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Circle K International (CKI) belongs to the same group of service organizations as Kiwanis club for adults and Key Club for high school students. CKI has more than 13,000 members worldwide who are dedicated to engaging in projects to improve communities.
With more than 100 active members, Tech’s branch is the largest branch of CKI in the southeastern U. S. Its members uphold the basic tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship.
“I love doing service. I was a girl scout for a long time and I came to Tech and wanted to go out and help the community. I was looking for a club to join and Circle K was just the fit for me,” said Christine Farsi, vice president of Georgia Tech Circle K.
Circle K participates in a number of community service activities throughout the year. Weekly projects include partnerships with Kashi Atlanta, the Atlanta Community Food Bank and the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Atlanta.
On Tuesdays, Circle K members meet at the basement of Kashi, a yoga center in Little Five Points, to make sandwiches for the homeless population of Atlanta.
At the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB), students volunteer to sort canned goods that are donated throughout the Atlanta area. According to statistics on the ACFB web page, more than 37 million pounds of food and grocery products were distributed to the needy in 2011-12 alone. Circle K members contribute to many initiatives such as this that make a visible impact in communities.
On Fridays, members visit The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club where young people in Atlanta’s neediest neighborhoods have a chance to learn and play in a secure environment.
Other activities that members participate in include Project Open Hand, which involves preparing meals for people with special needs, and Trees Atlanta for planting trees throughout Atlanta’s urban forest. With MedShare, members sort surplus medical supplies for hospitals, which are distributed worldwide.
Circle K collaborates with other organizations at Tech to help the community. Most recently, Circle K worked with By Aaron Tumulak
Contributing Writer
Tech’s branch of the international collegiate service organization Circle K aims to give students a chance to give back to the community and develop leadership skills along the way.
Circle K International (CKI) belongs to the same group of service organizations as Kiwanis club for adults and Key Club for high school students. CKI has more than 13,000 members worldwide who are dedicated to engaging in projects to improve communities.
With more than 100 active members, Tech’s branch is the largest branch of CKI in the southeastern U. S. Its members uphold the basic tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship.
“I love doing service. I was a girl scout for a long time and I came to Tech and wanted to go out and help the community. I was looking for a club to join and Circle K was just the fit for me,” said Christine Farsi, vice president of Georgia Tech Circle K.
Circle K participates in a number of community service activities throughout the year. Weekly projects include partnerships with Kashi Atlanta, the Atlanta Community Food Bank and the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Atlanta.
On Tuesdays, Circle K members meet at the basement of Kashi, a yoga center in Little Five Points, to make sandwiches for the homeless population of Atlanta.
At the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB), students volunteer to sort canned goods that are donated throughout the Atlanta area. According to statistics on the ACFB web page, more than 37 million pounds of food and grocery products were distributed to the needy in 2011-12 alone. Circle K members contribute to many initiatives such as this that make a visible impact in communities.
On Fridays, members visit The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club where young people in Atlanta’s neediest neighborhoods have a chance to learn and play in a secure environment.
Other activities that members participate in include Project Open Hand, which involves preparing meals for people with special needs, and Trees Atlanta for planting trees throughout Atlanta’s urban forest. With MedShare, members sort surplus medical supplies for hospitals, which are distributed worldwide.
Circle K collaborates with other organizations at Tech to help the community. Most recently, Circle K worked with the honor and service fraternity Gamma Beta Phi to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to feed the homeless.
For students looking to find additional service opportunities to fulfill their community service requirements, members from other organizations can also work through Circle K to reach service hours goals.
Unlike some organizations, Circle K requires no minimum number of service hours to be involved and remain active. Additionally, membership does not require attendance of a large portion of the projects offered, accommodating a typical Tech student’s busy schedule, though members often choose to participate in as many events as possible.
In spite of busy schedules and time conflicts that affect many Tech students with a desire to be involved, about 30 to 40 different members regularly appear on various projects around the Atlanta area.
All Tech students who want to help the community and do service are welcome to join Circle K.
“We have all different majors and years in Circle K,” said Farsi.
Members of Circle K often join with the mentality that volunteer work is not only a good way to give back to the community, but a great way to develop leadership skills and build friendships with fellow volunteers.
“We all have a lot of fun, it’s such a great organization. Everyone’s really friendly and open,” Farsi said.
Circle K promotes student service engagement