Amid a schedule packed with workshops and activities, attendees of the 2025 Key Club International convention in Orlando, Florida, U.S., took time to make birthdays brighter for area kids and their families.
In cooperation with Healthy Families Florida, a nonprofit offering support services to local families in need, the Key Club members enthusiastically tackled a group service project that paired perfectly with Key Club’s 100th birthday. Working in groups, they assembled special birthday kits to help families celebrate a birthday of their own.
Households facing financial hardship and food insecurity often turn to local pantries for meal staples. But items that typically mark birthday celebrations aren’t usually found at pantries. So Key Cub members packed 250 aluminum cake pans with cake mix, frosting, candles, a can of soda, party hats and blowers, and decorations. To add a personal touch, the members made 250 birthday cards so each recipient could receive warm wishes on their special day. Each kit was sealed in plastic wrap and then volunteers helped load them into Healthy Families vehicles.
Special scholarship
Prior to the service project, Derrick Furlow Jr., president of XHunger, a convention exhibitor, kicked things off. He described XHunger’s efforts to end hunger in the U.S., spoke about his personal experience as a kid and discussed ways for young people to get involved with “X-ing out Hunger.”
XHunger also announced the recipient of a new scholarship for a Key Club member who has dedicated their time and effort to ending hunger. Izzy Maly of the Capital District was awarded the US$1,000 scholarship for 2025. Maly has helped families in her community through the Capital District’s Pancake Program, which supplies 1,500 pounds of pancake mix to food banks throughout the district.
Create your own! 
Feeling inspired by the convention’s birthday kit service project? Here are five steps for creating one for your own club:
- Find a food bank, shelter or community organization that serves families experiencing financial hardship. Identify a contact at your chosen facility and ask if they can accept birthday kits. If so, how many kits are needed, how should they be packaged, and do they need to be delivered to or picked up by the organization?
- Create a sign-up sheet for members to bring supplies. Each kit should include a birthday card, party favors, decorations, cake mix, icing/frosting, birthday candles, one can of clear soda (think Sprite or Sierra Mist) and a 9-by-13-inch aluminum pan. Plastic wrap will be needed to seal the kits.
- Host a kit assembly event. Set up tables with all supplies laid out so members can place each item into a pan and cover the kit with wrap.
- Write a thoughtful message in each birthday card and mention that the kit was provided by Key Club. Also mention keyclub.org and tell the recipient that’s where they can learn about being a Key Club member.
- Coordinate the drop-off or pickup of all kits.
It’s a great way to support local families experiencing hunger. Talk to your fellow club members about spreading happiness in your community!