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International Lions motto is “We Serve”, and members of the Denver Lions Club have been doing just that for more than 100 years. The current ongoing pandemic has brought new challenges and inflicted severe hardships on our communities. Denver Lions continue to rise up to the opportunities to serve during this time. In addition to our ongoing commitments to Rudi Park, Savio House, Kids Sight, vision related assistance and eye glasses collection, through relatively small contributions, the Social Services Committee, in part by enlisting the collaboration of others, many have received much needed assistance during this difficult time. Here is a sample of that social services action since March:
- Resources to provide food delivered to families in Northwest Denver who could not go to schools for the breakfast and lunch usually provided for at risk families.
- Medicine and food for senior refugees, including three on dialysis
- Medicine and food preparation supplies such as grain for members of Ethiopian communities
- Small contributions to three single mothers needing assistance for food and to pay bills when they were furloughed
- Masks provided in the early months of COVID 19 when sources were scarce and later to an elementary school, which also assisted the Mongolian women who made them and their families
- Contribution to Feeding Colorado Heroes to provide food for the night shift at St. Joseph Hospital who served COVID 19 patients
- Gift cards from King Soopers to Lifespan Local for families in Westwood, a neighborhood that has more children under the age of 18 than any other neighborhood in Denver and whose parents work primarily in the service industry and that was extremely hard hit by COVID-19
- Purchase of headphones through Colorado Legal Services to save a severely hearing-impaired senior resident in low income house from eviction for playing his stereo too loud.
- Rental assistance for a disabled woman who had her hours reduced at her job vacuuming at an assisted care facility.
- Donations of materials, books and technology for 3 different specific projects teachers wanted to implement at Denver schools where a majority of the students are low income.
- Transportation costs for a young girl with sickle cell and her brother who accompanied her so they could attend a summer camp.
- Purchase of 200 medical thermometers given to low income, primarily minority, families, some of whom had COVID 19 and had been hospitalized, who did not own thermometers but were in situations where they needed to check temperatures.
- Gift cards from King Soopers to Eiber Elementary School for families trying to return to work primarily in the service industry, but needing to leave children in the care of others where food was difficult to access.
- Payment for group piano lessons for a young boy with special needs including autism, who is not only helped through the music instruction but also through the socialization which is so important but challenging for him. Until his mother can return to work, she couldn’t pay for both the lessons and rent.
- Contributions have also been made for food through other organizations for those in dire circumstances
This is not an inclusive list, but it provides a snapshot of the ways Denver Lions have been able to serve through the Denver Lions Foundation. In several instances, other friends and associates of Lions have stepped forward to personally contribute and many Denver Lions have made special contributions to the Foundation for some of these specific projects.
Yes, Denver Lions Serve and rise even higher in times of crisis.
Thank you Lion Myra for the effort you have dedicated to the Social Services to help so many people. A BIG LION ROAR FOR LION MYRNA.