University District Kiwanis of Seattle
Chartered in 1927
Supporting Kids since 1927
September 9 Guest Speakers – Team Read
You’re invited to join our next Zoom meeting on September 9 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm! Comment below or contact us directly on our website if you would like to attend.
We’re excited to learn from guest speakers Meg Alley, Communications & Development Director and Mumina Ali, Program Assistant for Community Connection at Team Read, a local non-profit that pairs trained teen coaches with 2nd to 4th grade students who are reading below grade level proficiency. Learn more at https://teamread.org
Bright Scholars International 1st Gala !
We were so happy to celebrate with University District Kiwanis members and Bright Scholars International board members Zulkiffly Sa and Derek Hwang at BSI’s 1st annual gala on July 31.
Members from our club and students from the University of Washington Circle K club attended and enjoyed traditional Cambodian food and dancing during a beautiful evening at Seattle Harbor. This event raised enough to support 18 students on the BSI waitlist for the next three years!
Bright Scholars International seeks to break generational poverty in Cambodia by advocating for students through educational subsidies and personal relationships. They work with each student’s family to tackle root causes of poverty and create sustainable long-term change for the entire family. Learn more at https://brightscholarsint.org
June 10 Guest Speaker – Home Together
We’re looking forward to hearing from our June 10 guest speaker Molly Landreth, Executive Director of Home Together, a small local nonprofit creating rent and utility subsidized homes for families who must relocate to Seattle for long-term pediatric cancer or cardiac care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Learn more at https://home-together.org/.
Thank you to Phinney Ridge HomeStreet Bank for letting us use the community room for this meeting on June 10 from 11:00 – 12:00. Drop us a note here if you would like to join!
May 13 Guest Speaker – PB&J for the Homeless
Thank you to our May 13, 2025 Guest Speaker Kaylee Peterson, Director of PB&J for the Homeless. This small but mighty group of volunteers prepares and delivers 1,000 sandwiches every week to the Tacoma Rescue Mission to distribute through their network to people experiencing homelessness. “While we can’t fix things like homelessness, hunger, housing affordability, the job market… we can make sure the people facing these challenges are fed.”
47th Annual Pitzer Weeks Concert !
On May 10, 2025, we hosted the 47th annual Pitzer/Weeks Vocal Competition at Tagney Jones Hall in the Seattle Opera House. We are grateful to the Seattle Opera, and especially Sara Litchfield, the Associate Director of Youth Learning Programs which includes Teen Vocal Studio, for partnering with us to provide the wonderful space for this year’s concert. Twelve local high school students competed for the chance to win one of three vocal coaching scholarships.
We were so impressed by this group of talented students! Congratulations to this year’s winner Autumn Helene Chociej who receives a $3,000 vocal training scholarship and to our two second place winners Kaitlyn Marie Callahan Naumowicz and Renda Naseem Tuffaha who each receive $1,500 scholarships!
April 8 Guest Speaker – Backpack Brigade
Looking forward to the weekend? For kids in 25% of Seattle-area families who qualify for free breakfast and lunch at school, weekends can mean food insecurity. With the help of an army of volunteers, Backpack Brigade delivers weekend hunger bags to 5,100 kids at 100+ schools.
Learn more at our virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 8 from 12-1 where Nichelle Hilton, Executive Director and Founder of Backpack Brigade, will be our guest speaker! https://www.backpackbrigade.org
Service Project Collab with UW CKI
Teen Feed spoke at our January 2025 meeting and we were inspired to support their work! After learning that sweats are a year-round need for the homeless youth and young adults that Teen Feed serves, we donated over 50 new and gently used sweats, along with a $3,000 check that will help provide a week of meals or housing along with work clothes, wifi and GED fees for 10 Teen Feed guests.
Then, we partnered with UW CKI in February to assemble 45 hygiene bags to be distributed at Teen Feed’s nightly meal, which takes place 365 nights a year. Here, homeless youth get a respite from the streets, a warm nutritious meal, access to essential services and adult staff and volunteer Advocates who can help them navigate a path to stability.
Zee provided bags from Homestreet Bank which we filled with items the students purchased from Teen Feed’s wish list: socks, soap sheets, granola bars, nail clippers, vitamin C, rain ponchos, hand warmers, hair ties, mouthwash, lip balm and hand sanitizer.
We’re looking forward to another service project collaboration with UW CKI – stay tuned!
February 11 Guest Speaker – Vision House
Our next virtual meeting is coming up on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 from Noon – 1:00 and we’re excited to learn more from our guest speaker Venetia Vango, Philanthropy Officer at Vision House to learn about the work they’re doing to provide supportive services to over 1,000 homeless families in Burien, Renton and Shoreline. Learn more at https://visionhouse.org/
Spread some love by volunteering
Help those in your community feel loved this month – check out these volunteering opportunities!
Last Updated: November 2, 2025 by jnewton
October 14 Guest Speaker – Elizabeth Gregory Home
We’re excited to learn more about Elizabeth Gregory Home at our October 14 virtual meeting. Our guest speaker is Ally Baehr, Executive Director of Elizabeth Gregory Home Day Center in the U-District, which provides refuge, community and critical resources to women experiencing homelessness, trauma and economic insecurity. Learn more at https://eghseattle.org
Guests are always welcome at our monthly meetings! Contact us here if you would like to attend.