So, you joined this wonderful service organization in order to do community service and better the lives of others.  Frequently, people ask, “Is what I am doing right now considered a service hour?”  Well, I am going to attempt to break it down for you so you can have a better understanding of what a service hour exactly counts as.

International Policy code defines a service hour as a voluntary act for which no payment is received for the service rendered.  So basically, if you are not making money which you can pocket, then you are doing service.

Service is also a fund – raising activity for which no payment or profit is received to benefit you or your club.  Therefore, if you are doing a fund – raising project to benefit an organization other than Circle K, such as Hugs and Hope, or New Jersey Save-A-Pet, you are doing service.

I bet you did not realize that travel time to and from a service project also counts as service.  When District Service day arrives in February, the time you spend traveling to the project and home from the project counts as service too.  The only thing which does not count as service is meal time, social time, and overnight stops.  So do not eat, or talk to your friends in the car and your set!

Club service projects as projects which your home club has organized.  Individual service hours are derived from projects that you perform on your own time, which your home club has no affiliation with.  For example, if your club has organized Trick – or – Treat for Unicef, that is a club project, but if you are a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician, the hours you work there are individual hours.  When tallying your service hours, be sure to report both to your Club Secretary as it is hard for one person to keep track of what each member does if they are not told. 

Are you planning on doing a project which is sponsored by a Key Club or Kiwanis Club?  Well not only does that count as service hours, but it also counts as inter-clubbing.  Reaching out to one of our divisions is a great way to increase your number of service hours and provides more opportunities for service if you have a hectic schedule and cannot fit your club projects in.

Luckily we like to round up in this organization.  A service hour is just that, an hour.  Therefore if you attend an event and you are there for forty – five minutes, round up and give yourself an hour. 

 A service project is a voluntary act by one or more dues-paid members of a CKI club for the sole benefit of an individual or group of individuals who possess a basic need for said services. Except in special circumstances, a service project that only directly benefits a family member or friend of a dues-paid member may not be counted for service hours. All proceeds raised during a fund-raising activity must be applied toward a charitable entity for the fund-raiser to be considered a service project.

                                                                                                - International Policy Code

Examples of Club Service Projects

All these projects are to be completed or organized by your club only.  Money raised is used to benefit a charity, not Circle K.

         Skip a Meal Programs
         Selling tickets for a Kiwanis Family Function
         Easter Egg Sales
         Donating leftovers from an event to a church
         Fourth of July Parades
         Car Washes to benefit charities
         Better World Books Drives
         Garage Sales to benefit charities
         Set up for Banquets
         Any type of walk or relay with a club team
         Tabling for a charity
         Visiting a hospital
         Battle of the Bands
         After school tutoring programs
         Food Pantries
         Special Olympics
         Boys and Girls Club
         Service – a – thons designed by the home club

Examples of Individual Service Hours
These projects can be done by an individual member of the club and is set up by an organization outside of Circle K. 

         Special Olympics
         Locks of Love
         Student Ambassador
         Working a school open house
         Food Pantry/ Soup Kitchens
         Animal Shelters
         Donating Blood/Blood Drives
         Walks/Relays for Charitable Organizations
         Cleaning up lakes/parks
         Children’s Miracle Network Festival of Ballooning
         Arts and crafts with children
         Medical Aide
         Emergency Medical Technicians
         Teaching/Tutoring
         Judging
         Childcare
         Collecting donations
         Emergency Room volunteering
         Writing letters to soldiers
         Writing letters to sick children
         Mentoring
         Alex’s Lemonade Stand
         Cooking dinner for the Ronald McDonald House
         Volunteering at a Doctor’s Office
         Getting sponsors for an event
         Caring for Post Operative or elderly patients
         Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects
         Bake Sale
         Ushering
         Can tabbing

As you can see many of these projects over lap themselves.  The question you have to ask yourself is am I performing this project alone or is it with members of my home club.  Alone = individual service hours.  With my home club = Club service hours.  I hope this helps clarify a little more about service hours.  If you have any doubt as to if what you are doing is or is not a service hour, do not be afraid to send me a quick e-mail at Evily42@aol.com and I can send you the answer.