FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2025  

For more information, contact:  

Brittney Knox-Mensah  

(205) 566-0033 

Brittney@civitan.org 

Civitan International Celebrates Annual Awareness Month with Focus on Reigniting Social Responsibility, Civic Engagement
Service clubs dedicated to serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Civitan International, a global service organization serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), is celebrating Civitan Awareness Month this April and the campaign theme is, “Communities do well, when Civitans are there doing good”, paired with a heart displaying the organization’s core values to remind others of Civitan members and their love for serving one’s community.

“At a recent conference of the nation’s top leaders of service organizations, the event attendees participated in a viewing of the documentary “Join or Die,” a film that explores the decline of social and community engagement in America,” Michael Morgan, president of Civitan International said (Morgan is a volunteer serving in Civitan’s top leadership position).  “This film highlighted key research about how the weakening of community bonds can affect society, and how joining clubs, like Civitan, can result in positive community change.”

Civitan International was founded on March 17, 1917 in Birmingham, Ala., and throughout the years, the clubs have completed various projects with impacts nationwide. In addition to supporting the local community, the many of our clubs have made a tremendous impact throughout the world by supporting the organization’s flagship project, the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC). The CIRC is located at the University of Alabama at Birmingham located in Birmingham, Alabama, where scientists are performing cutting-edge studies related to intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“It is always exciting to see how Civitan clubs across the world come together to celebrate our organization and its history. This year we are hoping to reignite the focus on community engagement throughout communities around the world,” Morgan said.

Civitan Awareness Month is a time the organization utilizes to increase membership in our club and encourage those interested in serving to organize clubs in their area. It is a time to remind potential new members about the organization’s mission to:  

• Serve those with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Provide a service club experience for volunteers to help those in their communities
• Support the Civitan International Research Center in their research efforts

For more information on Civitan International and to learn about ways to give or join the organization, please visit www.Civitan.org.

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About Civitan International

Civitan International is a group of volunteer service clubs around the world dedicated to making an impact on a local and global scale. An emphasis on helping people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) is underscored by members’ hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to community service projects that make a difference in local communities. Spanning more than 20 nations in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Islands, Civitan is truly a global organization dedicated to serving others.

Documentary Reference: Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. In this feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America’s civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking “Bowling Alone” research into America’s decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy’s present crisis.