Sunny Service

Thank you notes are sooo important to send to your Kiwanians, to thank your members for driving, for your donations, organizations you work with, etc! Be sure to have them readily accessible because it is a wonderful and simple way to show your appreciation. =)

For a simple card, purchase some plain cards and a roll of Circle K stickers (Kiwanis Family Store: http://store.kiwanis.org/c-3-circle-k.aspx). Simply place a sticker on the front of the card and voila! You have a picture perfect card. Speaking of picture perfect, go ahead and insert a picture from your event or of your club!

Some of us may take this time of year for reflection, for thinking about our past, about how our current actions will affect future endeavors. It can be a great thing, or it can be a major downer. It's the time of year when people often start to feel a little burnt out from school, work, balancing and juggling life, and even with Circle K.

If you begin to feel this pretty common feeling of life becoming to tiresome, take a step back and think about why you do what you do.

In Circle K and the rest of the Kiwanis family, we are here to serve. But why do we serve? With all the people in the world, there will always be someone in need of some service. The greater good of humanity is out there and it starts with a simple kind gesture that can lead to the continuation of something much bigger.

There are many problems in the world and though we may not be able to fix it all, the efforts we make show. Take a look at our wonderful members. I've personally seen so many people come in lost and dumbfounded by the meetings, and all the people, and sooo much information, but emerge as astounding leaders of this club and their own lives. Even if a member never runs for office, their experiences in the club really make them a better person because of the variety of people we meet, because of the service that we do, because of our positive attitudes and good will.

So the next time you're doing a service project, remember that humbling, warm-hearted feeling when you're doing something that's just plain good.

Maybe there was a time when you picked up a piece of litter that you saw, or helped someone pick up the stuff they dropped, or held the door open for a group of people, or any little thing you did not because you HAD to, but because you just did it. That's you volunteering.

I'm telling you, it's one awesome feeling. And who knows, that simple deed could have made the other person smile all day. I know you all have been able to think of a time that would randomly make you smile, share that with others :).

** Just know that there is always someone who is extremely appreciative of what you do. That's the truth, and it doesn't always show but your actions don't go unnoticed.



So with that long rant, I wish you all a little late Happy Holidays and nothing but the Best Wishes for the New Year!

Keep checking back for Service Project Ideas and other long rants ;)

-K-Rock Lover. XD

not everyone has a job
not everyone has a home
not everyone has food
and so many are all alone

while many have their pay
while many have their house
while many have their dinner
some must go without

I am the hungry
the tired, the cold
I am the disabled
the lonesome, the old
I am the child
no home, no care
Who do we turn to
when life isn't fair?

We are the people
the able, the willing
when life is a wreck
you'll find us rebuilding
We are the helpers
our cheers will be heard
as we tend to these homeless
because we live to serve
To give is our project
We won't stand idly by
We love to serve
WE ARE CKI

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I was going through my list of what I was thankful for this year. I have a home, a loving family, awesome friends, a good education, financial stability...all I could ever need and want. Then, I had some serious reflection. Last week was homelessness awareness week. I had participated in an event called Shanty Town, in which students voluntarily slept in cardboard boxes overnight on campus to simulate what it is like to be homeless. In short, IT SUCKED!!! The grassy field we slept in was wet, so the cardboard was soggy and cold halfway through the night. It was the coldest night to date this year as well, and the night dragged on as I tossed and turned in an uncomfortable makeshift hovel. We were even allowed to cheat, as we shared cups of hot tomato soup and hot cocoa throughout the night.

Imagine having to go through that every night, but worse. Where would your breakfast come from? Where would you sleep the next night? Would you have to run from the authorities again? How can I stop living a life like this? And most of the time, you would be alone.

Every night.

I am truly grateful for what I have, and I feel that I can give a little bit more. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving - we are all stuffed and preparing to go shopping. But let's not forget to put the "give" back in Thanksgiving. There are plenty of people out there who need the necessities.

You're probably going to go out clothes shopping. With all those deals, I don't blame you. Maybe you could buy an extra shirt and donate it to a homeless shelter, or donate your gently used clothes. Seriously, you don't need that many skinny T's.

Or maybe you could not buy those hip new sunglasses? Have you ever thought that guys actually want to see your pretty face? Put that money toward purchasing a pair of socks for a homeless youth center instead.

Just a couple ideas people. Keep your less fortunate in neighbor in mind this holiday season and give them something to be thankful for too!


~Ryan Max Ocampo

Hey Everyone!

Thanks so much for coming out to help out with putting together Sanitation Kits and Blankets! As UCR would say... "What's that over there? --- AWESOME!!!" :D

We made over 220 kits and a whole lot of blankets to brighten up someone's day.

This project was a great example of what our DSI is. [Project Give: Offering a Helping Hand] There will be so many people that will have supplies to brush their teeth, take showers, and blankets to keep warm. :)

There are a lot of places where you can find supplies to make these sanitation kits at a low low price or even free with donations. We got toothbrushes at Overstock.com, we got tissue packs at Dollar Tree, soap donations from Hotels, sanitary wipes from various locations on our campuses, health centers, etc.

So if your club would like to have a service putting together sanitation kits, feel free to ask the Service Team for help if you need to.

Good luck with everything and thank you for all your hard work! :)

Happy Servicing!

- "Hey Sarge! They're everywhere! We keep blastin' em and blastin' em, but they just keep on coming. What are we going to do??"

- "Dammit son, I'll tell you what we are NOT going to do. We are NOT GOING TO GIVE UP! Now pick up your weapon and keep at it. We are making headway."

- "But Sarge! We took out most of OUR guys in the last barrage. I don't think the lines are going to hold much longer."

-"Good grief...you listen here grunt and you listen good. Everyday we fight is another day we keep this place alive. We are not fighting for greed or politics. We are fighting for life, for existence. We cannot give up; it's not an option. We die today or fight and live on. This is not for you and me. This is the fight for this little girl's future. Now get your wits and keep going. The upper breast area is secure, but insurgents have been spotted in the lung and and lower liver."

- "Lung and lower liver? But...those are crucial secure points...if we lose those..."

- "All the more reason to fight, soldier. This little girl's birthday is next week. Let's make sure she gets there. And then lets make sure she gets another. And another after that."

- "Y-y-yes sir! We will not stop until the world celebrates more birthdays."

- "That's right...we won't stop until one day, nobody will have to fear the words..."

"You have cancer..."

____________________________________________________________________

In a world full of disaster and war, many seem to forget that there are some things that everybody has to face. One of those things is disease. In particular, there is a killer among us that has no race, creed, or religion, no discrimination or pattern. This killer can strike anywhere, anyone, at anytime. Cancer. When the world fights wars on each other, Cancer fights wars on everyone.

Why are we so pissed at each other when we can all be pissed at Cancer?

Instead of waging war on each other, let's wage war on some common enemies. One: Cancer. Two: Ignorance. Three: Apathy.

So what is cancer? Well, think of cancer as a rebel leader. (Okay, I'm a UNLV Rebel, but I'm talking about bad rebels. You know, the kind that want to do bad stuff like steal candies from babies.) Anyways, this cancer cell well grow unreasonably fast and out of control unlike normal cells. It will continue to grow and multiply and spread. So...imagine a crowded elevator exceeding limit. After a while, there's a bit of discord because of the huge populations in such a small area. Yeah, cancer is like that...spreading badness starting from one spot in the body and going off to create more chaos.

And it has different forms! The cancer bad guy has multiple roles. So, different treatments are necessary to combat him. He's sneaky though. He spreads to other areas of the body causing destruction. And even if you think you've got him, he sometimes reappears out of nowhere - this is called recurrence.

So...that's just the layman's terms of what cancer is. I'm no bio major and big words confuse me, but that's the jist of it. If you want more information on Cancer is, check out the resources at the bottom of this blog.

But now that you know what cancer is, what can you possibly do?

Well...knowledge is power. Know your enemy and you can win the battle. ( I think Sun Tsu said something like that) But really, there is something you can do.

Early Detection.

Try stopping a bowling ball when it's lazily rolling down a hill. That's what can be done if cancer is found early. It hasn't picked up momentum, hasn't gained speed, and is not as life threatening.

Try stopping a bowling ball that's falling down a steep cliff. That's what trying to stop cancer is like in it's later stages. It's a difficult process and very delicate and dangerous.

Fundraising.

Yeah, I know. We are poor college kids. Well, unless you are in the medical field and are actively studying to research a cure on cancer, there really isn't much you can do. But...you can give money to the people who can! Research and treatment cost an arm and a leg, and unfortunately, the doctors kinda need more arms and legs. So give your arms....I mean money to organizations that fund research. Host fundraisers and such at local eateries or have booths and games on campus. Consequently, this can help promote...

Awareness.

Yes, people should know. Can't fight an enemy you don't know exists. Tell people about cancer. Tell people how to fight cancer. Get people involved. Make people aware that there is a problem and that something can be and should be done.

I'm sick of fighting wars that can't be won. We will always have our differences. We will always have our likes and dislikes of other people. Get over it. What we can all focus on, something that we all have in common, is our health and well-being. Cancer is threatening this, and should be eliminated.

Join the fight. Equip yourself with knowledge. Visit this page.

cancer.org

One day, nobody will fear cancer and more birthdays will be celebrated than ever before.




~Ryan

P.S. This is a very general post. Cancer is much more complicated. This is not the last of cancer themed blogs. I will elaborate on this more. Look out for more! Thanks guys!

"Live to serve, Love to serve."

Hey Circle K!!

Test Run :D