Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee

Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee We are proud of our service commitment to our community. Over the past 38 years, the Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee has been a leader in community service.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hearing from Joe Cracchiola, Circuit Administrator of the Florida Department of Correct...
06/12/2026

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hearing from Joe Cracchiola, Circuit Administrator of the Florida Department of Corrections for Circuit 19.

Mr. Cracchiola has served with the Department of Corrections for 26 years with 12 years in Okeechobee.

The probation and parole services are responsible for holding the offender accountable, public safety and offender rehabilitation. This is possible through collaborations with local agencies such as the judicial system, treatment providers, therapists, etc.

They also ensure victim advocacy by working with released offenders and to also maintain public safety. They have dedicated employment specialists to help in rehabilitation.

The local agency employees 8 probation officers to serve around 200 active offenders at this time.

The state of Florida has a success rate of approximately 77% with community corrections statewide with a rate of 65%.

If you enjoy learning from our community leaders, please join us on Thursdays at Lakeside Grill at noon. Our meetings are open to the public and we always love to have guests.

Pictured left to right:
Past president Noel Stephen, Joe Cracchiola, President-elect Michael Hazellief

06/04/2026

We’re officially in full swing and serving our community all summer long. ☀️💙
Come see us at the stop closest to you — we can’t wait to feed our kids!

Thursday we had the pleasure of hearing from Jessica Gonzalez, Business Development and Troop Formation Manager of the G...
05/31/2026

Thursday we had the pleasure of hearing from Jessica Gonzalez, Business Development and Troop Formation Manager of the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, serving Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, St Lucie and Indian River counties.

The Girl Scouts were formed on March 12, 1912 by Juliette Gordan Law and is the largest girl leadership development organization in the country.

Similar to the Boy Scouts, the girls earn badges for completing specific tasks, learn about civic engagement and local government, how to care and advocate for the planet, and entrepreneurship skills.

She was excited to share that research shows girls who join are more likely to pursue a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Also the girls feel they can make a difference in the world, they feel safe, confident, and are more engaged in their community. This approach fosters courage, confidence and character, equipping girls with the skills and experiences to thrive in all aspects of life.

Mrs Gonzalez was proud to announce that she recently secured 2 troops in Okeechobee, with one being an all autistic child group. Children from grades kindergarten through the 12th can join a troop. The troops meet twice a month. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Membership for the girls is $96 and for the adults is $42. At this time, these rates will extend membership through September of 2027.

She is always looking for volunteers. They need troop leaders, helpers and cookie volunteers. The leaders mentor and guide small groups of 5 to 12 girls. The helpers will assist in activities and be chaperones for events. The cookie volunteers help the troop by managing inventory, chaperoning at the booths and assisting with digital sales.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer or if you have a space available to host the meetings, you can reach out to Jessica at
[email protected]
561-943-3199

If you enjoyed learning about our speaker, join us any Thursday at Lakeside Grill at noon. All of our meetings are open to the public and we would love to see you!

Thank you to those who have lost their lives and their families. We honor you today and everyday.
05/25/2026

Thank you to those who have lost their lives and their families.
We honor you today and everyday.

The Kiwanis Club was honored to once again cook lunch for the OHS graduation rehearsal. It's wonderful to come together ...
05/24/2026

The Kiwanis Club was honored to once again cook lunch for the OHS graduation rehearsal.
It's wonderful to come together with other organizations to celebrate our youth's milestone.
Besides the Kiwanis Club, the Sheriff's office, Our Village, and Rotary came together to make it a success!
Thank you to all who volunteered!
(Not all volunteers are pictured)

Thursday we had the pleasure of hearing from Justin Nelson, Assistant County Administrator Infrastructure and Transporta...
05/23/2026

Thursday we had the pleasure of hearing from Justin Nelson, Assistant County Administrator Infrastructure and Transportation.

For almost 5 years, Mr. Nelson has coordinated the maintenance, construction, and improvement of 97 buildings and 600 acres within Okeechobee County.

This meeting focused on the county airport. Many don't know that in 2021 the county took back the airport from private ownership.

Since this time, the airport has achieved sustained revenue growth with an increase of enplanements, including business jet activity seeing an increase of 43%.

The parking spaces have increased from 23 spaces to 91 and 41 hangar infrastructures have been added. A stormwater master plan and security system upgrades have been completed.

Some future plans include an apron rehabilitation, farm fuel expansion, wildlife hazard, and reconstruction of the crosswinds runway.

Mr. Nelson shares this has been strictly funded from grants including state, Federal, FAA and FDOT. Taxpayer money has not gone into the airport.

Some future goals are to continue the revenue growth, prioritize development with direct taxiway access, support job creation and continue to pursue funding sources.

If you enjoy hearing from our community leaders, feel free to join us any Thursday at Lakeside Grill at noon. All of our meetings are open to the public.

Pictured left to right:
Kiwanis Director, Courtney Moyett and Justin Nelson

This past Thursday, we have the pleasure of welcoming Chris Robertson, new Chief Development Officer of Speak Like – End...
05/19/2026

This past Thursday, we have the pleasure of welcoming Chris Robertson, new Chief Development Officer of Speak Like – End Bullying, a nationwide nonprofit organization based in Stuart, Florida. The organization is dedicated to preventing bullying in school systems and works directly with students from middle school through high school.

Mr. Robertson’s passion for this mission comes from his own experience with bullying during his high school years. He emphasizes that witnessing bullying—and doing nothing—is unacceptable. This belief is one of the core reasons the organization exists: to challenge this mindset, encourage positive intervention, and reduce the number of students who become victims.

Speak Like – End Bullying uses a variety of methods to reach students, including digital programs, live events, and hybrid digital‑live presentations. These experiences use technology and live assemblies supported by large‑screen film presentations, student Q&A, and full digital access designed to keep the message impactful throughout the year. The program also features guest contributors such as Simmons, a recently retired NFL player, and the group SafeLifeMusical to help deliver its message in an engaging and memorable way. Their goal is to prevent bullying in hallways, cafeterias, and everywhere students interact—promoting resiliency as a key solution.

To date, the organization has reached and positively impacted more than 30,000 students. Mr. Robertson shared that negotiations are currently underway to bring these services to the Okeechobee County School Board. The organization has already established strong partnerships with the Broward, Miami‑Dade, and Martin County school districts.

If you enjoy hearing from our community leaders, please join us any Thursday at Lakeside Grill at noon. All of our meetings are open to the public and we would love to have you!

Pictured left to right:
Kiwanis President, Gary Ritter and Chris Robertson

This was such a fun night! Thank you Parks and Recreation for spearheading this event, to all the volunteers and allowin...
05/15/2026

This was such a fun night! Thank you Parks and Recreation for spearheading this event, to all the volunteers and allowing our club to provide photos to all the Mother and son’s in attendance!

🎓Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee is proud to award 4 Okeechobee High School seniors $7,000 worth of scholarships.Congratulat...
05/15/2026

🎓Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee is proud to award 4 Okeechobee High School seniors $7,000 worth of scholarships.

Congratulations to the following seniors:

* A***n Karki
* Melanie Hernandez Perez
* Daysy Garcia
* Brenda Hernandez

A special thank you to our community for supporting our events throughout the year, we could not give back to our seniors without your support.

Pictured with Courtney Moyett, Past President Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee, Youth Advisor

The Kiwanis Club was honored to serve pizza and drinks for the National Day of Prayer 2026 last Thursday.We will be back...
05/10/2026

The Kiwanis Club was honored to serve pizza and drinks for the National Day of Prayer 2026 last Thursday.

We will be back to our regular meetings at Lakeside Grill this Thursday May 14th at noon. Join us to learn more about our service projects and make some new friends.

Address

1111 S. Parrott Avenue
Okeechobee, FL
34973

Telephone

+18636102333

Website

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