About
JCI Ottawa Kent
Interested in local volunteer opportunities? Want to make friends with other civic-minded people your age? Join JCI Ottawa Kent (fka South Kent) and become a Jaycee. JCI Ottawa Kent welcomes members between the ages of 18 and 40, providing opportunities to develop leadership skills through community service.
JCI Ottawa Kent is a local chapter of JCI (). As a Jaycee, you’ll be able to participate in community service projects, chapter activities, business networking, and fun social events.
Our Vision
To become the organization of choice for young men and women, providing direction and leadership to our communities and nation.
Our Mission
To provide young people the opportunity to develop personal and leadership skills through local and organizational involvement while expanding the Junior Chamber movement.
Our History
JCI Ottawa Kent was founded in 1966. Through 1965 and early 1966, the Wyoming Jaycees recruited men from Paris Township to form the Junior Chamber. Shortly after, Lew Hebron was elected as the first president of our civic organization. While our group started out as a men’s volunteer organization, we now welcome both men and women. Later on, the Wyoming and Kentwood chapters combined to form the JCI South Kent chapter. In 2026, the chapter rebranded to JCI Ottawa Kent.
Have you ever visited Jaycee Park in Kentwood, Michigan? Not many people know that one of our first community projects was clearing and constructing this public park, which was dedicated in July 1968. Our legacy for community work spans over 50 years, from the mid-1960s into the 2000s. Today, we continue to offer community service opportunities in Kent County for young active citizens.
What We Do
As a community organization, we’re always looking for ways to improve our city for the people who live there.
In the past, our volunteer efforts have included:
- Stuffing a truck for the Kent County Animal Shelter
- Buying items on the wish list for the Ronald McDonald House in Grand Rapids
- Adopting families for Christmas by buying food and gifts
- Sending valentines to veterans homes and nursing homes
- Filling Easter eggs for the Wyoming-Kentwood Easter Egg Scramble
- Hosting fundraisers for worthy causes
- And many other types of community work
We’re always coming up with new ideas for community service. Join the JCI Ottawa Kent to learn what group volunteer opportunities we’re planning next!
Our group is more than just a volunteer organization in Ottawa & Kent Counties. JCI Ottawa Kent is a place where you can connect with other young professionals, build lifelong friendships, and give back to your community.