Causes

International Service Initiative - Focusing on the Future: Children

Our International Service Initiative provides a theme for our service efforts throughout the year. As such, throughout the year, there are different focuses to address through our projects:

• August 1-November 30: Turn of the TV, Turn onto Life (after school programs)
• December 1 - March 31: Open a Book, Show them the World (education)
• April 1 - July 31: On Call for the Future (health and safety)

In addition to these focuses, we are also partnered with four major organizations:

March of Dimes

March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, prematurity, and infant mortality. Every day, one in eight babies born in the United States arrives too soon. The March for Babies is an annual event held at various places around the country to support programs within the community to prevent premature birth. Circle K members help out by not only volunteering at these events but also in fundraising and registering to walk. For more information, please go to: http://www.marchofdimes.com/

Better World Books

BWB has raised more than $2.8 million for literacy and education non-profit organizations as well as collected more than 11.4 million books since the spring of 2003, sending more than 1 million books to partner programs and saving more than 6,500 tons of books from landfills. Its mission is to capitalize on the value of the book to fund and support literacy initiatives locally, nationally, and around the world. Circle K helps by collecting and packaging books for various book drives. For more information, please go to:http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

Students Team Up to Fight Hunger (STUFH)

Dedicated to linking food banks with local colleges and universities for two purposes: to collect food for those who need it the most and to raise the awareness of these needs upon the local student population. It is the mission of STUFH to increase this gathering of food at college campuses throughout the country, which will link the hearts and souls of college students with their less fortunate hungry neighbors. Circle K helps by setting up food bins on campus! For more information, please go to: http://www.stufh.org/

UNICEF

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, helps to provide medicine, vaccines, clean water, and nutrition in more than 150 countries and territories as part of an effort to provide emergency aid to children all over the world. Whatever vital help struggling children need, UNICEF will supply. Circle K helps by raising money through the Six-Cents initiative which helps supply clean water and sanitation to children worldwide by helping to provide oral re-hydration salts. For more information, please go to: http://www.unicef.org/

This year, our district service initiative is Active Care for Teenagers - with specification of working with youth in the middle school-high school age range. The focus of this initiative is making sure that teenagers are actively involved with after school programs which would keep them off the streets and reduce the possibility of joining gangs and getting into drugs.

Each year, we have three District Fundraising Initiative (DFI's) that we focus on. All of the money we raise that doesn't go to our own service projects go to support these DFI's!

Pediatric Trauma Program: This DFI, also known as PTP, raises funds towards projects and efforts that reduce the number of children injured or killed by accidents and other forms of trauma.

UNICEF Six Cents Initiative: This DFI, as mentioned above, raises funds to help provide access to clean water to impoverished families across the world. Each oral re-hydration packet costs only 6 cents, so each dollar you donate purchases roughly 17 oral re-hydration packets that save children's lives! Starlight Starbright Foundation: A new DFI this year, Starlight helps seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear, and isolation through entertainment, education, and family activities.

Share Our Strength: Over thirteen million children in America face hunger and food insecurity. This DFI raises funds and money for Share Our Strength, a national organization dedicated to making sure no child in America grows up hungry.

If you would like to support any of these causes, please click here.