Our club is collecting used textbooks to send to Africa by placing boxes outside the U of O bookstore. The Book drive committee chair, is looking for volunteers to help post posters and cheque the boxes regularly. Please email us at info@circlekclub.com if you can help!

Update: So far we have collected 3 boxes of books. Well done to Sarah who organized the drive.

The Carleton Circle K Club will be starting a children's activities program in the fall, to be held at a community centre or CU. It would be twice a month depending on availability and success; parents pay (minimal) to bring children to the program for a few hours (e.g. 4-9 on a weekday night). They have invited us to partner with them in planning, starting up, and running the program.

Club members are given the opportunity to volunteer at the Mission, a shelter and meal provider for homeless men. We will be committing 2-3 members from our club each week to volunteer in the kitchen at the Mission from 10am-1pm every Sunday. If you are interested, please e-mail us with subject heading: ´Mission volunteering´and indicate any dates you are not able to attend in the next four Sundays. More information on the forms, contacts, and regulations for volunteering here can be viewed here.

Interested in helping kids learn how to read? Our club´s reading program is accepting volunteers to read to kids at York Street Public School, a school that has many newcomers to Canada and is only a 15 minute walk from campus. If you are interested, please contact us at info@circlekclub.com with Subject Heading: The Reading Program. Because the police record check takes up to 6-8 weeks (or a $25 fee for "express option"); click the link for the form that you will need to get signed by the coordinator. It is a .pdf file so please print it, fill it in and bring it to the meetings. (or if you happen to see me in a class catch me then!)

This is done through Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI).

Essentially, it involves reading to elementary school kids at York Street Public School and some other schools once a week.

Many of the children come from families where learning English is difficult so this is a really great program.

You choose when you do it so it won’t coincide with classes or anything.

Update: Anusha (past co-pres.) now has the letters needed to get your Police Record Check done without the $10 fee. Please be sure to pick up the letter (likely at our weekly meetings) and obtain your record check as soon as possible, as it can take some time to process.

For 1 hour each week, give some of the poorest kids in the city the chance to take up your passion for music. Our club runs a branch of the Heart of the City Piano Program. Grade 8 RCM playing ability recommended. Please email ottawaheartofthecity@yahoo.ca for more information.

• Piano Program Director: (former: Bettina Choo)
• The program director works with the volunteer coordinators, the school principals, the music stores, the media, the Kiwanis Club and many others to ensure the smooth running of the piano program.
• There are now approx. 7 schools and over 100 kids involved.
• If you have Grade 8 Piano, you’re welcome to join. This involves going to elementary schools at least once a week and teaching kids to play the piano.
• Many of the children might not get a chance to learn otherwise and it’s a great experience.
• If you are interested in helping out those less fortunate of the community, and have a passion for music please email the coordinator at ottawaheartofthecity@yahoo.ca

Want to brighten the lives of seniors? If you have any ideas for a program to run at a seniors´ home, contact us at info@circlekclub.com or bring them up at the meeting.