From seasonal favorites to year-round needs, here are five ideas for Key Club service projects.

Leadership. Character building. Caring. Inclusiveness. Key Club members everywhere strive to uphold these core values as we serve our community and world. Here are a few creative ways to make a difference: 

  • Drives for change. From car cup holders to piggy banks, coins are just about everywhere — often collecting dust. Plan a drive for change and use these spare coins for your community’s benefit! Select a fundraiser (check out Key Club International’s partners and charities), set a goal or deadline for your drive for change, coordinate with local school administrators and your advisors on setting up spare change collection jars in classrooms, advertise the initiative and have club members tally and collect the change on a weekly, daily or monthly basis!  
  • Dog toys. Here’s a timeless DIY project to benefit our furry friends at local animal shelters. All you need are old T-shirts, scissors, and someone who knows how to braid (no fishtails needed — just a basic three-strand one)! Cut off the seams and hems of the shirts and cut the fabric into 12-inch (30 cm) strips, about 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) wide. Using a smaller piece of the shirt, tie three of these 12×3 inch (30×7 cm) strips together at the top and braid the rest! Use another small piece of the shirt to tie it at the end. Voila! You have your dog toy. 
  • Care kits. The holiday season is approaching! Share the love with care kits, which can take the form of just about anything. Reach out to local shelters or nursing homes to see what you can do. One creative twist: Host a holiday meal for local seniors and create home-made paper placemats. Glue together two pieces of printer or construction paper to make it longer, lengthwise, and decorate as you please! Also put together holiday decorations or caroling for one of their meals. Another idea: Decorate paper bags of small toiletries with holiday decorations and sweet notes—and then donate them to local shelters. 
  • Trash and leaf collection. Fall is upon us! As the fallen leaves start collecting, gather a group of Key Club members to clean up a local space. (If you don’t get a lot of fallen leaves where you are, you can always volunteer to pick up trash.) You’ll only need a few trash bags and gloves. In the winter, shoveling snow is an amazing alternative! 
  • Superhero capes. Partner with a local hospital, shelter or elementary school to see how you can surprise kids there with your handmade superhero capes. Using pieces of felt or rolled T-shirts, scissors and glue (and any decorations you choose to add), cut out 12×18 inch (30×46 cm) rectangles with curved neck lines. Then decorate them! Using hot glue, add string or Velcro — so kids can attach the finished cape themselves!