The Kiwanis Club of the Greater Northampton Area organized in June, chartered and held its first meeting July 9 at the Suburban North Family YMCA in Catasauqua. The club has Crystal Messer as president, Lindsay Hall as vice president, Wendy Milhime as treasurer and Gail Taylor as secretary.

Pennsylvania Governor of Kiwanis Clubs Tom Harp, a past president and current member of the Allentown Kiwanis Club, said the Allentown Kiwanis Club helped sponsor and mentors the Kiwanis Club of Greater Northampton. The Pennsylvania Kiwanis Clubs have about 2,600 members in 125 Kiwanis Clubs.

Harp is excited about the development of a Northampton Kiwanis Club. He looks forward to the growth of the club and possible development of Key Clubs in the Northampton public schools.

Key Club is a student-led organization focused on leadership development through community service. It’s the oldest and largest high school service program, teaching students ages 14-18 how to build character, develop leadership skills and serve their communities.

The Northampton Kiwanis membership includes all who reside in the Northampton Area School District. It now boasts 18 members and a full board of directors. The club is seeking additional members. Visit its Facebook page or email Crystal at cmesser@ymcarivercrossing.org for information.

Kiwanis International is the parent group for the Kiwanis Club of Greater Northampton. The national Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers, founded in 1915 in Detroit, Mich. Kiwanis is dedicated to serving communities and improving the lives of children through service projects and fundraising efforts.

Now headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Kiwanis International operates in more than 80 nations and geographical areas with more than 600,000 members across its clubs and affiliated service programs.

All Kiwanis Clubs focus on serving children and communities, addressing the needs such as hunger, literacy and youth leadership development.

Kiwanis is not a religious organization and welcomes members on all faiths or no faith. Kiwanis Clubs do not discriminate based on race, color, creed, national origin, age or sex, including sexual orientation or gender when considering membership or during any of their activities or operations.

The name Kiwanis means “we trade” or “we share our talents.” The name was coined from a Native American expression, Nunc Keewanis. The Kiwanis motto is “serving the children of the world.”

Visit the group’s Facebook page for details on upcoming meetings.