PopularSight for Kids, a Powerful PartnershipSight for Kids, a Powerful Partnership Ben was 3 years old. He should have felt happy, inquisitive, and brave. Instead, he always seemed to have an angry expression on his face. He rarely smiled. In addition, he had delayed motor skills and difficulty walking; he would frequently run into things.…more...The PianistOne warm September day a young man drove up to the Lion’s food tent near Gates, Oregon, pulling a flatbed with a grand piano on it. He is a pianist in a large orchestra, but due to COVID-19 all of his performances were canceled. Since the people couldn’t come to…more...The Bird ArtistIn early spring, sometimes as early as the first cold mornings of March, Jeff Klinefelter will rouse before daybreak and drive out to his pond to get in place before the migrating ducks or other birds light on the water or the woodland edge.more...Thriving In The Digital EcosystemScientists are still unsure when, or how exactly, animals took flight. They do know it happened four separate times: in insects, bats, birds, and pterosaurs. Whether gliding from treetops or jumping from the ground, at some point in history animals began flapping their arms. And eventually, they flew.more...Campaign 100 Is Supporting New Opportunities for LionsCommunities around the world are in great need, facing challenges that seem to grow and multiply. Nevertheless, Lions work tirelessly – whether it is reaching out to neighbors across town or across borders – to create lasting positive change. Thanks to grants from LCIF, Lions receive the support they need…more...Kitchen Gardens Feed the Belly and the SoulResidents of the St. Lucy Home for the Elderly on the West Indian island of Saint Lucia have been enjoying a bounty of freshly grown vegetables that are adding flavor and valuable nutrients to their diets. Thanks, in part, to the efforts of the 50-member strong Castries Lions Club, an…more...Mending the Social FabricWhen neighborhoods determine who is healthy and who is sick What makes us who we are? Beyond the genes that code for our eye color and skin tone, what determines all the nuances that make us…us? Are we strong because we inherited our grandmother’s sturdy build, or is it because…more...Cans for Kids with CancerThe Marquette Lions spent weeks in an empty chicken barn sorting cans for recycling. The Marquette Lions envisioned a simple three-hour event to collect and recycle empty, refundable aluminum cans. But they ended up moving a mountain — a mountain of 81,501 empty beverage cans worth 10 cents apiece, and…more...A Heart For ServiceWe serve with love and compassion in communities around the world. The selfless giving of our time and effort is precisely what makes Lions so special. When we give, we expect nothing in return. Yet we gain so much. Our service offers hope and connection in the face of great…more...Be Our GuestsWhen a powerful earthquake hit the Aegean Sea on the western coast of Turkey this fall, Lions and Leos were the first non-governmental organization at any of the rescue sites. “Where can I go?” “How can I find the authorities?” “Where will I live?” “Who will feed my children?” Although…more...Feel Good MomentsIn early May, in the midst of all the interviews, pictures, and meetings that precede the announcement of a new President, VP Doug Alexander walked out of the Dollar Tree, heading across the street to complete his errands, when he found a wallet on the ground. Inside was a woman’s…more...Tornado Puts Small Town in TailspinWhen an EF3 tornado tore through Seneca, S.C., last spring, destroying more than 200 homes and damaging another 1,700, it passed within one quarter mile of the Golden Corner Food Pantry, the largest food pantry in Oconee County. They serve an average of 1,000 households a month, including hundreds of…more...Waiting for the ShotBob Mead-Colegrove was a nervous wreck. A new hockey dad, Bob had signed up to play music for his son Andrew’s hockey game. Andrew was playing goalie for Team USA against Team Canada and, at 16, he was the youngest person on the team. Bob settled in next to the…more...Animatronic Pets Bring Real JoyIt was early August 2018, and Susan Matroni was listening to the evening news from her home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when she looked up and saw her mother on the television screen. “I don’t usually sit down and watch the news early, but for some reason I turned on the…more...Better TogetherWhen the world’s largest service organization comes together with one of the United States’ largest health benefits companies, good things are bound to happen.more...KidSight Program Expands to Change Lives in ColombiaEsteban had never had his vision screened before. He had never seen those strange devices, but the Lions who brought them made him feel safe. He and his schoolmates lined up for vision testing, then followed the simple instructions: Look straight ahead and find the little bunny on the front…more...The Psychology of HelpingWhen a photo appeared in September 2015 of a three-year old Syrian boy who drowned while trying to reach Europe with his family, the world seemed to momentarily open its eyes to a refugee crisis that had been quietly building for years. The boy’s name was Alan Kurdi, and in…more...LCIF Special FeatureHello Fellow Lion. I am excited about this Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) feature, highlighting valuable grant information, appreciation from beneficiaries touched by LCIF and Lions, a milestone celebration of SightFirst, Campaign 100 resources, exciting Lions Quest changes, and more! In exploring your foundation, I am confident you will gain…more...Diabetes: Lions Take on a Global Epidemic Diabetes: Lions Take on a Global Epidemic It’s an easy, 12-minute drive from Len Dompke’s suburban Chicago home to the local hospital. Yet, the first time Dompke made the drive, it was one of the hardest of his life. Making this drive meant recognizing and changing some unhealthy habits,…more...Christmas is for the BirdsFor generations the Swedes have fostered the holiday spirit by saving the last cuttings of the harvest to make a Julkarve, or Yule Sheaf. It’s a bundle of oats that’s hung on a lamp post, fence, or barn to feed the birds on Christmas morning. As legend goes, if many…more...Super KidsLions in Germany believe life should have as many magical moments as possible. Those moments can help keep courage up and hope alive in difficult times. And that's exactly what the Braunschweig Lions Club wanted to do for a total of nine children at the Braunschweig Pediatric Cancer ward (K5).…more...Power, Peace, and PurposeAs an 11-year-old boy fighting cancer in 1999, Michael Hunt learned many lessons. One has been unforgettable: “Breathe in the light. Blow out the darkness.” Twenty years later, he is a black belt in Tai Kwon Do who works to help kids learn the power they have inside.more...Your Best Lion Year Ever2020 - 2021 Being a Lion isn’t only about serving; it’s also about having fun. With new clubs popping up, and old clubs taking a new look at how they Lion, there are all kinds of ways to design a fun and productive year of service. Here’s your guide to…more...Potato PirouetteWhen COVID-19 hit Lions in France, they didn’t stop dancing, they just changed their moves.more...A Heartfelt Gift to Families in NeedIn the summer of 2019, the doors to Heartfelt House opened in Springfield, Oregon, offering affordable lodging to out-of-town families of patients at the newly constructed PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. Among the more than 600 donors who contributed from US$10 to US$1 million are Lions. More than…more...Calling All Senior CitizensWhen the small community of Barkhamsted, Connecticut, got their first stock of vaccinations for their residents age 75 and over, Town Selectman (mayor) Don Stein knew seniors would need help navigating the online portal required to register for their shots. And he knew just who to turn to. Barkhamsted Lions…more...The InvisiblesA cast of characters deep in Florida’s interior help the unseen to see. “ I struggle with what God wants me to do. Feed the hungry? Clothe the naked? Visit the imprisoned? Is that everybody or only U.S. citizens? ” - Lion Margarita Romo, Dade City Hispanic American Club. Past…more...Lions Celebrate 20 Years of SightFirst in MadagascarCataracts are the number one cause of blindness. Moved to change the reality for those affected, more than 20 years ago, Lions in Madagascar started a SightFirst project to address the issue. Since then, the Lions have gone on to do so much more. “When we see the smiles of…more...Kindness MattersKindness comes naturally to Lions The Kindness Matters Service Award (KMSA) is given annually to a handful of Lions and Leo clubs for performing an outstanding service project in one of the global cause areas. Intended to recognize and encourage innovative and creative service projects that leave positive impacts on…more...Flags and FlowersNearly six years ago 10-year-old Preston Sharp visited his Navy grandfather’s grave on Veteran’s Day. He was disappointed to see no one was honoring the vets on their special day. He decided to change that.more...From the AshesIt was after her husband died in 2015 that Karen Crook became a Lion, at least that is the official story. But it really goes back to her parents – and Paradise. That is the name of the Northern California town located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain…more...Picture ThisThe Knowlton Lions were puzzled. After years of promoting community spirit with annual events like a Santa Claus parade and garage sales, the pandemic was forcing them to rethink ways to keep spirits up in their scenic community of Knowlton in southern Quebec, Canada. Knowlton Lions Sue Perkins, Meredith MacKeen,…more...Sharing the BountyThere’s no reason why a juicy orange, a tangy lemon, or a tasty tangerine should be left on a tree when it could help feed people in need. That’s the reasoning behind a citrus gleaning project spearheaded by the Phoenix Asian American Lions Club in District 21N in Phoenix, Arizona.…more...Parading AroundFor more than a century the people of Pickerington, Ohio, have celebrated Labor Day in a big way. And for 72 of those years, the Pickerington Lions Club has run the show. Past years have featured horse shows, flower shows, boxing matches, and horse races, but two things have always…more...Twenty Years LaterOn Sept. 11, 2001, Shirley Brooks-Jones was on Delta Flight 15, headed from Frankfurt to Atlanta, from where she'd fly to her home in Ohio. She had no idea what was happening in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania or the real reason their plane was being diverted to Newfoundland. "We've…more...O Canada! We Stand on Guard for TheeWith support from Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), brave and compassionate Lions across the world have banded together to help communities safely navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Southern Ontario, Canada Lions are no exception. True to the lyrics of their country’s national anthem, District A-3 Lions have stood “on guard for…more...Lions Quest Helps Students Adjust to Changes Caused by COVID-19It should be no surprise that COVID-19 is affecting today’s children and their education. Adjusting to online learning, adapting to a new way of life, and learning about an uncertain and seemingly ever-changing virus is giving children a level of stress they may have never known before. Though life can…more...Reaching Rural Communities Fighting COVID-19Lions in Karoi, Zimbabwe, fight to save their community from the spread of COVID-19 by traveling deep into rural areas to deliver vaccines. “Our desire is to reach herd immunity in our little town,” says Lion Chipo Green.more...Steam Team Revives Lost LocoIt took the advanced engineering skills of dozens of volunteers and more than 30 years of meticulous work, but the restoration of an old steam locomotive train is now complete, thanks in big part to Lions in Renwick, New Zealand. Restoration began with a collection of steam train enthusiasts, retired…more...LCIF Helps Save Lives in IP Alexander’s Beloved Home CommunityDesperate need. That’s one way to describe the situation in Brooklyn, New York’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, which happens to be home to International President Douglas Alexander. LCIF awarded Brooklyn Bedford Stuyvesant Lions Club a US$17,500 grant to purchase a new ambulance to serve their community. Historically a disadvantaged neighborhood, Bed-Stuy, as…more...Leos Feed into Helping Those Living with HIV/AIDSThe Coppell High School Leo Club in Texas reached out to seven non-profit organizations in their quest to find a community project. What they chose proved that a little kindness and conversation over a warm, home-cooked meal can go a long way. On five occasions the Coppell Leos AIDS Supper…more...2019-2020 LCIF Annual ReportAt the outset of my term as chairperson of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), I imagined the day I would write this message, reflecting on global progress made possible by LCIF during the year. What I never imagined is how incredibly full my heart would be today. In a year…more...Leaving It All BehindLiz McMillan was at a community event in Ashburton District, New Zealand, about an hour’s drive from Christchurch, when she heard the news. A white supremacist had attacked Muslim worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand’s second largest city of Christchurch on the South Island, killing 51 people and injuring…more...A High NoteSometimes Saving One Life Can Help Change Your Own His father calls him “cheeky and cheerful.” Jayden, 3, also is—in the best sense possible—a mimic of sorts. Often confined to a hospital bed while he battles cancer, he’s accustomed to being helped. But he’s learned to do unto others as…more...Past International President Rohit C. Mehta, known as the Father of Indian Lionism, died on the morning of September 17, 2020. He was 91 years old. The late Past International President Mehta became a Lion in 1956 and after years of dedication and service to the association, became International President…more...Chocolate Tater Tots and Blue FeetLosing her sight has not stopped Heather Bitzan from making her fabulous soups for her three sons. She can read recipes and food labels thanks to an ingenious device called the OrCam, a small camera attached to her eyeglasses that translates information into spoken words. Since losing her eyesight, Bitzan…more...Horse PowerFor Lion Diane Besson, saving an old horse was just the beginning 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…more...Playing With MusicAt Montezuma Elementary School in rural Iowa every kid gets to be a cool percussionist and there are no wrong notes. Thanks to the Montezuma Lions Club there are nine musical percussion instruments on the school’s playground. Included with the xylophones is a color-coded music book with notes for songs…more...Uncovering a Bright, New World for the People in LiberiaReceiving eye care in Liberia can be difficult. There are only six ophthalmologists in the entire country, all working in the capital of Monrovia. Only two of the ophthalmologists regularly perform cataract surgery. As cataracts are the main cause of blindness (60 percent) and severe visual impairment (62 percent) in…more...Lions Mobilize to Shield Healthcare WorkersWhen the country went into lockdown due to COVID-19, DG Waldoylson da Silva Miranda’s manufacturing facility, which he owns with his wife, Tatianna Afio, came to a grinding halt. As Miranda hunkered down with the rest of the country to wait out the virus, he watched a steady stream of…more...