnnualHigh School Citizenship Awards Luncheon

High school seniors are nominated by their schools’ guidance counselors and presented a $100 scholarship.

·        Collecting ink cartridges for Children’s Therapy Clinic (CTC)

CTC is a private, non-profit organization that provides therapeutic services to children and young adults.

·        Delivering roses to nursing homes residents on National Good Neighbor Day

This annual project is a fun and rewarding way to promote community goodwill in the name of Civitan.

·        Sponsoring dances for the residents of SafeHarbor

SafeHarbor is a day treatment program for adults with developmental disabilities.

·        Fundraising through Candy and Coin Box projects

Civitan volunteers place and maintain the boxes; thus, all resulting income directly benefits charitable activities.  Proceeds benefit both the club and Civitan International Foundation. 

·        Sponsoring community-wide fruitcake sales

For over half a century, Civitans have been selling Claxton Fruitcake to fund various community service projects. In 2006-07, the club sold over 6,800 pounds of fruitcake with net proceeds exceeding $5,700.

·        Supporting Junior Civitan clubs

The Charleston Civitan Club works closely with the four area Junior Civitan clubs that it sponsors: Charleston Job Corps, GeorgeWashingtonHigh School, JohnAdamsJunior High School and RiversideHigh School.

·        Paula Malone Pound Sale

                  Sponsored in memory of
            a former member; 
            proceeds donated to the
            Civitan Internation
            Research Center.

On the International level, Civitan funds the Civitan International Research Center, a center for cutting-edge research and treatment of mental retardation and other developmental disabilities located in Birmingham, AL.

THE CIVITAN CREED

I AM CIVITAN: as old as life, as young as the rainbow, as endless as time.
MY HANDS do the work of the world and reach out in service to others.
MY EARS hear the cry of children and the call throughout the world for peace, guidance, progress and unity.
MY EYES search for others to join in fellowship and service of Civitan.
MY MOUTH utters the call to daily duty and speaks prayers in every tongue.
MY MIND teaches me respect for law and the flag of my country.
MY HEART beats for every friend, bleeds for every injury to humanity and throbs with joy at every triumph of truth.
MY SOUL knows no fear.
MY HOPE is for a better world through Civitan.
MY MOTTO: builders of good citizenship.
MY BELIEF: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
MY PLEDGE: to practice the golden rule and to build upon it a better and nobler citizenship.

OUR MISSION: To build good citizenship by providing a volunteer organization of clubs dedicated to serving individual and community needs with an emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities.