December 2019Past Issues In Tune With the CommunityAcross the city, in streets, parks, and plazas, on rooftops and in gardens, music flowed through Federal Way, Washington, on the summer solstice this year. The Federal Way Lions were leading their city’s Make Music Day, a one-day global celebration of the international language of music. It’s particularly fitting in Federal Way where the public school district is rated the fifth most diverse in the nation, and the public high school is the second most…more...By the Numbers - Dec 2019“It’s the great equalizer. It’s very freeing to be on top of a horse.”—Allie Chase, of the Kettle Moraine Equine Lions Club on learning to ride. “We’ve got a lot of people with chainsaws.”—Casey O’Dell, President of the Camas Lions Club in Washougal, Washington. “That’s just how real life is. Mia is not going to be in an environment of all visually impaired people forever. She is going to be in the real world with…more...Horse PowerEnjoy this article from December 2019. Victor was severely malnourished before Diane Besson stepped in. It was 2018 and Diane Besson was off to Muskego, Wisconsin, to pick up her eggs from the local CSA (community-sponsored agriculture) she’d joined. As she pulled up to the farm, she noticed a couple of tiny horses in a nearby pen. The only shelter was a small fabric Quonset. One of the horses looked incredibly malnourished. “I couldn’t believe…more...Kindness Brings Warmth to the Giver and ReceiverGreetings, Lions. What is kindness? It is all the things Lions do: It’s serving. In our communities and beyond. But kindness is one of those words that can get overused, and the real meaning sometimes becomes lost. Kindness is any act that makes life better for any living thing, even for just a moment. Isn’t that what we’re really doing when we serve food or donate our time? Aren’t we trying to give people a…more...T’was the Morning Before Christmas...There’s a right way to do things in Nova Scotia, Canada, on Christmas Eve day. Before the house is cleaned for company, before the last shopping is complete, the baking’s begun, or the presents are quickly wrapped, you have breakfast. And you can thank the Kingston Lions for that. While their community sleeps, the Lions are at the Kingston Lions Hall with the lights on, ovens hot, griddles warming up, and the smell of coffee…more...Friendship is BlindA young boy had just finished watching a movie about Helen Keller with his parents when his mother asked him if he knew anyone who is blind. He said, “No.” “But you go to school with blind children,” she reminded him. “No I don’t,” he said. “We are all the same.” Miami Lion Virginia Jacko loves to share this story about one of their pre-kindergarten students at the Learning Center for Children in the Miami…more...Cleanup CrewThe Camas Lions Club in Washougal, Washington, is building community partnerships with the goal of taking on unfulfilled needs in Camas and Washougal. They’re starting by serving those who serve at the beloved Inter-Faith Treasure House. On Saturday, August 17, Lions came together to address several yard work issues at the house, and worked with Triangle Resources just down the road to cover all the debris removal costs. The project is hoped to be the…more...SightFirst Gives New Life to People in Burkina FasoSightFirst Gives New Life to People in Burkina Faso LCIF’s SightFirst program has been restoring and protecting sight for almost 30 years and is now present in 102 countries. This extraordinary program develops comprehensive eye care systems providing aid to underserved populations by developing comprehensive eye care systems. Projects include training eye care professionals and management personnel, upgrading the infrastructure of existing eye care systems, improving access to education and rehabilitation for people who are…more...Club News - Dec 2019Every year, the Sale Creek Lions in Tennessee host the Kids’ Christmas Party with Santa. Children’s names are submitted by teachers. Santa gives each child a new coat, shoes, and an outfit of clothes, plus toys. Families receive a basket of fruit and boxes of groceries, and each child receives a large framed picture of their visit with Santa. The club buys toys and clothes, plus fruit and groceries. Area churches chip in for groceries,…more...Anniversaries - Dec 2019100 Years: Wichita Downtown, Kan.; Muskegon Host, Mich.; Shawnee, Okla. 95 Years: Forsyth, Mont.; Thermopolis, Wyo.; Seaforth, Ontario, CAN; Buckhannon, W.V.; Nutley, N.J.; Port Washington, N.Y.; Palestine, Ill.; Coatesville Area, Pa.; Atlantic Highlands, N.J.; Stroudsburg, Pa. 90 Years: Cut Bank, Mont.; Seiling, Okla.; Lovelock, Nev.; Winnemucca Host, Nev.; Panguitch, Utah; Montgomery, W.V. 85 Years: Logan, Utah; New Bedford, Mass. 80 Years: Milverton, Ontario, CAN; Suffern, N.Y.; Crete, Ill.; Roseville, Ohio; Dewitt, Ark.; Brooklyn Greenpoint, N.Y.…more...Parting Shot - Dec 2019Time to Eat the Donuts Pauline Nickerson is the matriarch of the Nickerson Family Farm in Clear Lake, Iowa, where 3,400 ears of corn are shucked each summer for the Clear Lake Evening Lions’ fundraiser. She gets up early on shucking day and makes these beauties from scratch to have something to feed the volunteers.more...