This Monday, December 5, Key Club met during one of their bi-monthly meetings at CKHS to discuss their progress and goals for future participation in the community. 

Key Club is one of many clubs offered on the CKHS campus, but the focus of this club is community improvement through fundraising and volunteering. 

The club adviser, Cara Del Valle, elaborated on the club’s contribution. 

“They’re not just volunteering at the school but they’re going out and about volunteering in the community,” said Del Valle. “We did the tree lighting ceremony last week, [and] we are going to be doing a food drive coming up here soon.” 

Community service gets difficult without the proper funds to keep things going, but Key Club has found a safe way of working around this problem.

Every month, Key Club meets at Safeway for a food drive where customers will donate food items or cash to the club. Prior to starting this food drive, Del Valle estimated the club earned roughly $4,000/year, but Safeway is bringing in an extra zero to make it roughly $40,000/year. 

“All of that money goes to Kitsap County; all of that money and food,” said Del Valle. “It goes to the kids at food banks and it goes to help and support our local homeless and downtrodden families.” 

Key Club is eager to aid the community and is open to new volunteering opportunities that anyone may propose.

The club as a whole meets every other Monday to go over their progress and goals, and on the Monday in between these meetings, the Key Club board (composed of only a few members) meets to organize and plan the full club meetings. 

The Key Club members can be awarded scholarships for their hard work, but Del Valle says the main reward is an improved community.