International Association of Lions Clubs www lionsclubs org
International Association of Lions Clubs www. lionsclubs. org
Lions Clubs International
Lions International History • Started June 1917 by Melvin Jones in Chicago, IL as a businessmen’s club. • 1925 Helen Keller challenged Lions to be”Knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”. • Worlds Largest Service Organization 1. 44 million members in 44, 000 clubs in 194 countries.
• Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) is the grant funding arm of Lions International • Working with Lions, LCIF prevents blindness. It also provides disaster relief, promotes health and assists youths and the disabled. • $15 million for tsunami victims in South Asia • $2. 25 million for Hurricane Katrina relief. • $357 million in grants since 1968 • Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project (AHAP) making low cost, quality hearing aids available to all nations. ($90 -$120)
• Sightfirst raised $143 million starting in 1989 and restored sight to 4. 6 million people through cataract surgeries and improved eye care services for hundreds of millions. • Campaign Sightfirst II has set out to raise $150 million over the next three years under the direction of LCIF. • One child in the world goes blind every minute. 80% of the blindness in the world is treatable or preventable. • The goal is still to eradicate preventable blindness by 2020.
Lions Leadership Training Opportunities • Emerging Lions or Senior Leadership Forum - 3 days held at USA/Canada site or LCI headquarters. • USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum - 3 days every fall, held in a Canadian or U. S. host city. Four featured speakers and 50 leadership skills seminars. • Lions of Michigan Leadership Institute -3 days yearly in November at Higgins Lake. Leadership and personal skill development. • Lions of Michigan Forum -1 day in February. Skill development and information training on Lions activities. • District Officer Training - 1 day in the spring. Training for the responsibilities of each Lions Club office
District & Multiple District Projects www. lionsofmi. com • Association for the Blind Visually Impaired ( ABVI ) located in Grand Rapids and dedicated to advancing the independence of the visually impaired. • Bear Lake Camp - located in Lapeer MI and provides a premier outdoor recreational/educational facility for youth of special needs. • Leader Dog School for the Blind - located in Rochester MI is a training center to increase mobility and independence for the visually impaired. • Midwest Eye-Banks - Serves Michigan, Illinois and New Jersey, providing corneal tissue for transplantation and research. • Welcome Homes - residential facilities throughout the state with emphasized programs for visually impaired residents. • Lions of Michigan Foundation - Providing funding for individual citizens needs beyond the scope and capabilities of single Lions Clubs.
District and Multiple District Activities • Vision Mission to Central America-Collecting and sorting 100, 000 pairs of used glasses a year. Examining 3 -4, 000 people in a week and dispensing glasses, medications and needed surgeries on yearly trip for past 20 years. • All State Band - High School all star band students perform and compete at the Lions International Convention. • Kidsight - Visual screenings for preschool children and infants. • Hearing Committee - Assist with hearing aids and devices for the hearing impaired. • Diabetes - Diabetes testing and awareness programs. • Sightmobile - Mobile vision and hearing screening. • Youth Exchange - International student exchange program. • Youth Outreach - Lions Quest program providing
International Association of Lions Clubs • 300 W. 22 nd Street Oak Brook IL 60523 -8842 “We Serve”
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