“Key Club is a group of students that participate in community service.The goal is to teach people how to be leaders,” Patrick Charlton, 12, stated.

Key Club, or Kiwanis Club, is a national club offered to high school students that will teach students to take initiative and develop leadership skills. Based on serving the community, Key Club takes on a series of projects each semester such as events for the elementary schools and fundraisers for local nonprofits and organizations that support the community. Each Thursday at 7:20 a.m., members have the option to sign up for volunteering at different community events.

“There is always new events because different types of activities need different types of people to help” Madison Hwang-King, 10, said. “We’re always working and try to volunteer for everything.” Maylene Padilla, 12, added.

Once committed to a project, those who are committed are required to attend the event on time and ready to work. Depending on the project, they will spend the time doing a variety of tasks such as cleaning, serving, lifting materials, decorating and anything else that is asked of them by the supervisor.

An event could be any day or any evening regardless of homework loads or sports schedules. At the Empty Bowl Dinner on October 7, 2015, some volunteers did not get home until  9:00 p.m. Key club had also volunteered to prepare the school for the event, so some of the volunteers had been helping setting up since the end of school.

“Because other people are benefiting from our volunteering and are having a good time, you kind of have to be happy too,” Andrew Brawn, 10, Said.

Yet, even with the long hours and time constraints, the volunteers can see the importance of the club.

“Volunteering  helps build character, and that is the main point of Key Club,” Charlton said

Without Key Club, local organizations would have to look elsewhere for help for their important events. With the organizations being an important cornerstone to Monuments community, Key Club play a major role in making the community function.

“Key Club is important for the community because community would have trouble existing without it,” Brawn said.

The cub is planning new projects each week and is hoping that each project leaves each member, organization and the community a little better than it was. Looking to the future, President Patrick Charlton hopes that the club can gain more members to aid in the advancement of the community and its members.