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“Kiwanis service is dedicated to the children of the world. All of our projects focus around improving the world one child at a time,” said Cindy Herring, president of the Kiwanis Club of New Iberia.

Founded in January of 1935, the Kiwanis Club of New Iberia has positively impacted the community for years. Currently, the club has 64 members, many of whom have served over 20 years. The club conducts numerous civic and service oriented projects with all proceeds directly impacting the children of Iberia Parish. The Pancake Supper is the club’s major fundraising event and is conducted in November said Herring. The club also has a partnership with Key Club and receives assistance from other service clubs including the 4-H Club and the Boy Scouts.

Additionally, the Kiwanis Club of New Iberia awards three $2,000 scholarships to deserving high-school seniors in Iberia Parish.

As it has affected everyone else, the coronavirus pandemic has altered the club’s events calendar, but hasn’t stopped them from their number one mission, service. This summer, the club partnered with the Disch-DeClouet Social Service Center for the “Bags of Hope” food distribution drive.

The Kiwanis Club of New Iberia’s various efforts are even more vital during the pandemic. According to Herring, “This COVID year, we have had to step up by supplying N95 masks to Iberia Medical Center, feeding the staff at IMC on Saturdays, and paying an assessment fee for the children to attend the Boys & Girls Club,” to defray the added costs.

A brief glimpse of the club’s storied history is listed below.

Timeline of significant events over last 85 years

1935 Theme: “We Build” started with Christmas Baskets

1936 Support to Community Library & victims of tornado in Tupelo, Miss.

1937 Soup Kitchen for children at Magnolia School supervised by Miss Nina Gates, Principal

1938 Drive to advocate for filtering and water softening Plant

1939 Spearheaded drive to build a gym at Mt. Carmel

1940 Scholarship fund began, and gym completed

1941 Began 4-H Club activity

1943 Emergency Blood Plasma Bank

1944 Key Club work began and started New Iberia High School Key Club

1945-46 Started a Recreational Program for youth and Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair Association reorganized and Kiwanis Club became the sponsor

1947-48 Began sponsoring Children’s Parade and Kiwanis Committee presented a need for a director to handle all Recreational activities in the parish; The Recreation Program began for both youth and seniors. United Givers Fund began, and Club was an active participant

1949-53 Formed Walking Blood Bank; Crippled Children’s Fundand bought playground equipment

1954-55 Sponsored King’s Brothers Cristiani Circus

1956-57 Sponsored “Career Day”; Established Dog Pound; Local Community Safety Program to stop “Drag Races”

1958-62 1st Pancake Supper – 1958

1963 “Stop Polio” project in Iberia Parish; 135,502 doses to 90% of Iberia Parish

1964 Helped city adopt obscenity ordinance; Built fountain at Civic Center; Clean City Committee

1965 30th Anniversary – 50 live oak trees planted in City park to replace what was lost from Hurricane Hilda

1965-68 Dauterive Hospital Scholarship & 4 separate college scholarships

1968 Kiwanis Club of New Iberia sponsored the Cajun Kiwanis and started Key Club at CHS

1969 Hurricane Camille Relief Fund

1970 Helped secure Animal Diagnostic Lab at GSRI; Assisted with measle vaccines; endorsed renewal of the ad valorem school maintenance tax, which later passed

1971 Housed 17 foreign graduate students of Tulane who were touring the area; Acadiana 500 Tricycle races began and Kiwanis held a 3 year reign.

1971-73 Youth Employment Service Program

1972 Operation Drug Alert Program public forums

1973 Jr. Class Dance for 850 students; Donated to purchase building for “Retarded Children’s Association”

1974 Focused on “Greater Years” – visiting nursing homes and providing meals and transportation to needy/aged

1975 Learning Disabilities Committee formed to study the problem and it prevailed with Iberia Parish School Board initiating “Learning Disability Program.”

1976 Donation to purchase the old Jeanerette Academy as a home for “Retarded Children Association”

1977 Safeguard Against Crime literature distributed; Drafted resolution to ban pornographic material in local establishments; instrumental in adoption of ordinance forcing placement of materials behind counters

1978 40’ Christmas Tree at City Hall and decorated for Holidays; Resolution to widen & deepening canal at Port of Iberia; Resolution for improving library system brought about approval of Library & Maintenance Tax.

1979 Started Kid’s Day Program

1980 Special Olympics started

1981 Assisted Boy Scouts in equipping new camp at Chico State Park with new tents, etc.

1982 Sponsored 1 child or 1983 International Special Olympics held in Baton Rouge

1984 Enrich the World of the Handicapped – sent 22 handicap students to Louisiana World’s Fair & Exposition. Purchased playground equipment for new first “Kiwanis Club Park”

1985 Uplift Underprivileged Children – Started plants to Open Shelter for abused children Sponsored Playground on Yvonne Street and obtained equipment and dedicated to the Parks and Recreation Program

1986 Pancake Supper moved to Community Center; Had food drive at food stores to begin collection for the food bank with Social Service Center.

1987 Contributed to newly formed St. Francis Diner to feed the poor; Kiwanis International voted to allow women in the clubs

1988 First Female member was accepted into the club; Motivation of Students Program at public middle school providing tutoring for struggling students.

1989 Children’s Sugarcane Parade 150th Anniversary; Sponsored the Disney movie “Oliver and Company” showing; New Pancake grills were fabricated

1990 75th Anniversary; “Know to Say No” to Drug Awareness Programs for elementary schools

1991 Coats for Kids Project; Participated in First Chamber Gumbo “Cook-off”; Helped form St. Martinville Club

1992 Initiated Golf Tournament fundraiser. “Harvey the Rabbit” Program began in the elementary schools.

1993 “Shots for Tots” flyers distributed and Harvey the Rabbit program continued;

1994 Distributed 2500 large print Reader’s Digest to nursing homes & donated $2500 to Respite Home

1996 Donated to Social Service Milk Fund; Provided books and children’s items to Snap Shelter; Donated to Kiwanis of Oklahoma City for victims of bombing and Kobe Japan Kiwanis for earthquakes.

1997 Emphasis on “Extra Mile” program dealing with teen pregnancy and Snap shelter

How can you get involved?

Contact any fellow Kiwanian and we would love to have you as a guest at one of our meetings and see if you would like to join our organization and become a Kiwanian.

Current projects/events they are working on:

We are currently working with the Boys & Girls Club for their summer program. Since we will not be able to host our annual Trivia event with the children, we are working on getting together gift bags to be presented to the attendees. The bags will include COVID-19 protection items such as masks, sanitizers and soap. We are soliciting various local businesses for gift cards or other items for the bags.