Detroit Bookfest is proud to announce our new official volunteer partnership with Kiwanis International, one of the world’s most established service organizations.
At Bagger Dave’s Tavern, over sweet potato fries and honey mustard, Detroit Bookfest organizers (including our volunteer director, Crystal Woods) met with Kiwanians, Eleonor “Len Len” Jenks (Lt. Governor, Division 1, Michigan District) and Mitch Groters (Shorewood VP), to discuss building a long-term volunteer engine for the festival.
What emerged was much more than a one-year plan. It was the creation of an annual civic partnership.
Over the years, Detroit Bookfest has morphed into more than a single annual event. It is a public, open-access cultural experience rooted in literacy, community, youth access, and shared public space. Kiwanis operates with a remarkably similar mission. They are focused on improving the lives of children and strengthening communities through service. The alignment between us was apparent immediately.
“Detroit Bookfest brings families, young people, and the community together around literacy and access,” said Eleonor “Len Len” Jenks, who oversees multiple clubs across the Michigan district. “Kiwanis wants to help out at that exact nexus of positive forces.”
Starting this year, Kiwanis will serve as an official volunteer partner of Detroit Bookfest, committing an initial team of approximately 15-25 volunteers to Bookfest. These volunteers will be integrated across the event, helping guide attendees throughout Eastern Market, supporting vendor set-up and teardown, assisting with operations, and serving as hospitality ambassadors throughout the day.
Volunteer coordination, including roles, shifts, and onboarding, will be developed collaboratively between Detroit Bookfest and Kiwanis leadership. Because Kiwanis operates as a network of clubs, this effort will extend beyond a single group. Volunteers may be sourced from multiple Metro Detroit divisions including Detroit No. 1, Kiwanis Club of Cosmopolitan Detroit, Corktown, and Shorewood, creating a unified Kiwanis presence across the festival.
Founded in Detroit in 1915, Kiwanis has spent more than a century building community through service. Today, the organization includes 445,000 members worldwide across 85 countries. In Michigan alone, there are approximately 3,500 members contributing to a broader global effort that generates more than 7 million volunteer hours annually and raises $390 million each year through the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.
Locally, the Detroit No. 1 club, founded over 100 years ago, continues playing a major role here in the region. The club maintains a warehouse of books and donates approximately 200,000 books annually throughout Metro Detroit, reinforcing a mission that closely mirrors the goals of Detroit Bookfest.
“This is about showing up and doing the work,” said Mitch Groters, a Kiwanis member and supporter of Detroit Bookfest. “Bookfest already brings the people. Kiwanis helps bring volunteers. Together, we can make the experience stronger for everyone involved.”
By establishing Kiwanis as a returning volunteer partner, Detroit Bookfest continues building the kind of infrastructure that supports long-term growth and sustainability. In exchange, Detroit Bookfest will provide space on-site for Kiwanis to connect with attendees and increase its membership.
While Kiwanis will serve as a cornerstone partner, Detroit Bookfest will continue to recruit additional volunteers independently. The scale of the event requires a wide range of support, from greeters and logistics teams to on-the-ground ambassadors helping attendees navigate the experience.
At its core, the partnership reflects something larger than logistics. It is about the friendship of two organizations that believe in the same idea: that access to books and shared public experiences matter tremendously, and it requires people willing to donate their time to make it happen.
At Eastern Market, a prime gathering spot for generations of Detroiters, that idea will take on a new form this summer, with more volunteers, more connections, and a partnership that will hopefully grow for years to come.
