On Saturday, June 27, 2026, the Kiwanis Nature Island Club of Dominica marked a key milestone in its community service mission, holding an official induction and installation ceremony at the UWI Global Campus Auditorium to welcome 13 new members and swear in its 2025/2026 executive leadership team. The event, which capped a period of steady growth for the local service organization, was officiated by a delegation of senior Kiwanis leaders traveling from neighboring Martinique, including current Lieutenant Governor Jean Michel Pajaniady, 2026-2027 incoming Lieutenant Governor Thierry Jean-Bart, and Distinguished Lieutenant Governor Didier Saint-Louis.
Mary Winston, who was first elected to the top post of the club on September 30, 2025, was formally installed as president for the 2025/2026 administrative year during the ceremony. In her opening address to gathered members, guests, and organizational partners, Winston opened by expressing sincere gratitude to all stakeholders in attendance, thanking sponsors, affiliated partners, fellow Kiwanians, and community supporters for their ongoing backing, and noting that she deeply valued the confidence the club’s membership had placed in her to lead the organization through the coming year.
Winston went on to reaffirm the core mission of Kiwanis International, a global volunteer service network bound by the official motto “serving the children of the world.” The organization’s central purpose, she emphasized, is to drive tangible improvements in the lives of children and local communities worldwide, a mission the Dominica chapter has worked tirelessly to advance.
Looking back on the work of the current tenure to date, Winston highlighted a slate of impactful community projects the club has already delivered. These included a holiday Christmas celebration for students at Goodwill Primary School held in late December 2025, the distribution of essential food hampers to vulnerable individuals and low-income families across the island, a financial contribution to the youth-focused Operation Youth Quake program, targeted support for a household in crisis in the Stock Farm neighborhood, and an in-kind donation of a mirror to contestants in the upcoming 2026 Miss Teen Dominica pageant. Each of these initiatives, Winston noted, reflects the club’s unwavering commitment to centering youth development and responsive community service in all its work.
“Since assuming this role, I have witnessed firsthand the dedication, generosity, and commitment that defines our Kiwanis family,” Winston told attendees. “These initiatives are only possible because of the generosity and dedication of our members and supporters.” Looking ahead to the remainder of the term, she encouraged all existing members to keep their membership dues current, and challenged the broader club network to continue proactive recruitment of new members to expand the organization’s reach and service capacity across Dominica.
Beyond the presidential installation, the ceremony formally swore in the full 2025/2026 executive board: Nicole Karama will serve as vice president, newly inducted member Daniah Labadie takes on the role of secretary, and Lisa Francis will act as club treasurer. The full roster of 13 new inductees joining the club this term includes Daniah Labadie, Sherika Winston, Shernel St. Rose, Laila Langford, Mitchel Jean Jacques, Erickson Romain, Kernilia Adams, Nea Liverpool, Lisa Francis, Alicia Griffith, Tamara Etienne, Twanny Govindin and Melisha Blanchard.
In a closing statement shared via a post-ceremony press release, the Kiwanis Nature Island Club extended its gratitude to all members, community partners, and private supporters who have sustained its work over the past year. The organization reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to strengthening communities across Dominica through the core values of volunteerism, fellowship, and public service, noting that expanded membership will allow the club to take on more impactful projects for island residents in the months ahead.