April 2019Past Issues More Than One Way To ServeStories from LCIF’s 2017-2018 Annual Report Lions are doers. There is so much to be done in the world. And the physical act of helping can feel so good—hammering a nail in the frame of a new house for a tornado victim, ladling soup for a hungry child, or ushering a grandmother to her first diabetes screening are all visceral ways to experience the rewards of service. But what if there was no money to…more...Build a Strong Foundation for a Strong FutureHello, Lions! When building a home, the most important first step is to have a strong foundation that can support the rooms, furniture, and lives that will rest upon it. In serving, it’s equally important to have a solid foundation to support the work we do. Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is that support. It enables Lions to do work that would otherwise be out of reach. But without the contributions of Lions and friends,…more...Giving the Non-Verbal a VoiceJust because a person is non-verbal doesn’t mean he or she is without the need to communicate. Like everyone else, maybe more than everyone else, the non-verbal need to voice their wants, needs, and emotions. But how? At an Ohio respite home for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, staff recognized the need to solve that problem, and the Lions of District 13 OH1 stepped up to help them do it. They communicated amongst themselves…more...Cycles Help Disabled Feel Freedom on WheelsCycles Help Disabled Feel Freedom on Wheels Nearly 40 million Americans live with a disability. If Joe Tarver had his way, all 40 million would be on bicycles. “People need exercise, and there’s no exception,” says Tarver, a member of the Lubbock (Texas) Lions Club. That’s why, for three decades and counting, he, his wife Nona, and their son Brad, have worked to provide accessible, customizable bikes to children and adults with permanent disabilities. But…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 TV and I heard them say, Helen’” she says. “Whenever I hear that name I look up because it’s my mother’s name. And I looked…more...Anniversaries - April 2019APRIL 2019 95 Years: Seattle University Ballard, Wa.; Jacksonville, Ill.; Easton, Pa.; Syracuse Host, N.Y.; Miami, Fla.; Nazareth, Pa.; Battle Creek Host, Mich.; Milford, Utah. 90 Years: Dallas Oak Cliff, Texas; Gaffney. S.C.; Plant City, Fla.; Farrell, Pa.; Topeka, Kan.; Seattle West Seattle, Wa.; Highland Park Highwood, Ill.; New Milford, Conn.; Ridgefield, Conn.; Newport, Ore.; Douglas, Ariz.; Ann Arbor Host, Mich.; Rock Hill, S.C. 85 Years: Sabina, Ohio; Williamsburg Host, Va.; Roselle, Ill.; The Main…more...In the Wake of Flash Flood, New Club is BornBattered by heavy rainfall, residents of the small town of Nawapur, in the Nandurbar District of Maharashtra, woke up to flash floods on August 16, 2018. The Rangavalli river overflowed and the local dam was breached, flooding 10 villages in the district. About 14 lives were lost and 462 homes damaged. Many had to flee to safer areas. In addition to the human lives lost, 110 animals were washed away in the floods. Even as…more...By the Numbers - April 2019“We want to make sure there is not one day that children go to sleep with hunger, and not one day that children go to school with an empty stomach.”—Past District Governor Ruth Chua, president of the Manila Amity Lions Club, in the Philippines. “With a child in a wheelchair, the other children will say hi to them, maybe, but they don’t play with them very much. But when they ride this cycle, every kid…more...Club News - April 2019The Middletown Children First Lions Club in Virginia dedicated a Little Free Library in their town to honor Past International Director Wayne Davis, a Shawnee Lions Club member who died on October 19, 2018. His wife, Lion Marge Davis, a charter member of the Middletown Children First Lions Club, died shortly before him on September 14, 2018. Both were retired educators. Fifty Lions attended the dedication and many Lions have donated books to keep the…more...