Key Club International trustees and district governors spent their Saturday morning making items for preschool students who are blind or visually impaired. Members have spent the week in Indianapolis for a leadership seminar. They created braille cards and sensory objects for staff and children at Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS).
“VIPS provides in-home early intervention to children who are blind or visually impaired,” said Meredith Howell, VIPS regional director. “The braille cards and sensory items being made Saturday will serve our staff as they work with kids on fine motor skill development and purposeful play.”
VIPS is in the process of opening a Family Resource Center near downtown Indianapolis later this year. The center will serve as a hub for parents to receive resources and for children to receive onsite therapy. Items made during the Key Club International service project will be used both at the center and during in-home visits with families.
“Service and leadership are at the core of Key Club International,” said Michelle Study-Campbell, Kiwanis youth programs executive director. “The pandemic impacted our students’ ability to gather and engage in community service in the traditional way. We are excited to host our first leadership meeting, in person, here in Indianapolis. This project with VIPS illustrates that there are service opportunities in every community that can make things better and brighter for those in need.”
International President, Salma Eldeeb
“Nearly 100 years ago, Key Cub International was founded as a service club,” said 2021-22 Key Club International President Salma Eldeeb. “Everything we do is rooted in community service, so being back safely together and engaging in service is very rewarding. We are thrilled to work with VIPS Indiana and are happy to volunteer for them again here in Indiana.”
About Visually Impaired Preschool Services (VIPS)
VIPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that provides specialized and ongoing, in-home early intervention to infants and toddlers, ages birth to three, who are blind or visually impaired in Indiana and Kentucky. VIPS was founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1985 and expanded efforts across Indiana in 2011. The mission of VIPS is to empower families by providing educational excellence to young children with visual impairments in order to build a strong foundation for reaching their highest potential. For more information, visit here.