What the West Corners Lions Club does
For more than sixty years, the West Corners Lions Club has served this community by doing the practical, every-week work of a service organization. Our fundraisers — chicken BBQs, the Turkey Party, Christmas Tree Sales — pay for the work. The work itself is below.
Vision screening for schoolchildren. We provide free vision screening at area schools, using a specialized screening camera the club owns and members are trained to operate. Catching a vision problem early can change how a child learns and reads.
Eye exams and glasses. Through cooperating eye care centers, we help students in the Maine-Endwell, Union-Endicott, and Vestal districts get the exams and glasses they need. Families work through their school nurse to access the benefit.
Scholarships for local students. Every year, our scholarship committee reads every application from students across the area's school districts and helps fund the next step for several of them.
Halloween Trunk-or-Treat — books instead of candy. Every Halloween, our trunk hands out a book to every child instead of candy. Donated children's books in good condition are always welcome.
Food pantry support. We restock area food pantries — sometimes a planned drive, sometimes a trunk full of groceries when the shelves are running low.
Holiday clothing and gifts for neighbors in need. At the holidays, we provide clothing and small gifts for community members who are going without.
Cards and visits for area nursing homes. Club members sign and deliver cards for residents of local nursing homes. We're opening this up so community members can sign cards alongside us.
Help for neighbors facing emergencies. When a family in the community loses a home to fire or faces a sudden hardship, the club doesn't wait for the next meeting to vote on it. It acts.
Special Olympics. We cook and serve hot dogs and drinks — free — to Special Olympics athletes, their families, and the volunteers who run the event. Not a fundraiser. Nobody pays.
Supporting other community organizations. We give to other local groups doing essential work in the area — among them Mom's House, CHOW, and Catholic Charities, along with many others. [TRAINEE: full list from Sherry to be added once available.]
Beyond West Corners — national and worldwide Lions work. As part of Lions Clubs International, our giving extends well beyond the village — including Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and other Lions foundations, as well as organizations like Guide Dogs for the Blind.
