Our Story: Serving Roanoke Since 1920

The Kiwanis Club is an international organization of volunteers that believe in improving their communities and work very hard to make that happen. The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is a historical part of Roanoke and one of the largest and most active Kiwanis Clubs in the world, with 150 members, 95% of whom serve on committees and participate in projects. We have been active in Roanoke since 1920, over 100 years of giving back to our community!

Our membership includes city and state government leaders, corporate leaders, nonprofit leaders, church leaders, civic-minded residents, the 2021 Roanoke City Citizen of the Year, and the 2023 Roanoke City Citizen of the Year. We forge strong connections and firm friendships. Two dozen of our Club's past presidents remain active members.

Our Mission

The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke has a lot of fun while fulfilling the Kiwanis International mission of "improving the world one child and one community at a time." We host beneficial weekly club meetings with professional speakers, conduct young professional activities, engage in local environmental projects, support local youth and high school students, and assist older adults.

As a result of our fundraising, we annually award substantial scholarship funds to students and grants to local organizations. Networking is an important aspect for our Club members, as are social events.

How We Started

There is a lot of interesting history behind the Kiwani’s Club of Roanoke. Chartered in 1920, the Kiwani’s International Roanoke Chapter has steadfastly focused on serving the needs of the local community. For decades, Roanoke was the third-largest city in the state. In its early days, as with all civic organizations at the time, membership consisted mostly of businessmen. Money was raised to support the Children's Home Society of Roanoke, repair the road from Roanoke to Floyd and to Rocky Mount, and build summer camps for boys and girls.
In 1987, as soon as Kiwani’s International voted to allow female members, the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke inducted its first two women. Since then, women have become the lifeblood of the Club, with six having served as President! Our 100-year anniversary of being a civic organization in Roanoke was celebrated in 2020. More recently, the Club has been attracting and benefiting from an increasing number of young professionals. Our active outreach program is responsible for our membership growth.

Club Leadership

 

Board of Directors

How We Give Back

From scholarships and local environmental projects to youth and elderly support, we participate in a wide range of projects to improve our local community. The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke picks projects that will truly impact Roanoke for the better. Our members give their time and energy to help the Roanoke Valley continue to shine!
The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke has a long history of civil service in the Roanoke Valley. We believe in “improving the world one child and one community at a time”. We have remained committed to this core value for over 100 years and hope to continue improving our local community for 100 more!