ABOUT LIONS
It’s that simple, and it has been since we first started in 1917. Our clubs are all over the world and individuals join together to give their valuable time and effort to improving their communities, and the world.
Local & International Focus
VISION - DIABETES - CHILDHOOD DIABETES - YOUTH - HUNGER - ENVIRONMENT - DISASTER RELIEF - HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
VISION - DIABETES - CHILDHOOD DIABETES - YOUTH - HUNGER - ENVIRONMENT - DISASTER RELIEF - HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
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Ever since Helen Keller inspired us to champion the cause in 1925, we’ve served and advocated for the blind and visually impaired. Nearly a century later, this long-standing mission continues unhindered. Learn more HERE |
Over 422 million people are living with diabetes. Diabetes contributes to over 5 million deaths each year Diabetes is a global epidemic, affecting an increasing number of men, women, and children all over the world. As Lions and Leos, we see and feel the effects of diabetes in our communities and are doing something about it together. Learn more HERE |
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Hunger is a problem without borders. Locally we provide donations and support to the Dorchester food bank. Lions Club International provides grants, programs and initiatives to help Lions make huge strides in providing meals and nutrition for those in need in hopes that one day no child will ever have to live without knowing when their next meal will come. Learn more HERE |
OUR BEGINNINGS WERE HUMBLE
Visit Lions Club International
website HERE |
Beginning in 1917
Melvin Jones, a 38-year-old Chicago business leader, asked a simple and world-changing question – what if people put their talents to work improving their communities? Over 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization, with 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs and countless stories of Lions acting on the same simple idea: let's improve our communities. 1920: Going International Just three years after our founding, Lions became international when we established the first club in Canada. Mexico followed in 1927. In the 1950s and 1960s international growth accelerated, with new clubs in Europe, Asia and Africa. 1925: Eradicating Blindness Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA, and challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Since then, we have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired. 1945: Uniting Nations The ideal of an international organization is exemplified by our enduring relationship with the United Nations. We were one of the first nongovernmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter and have supported the work of the UN ever since. 1957: Organizing Youth Programs In the late 1950s, we created the Leo Program to provide the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide. 1968: Establishing Our Foundation Lions Clubs International Foundation assists Lions with global and large-scale local humanitarian projects. Through our Foundation, Lions meet the needs of their local and global communities. 1990: Launching SightFirst Through SightFirst, Lions are restoring sight and preventing blindness on a global scale. Launched in 1990, Lions have raised more than $346 million for this initiative. SightFirst targets the major causes of blindness: cataract, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Today: Extending Our Reach Lions Clubs International extends our mission of service every day – in local communities, in all corners of the globe. The needs are great and our services broad, including sight, health, youth, elderly, the environment and disaster relief. Our international network has grown to include more than 207 countries and geographic areas. |