The Civitan Club of Fairfax is a member of Civitan International. While most Civitan Clubs are in the United States and in Canada, there are Clubs in a number of other nations in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The worldwide Mission of Civitan International is to build good citizenship by providing a volunteer organization of clubs dedicated to serving individual and community needs, with an emphasis on helping people with developmental disabilities.

Civitan International was started in 1917 by a group of men in Birmingham Alabama. The name Civitan is coined from the Latin word civitas, meaning “citizenship.” “Builders of Good Citizenship” was a natural motto for the civic-minded group. Service, Knowledge, and Fellowship are three important emphases. And, of course, Civitans help People, and have fun doing it.

Currently Civitan International is restructuring its organizations, policies, and activities so that they become even more effective. Civitan International and its staff, along with volunteer Regional organizations are focused on encouraging and supporting local Civitan Clubs — which is where volunteers work in the community and where money is raised and shared with worthy organizations.

The Fairfax Civitan Club was chartered in April 1962. It has received numerous awards through the years. Besides working through the local Club, people from Fairfax Civitans have served in other Civitan leadership roles. Fairfax Civitans also are leaders in a separate but related organization called the Foundation for Children with Intellectual and Development Disabilities (FCIDD). 

Civitans have a special focus on helping people with developmental disabilities and funding research into illnesses of the human brain at the Civitan International Research Center (CIRC–at the University of Alabama). Fairfax Civitan and other Civitan clubs are important financial contributors to CIRC. Our Fairfax Club also provides significant monies to a variety of other worthy organizations. We raise money to give away through various fund-raising projects (e.g. selling White House Christmas Ornaments). The Fairfax Club contributes monies and/or volunteer support to small group homes and to special schools and projects. The Fairfax Club also has helped start two “special” Civitan Clubs in the Northern Virginia area, clubs that are mainly comprised of developmentally disabled persons (the “Proud Hearts Club” at ServiceSource and the “Broadway Stars” associated with the MVLE organization).

Each local Civitan Club has its own interests, priorities, and activities.  For example, beside our many projects involving the developmentally disabled, the Fairfax Club supports the Alzheimer’s Association, provides parties at Assisted Living and Low Income Senior Housing projects, supports an equine therapeutic riding center, cleans up one of the Fairfax City’s Parks, and sponsors high school students to weekend Citizenship Retreats.

The Fairfax Club currently meets the first Thursday evening of each month for a business and program meeting, often including some very interesting presenters. Also, every month, there is at least one service or fund-raising project. The Club is a mix of all kinds of people with varied backgrounds. They all share, however, the joy of serving their communities, and especially those with special needs.

For more information, see our website.

Civitan Club of Fairfax’s
Volunteer of the Year 2023/2024:
Linda Powell