Summer 2021Past Issues 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 need and also extends an invitation to the world to join us. We embrace the joy that comes with Service From The Heart. Lions…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 got a problem with the signal indicator," the captain, not wanting to panic the passengers, announced over the intercom. Shirley Brooks-Jones became a Lion after…more...LCIF: A Foundation of Lions, a Foundation of ServiceLCIF Magnifies Service During Disaster What’s more powerful than a pandemic intensified by wildfires, hurricanes, typhoons, and earthquakes? Lions. Magnifying their service through LCIF. To support communities through the COVID-19 pandemic, LCIF awarded Lions across the world more than US$5.3 million, which they used to protect frontline medical workers, provide food for people out of work, increase handwashing opportunities, and connect patients in isolation with loved ones. At the same time, the world’s other challenges…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 their communities, KMSA recipients are clubs who have shown just how meaningful a Lion or Leo club can be. The 2019-2020 Winners Are: Sacramento Antelope…more...Pioneering Geneticist Named Honorary LionAs part of their annual Tribute Day, Arthur Riggs, Ph.D was invited by the Lions Club of Montebello to be an honorary member for his extraordinary contribution and incredible advancements in the fight against diabetes. In 1978 Riggs co-led the team that laid the groundwork for the development of the first synthetic human insulin with Diabetes. Currently the Samuel Rahbar Chair in Diabetes & Drug Discovery at City of Hope, a comprehensive cancer care center…more...Peace PrevailsIn a year of pain and heartbreak for many, the annual Lions Clubs Peace Poster Contest proves that peace does find a way. Despite global lockdowns, clubs organized and children created elaborate drawings, many featuring healthcare workers, to share their idea of peace with the world. 2020-2021 Grand Prize Winner Yue Zhang. The 2020-2021 grand prize winner is Yue Zheng, 13 years old, from China and sponsored by the Dalian De Long Lions Club. Pease…more...LDUN Prompts Lion Sing-AlongLions Day with the United Nations (LDUN) has been an important Lion tradition for 43 years, taking the opportunity to showcase Lions’ commitment to peace and service that transcends politics and borders. This year was no different, even if it was just a little different. More than 5,600 Lions and leaders from 140 countries registered for the event to discuss this year’s theme “Connected Through Service.” The weekend culminated in Lions and Leos joining together…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 can better navigate the world with the devices Lions have provided. "You know how boys are and eating," says Bitzan with a chuckle. Her sons…more...Executive Summary - April 2021EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Virtual On-Line Meeting Oak Brook, Illinois, USA April 12-21, 2021 Audit Committee The committee received an update from Lions Clubs International Internal Audit including the scope, overall audit rating, and audit observations for completed audit projects. Follow-up on observations will be performed as part of the internal audit process. The committee received an overview of Enterprise Risk Management providing and understanding of the initial steps and approach…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 it’s known to locals, needed an ambulance, residents often waiting 45 minutes for help to arrive. With demand outpacing resources, people were dying. Eager to…more...Club News - July 2021In Oklahoma, the city of Hugo honored Leo Caleb Joe, 17, with the Volunteer of the Year award. Caleb performed more than 50 hours of community service through the active Hugo Leos Club. The Snellville Lions and Lions of Georgia led by Marcia Anderson-Esson, District 18I chairperson for hunger, partnered with the local food bank and others to distribute USDA Farm to Families boxes of produce, meat and dairy products. Between June 2020 and May…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 ID and $140 in cash. Alexander saw from her address that she lived only a few blocks away, so he went there to return what…more...The Secret of ServiceDear Lions, For my first message to you in LION Magazine, I want to talk about the small things. When Lions Clubs International was started more than 100 years ago, it was founded on the idea that those who can help, should. It was that simple. I grew up with those same values. I was raised in Brooklyn, where most families worked hard and came home tired at the end of the day. But they…more...