On the evening of June 22, 1923, a charter was granted to the new San Leandro Kiwanis Club. The event took place in the garden of the Estudillo House with eighty-five members, their wives, community leaders and sponsors in attendance. Assisting children and youth was the central theme of Kiwanis community service. Clothing, shoes, glasses and medical aid were required and public assistance was in
short supply. Names of needy children were discreetly provided and Kiwanis funds or know-how were mobilized to give them a hand. From the mid-forties to the present, the nature of our projects has gradually changed, but our focus has always remained on the children of our community. Today, our service projects are often linked to the Kiwanis International program, Young Children: Priority One (YCPO). YCPO projects address the needs of children prenatal through age five in areas such as pediatric trauma prevention, child safety, early childhood development, maternal & infant health and parenting skills. Kiwanis also plays a special role in developing future generations of leaders through our sponsored programs: K-Kids (elementary school); Builders Club (middle and junior high school); Key Club and KIWIN (high school); Circle K (college); and Aktion Club (disabled adults). Our club sponsors two local Key Clubs (San Leandro High School and Bishop O'Dowd high school).
