We Are
Civitan
Civitans are everyday citizens, just like you and me, who come together in communities throughout the world to make life better for their neighbors. Civitan International comprises member clubs across the United States and in 24 countries, all working to assist those affected by mental challenges and developmental disabilities through direct financial support and hands on projects.
In the Heartland District (encompassing Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklamoma and Texas) local Civitan clubs meet to socialize, learn and serve in their communities.
Click here to find a Civitan Club near you.
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On March 17, 1917, a small group of business and professional leaders in Birmingham, Alabama had been meeting as a civic club which was slanted just a little too much toward personal gain to suit these men. They gave up their charter and set out to build a new club reflecting their own ideals of service and fellowship, choosing the name Civitan, based on the Latin "civitas," a word loosely translating as citizenship.
In 1920, Dr. Courtney W. Shropshire, third president of the still-local Civitans, spearheaded a new vision of an international organization. Within two years, there were more than 3,300 Civitans in 115 clubs throughout the United States.
From the very beginning, Civitan encouraged its clubs to fulfill the needs of those less fortunate and eventually concern for developmentally disabled children became a major emphasis of the organization. In 1990, the Civitan International Research Center was formed at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, the first institution of its kind solely dedicated to the research of developmental disabilities.
Today, the Civitan movement is spreading across the globe, with over 40,000 members in 24 countries. As the Civitan Creed vows, our "hands do the work of the world and reach out in service to others".