Meetings
Members

LEADER DOG

The Freedom District Lions Club supports the Leader Dog Program.  Leader Dog is the Lion's program for getting guide dogs to blind and low vision clients.  They have a facility in Michigan for breeding, care, feeding, and training guide dogs.  They even custom design the leather harnesses to fit the dog's body style.  The client receiving the dog goes to Michigan with all expenses paid for three weeks of intensive training with their new Leader Dog.  Naturally, to do this for 200 Leader Dogs every year requires about fifteen million dollars in donations.

HEROS PROJECT

The Heroes Project honors the evening, night and weekend staff at Carroll County Hospital for their commitment and dedication during these unprecedented times. A group of approximately 15 Lions and 2 friends of the FDLC have been meeting regularly in planning this endeavor. It was decided to divide this project into 2 phases; the first phase is the ‘Thank You Bags’ and the second phase is the ‘Grab and Go’ snacks.

The ‘Thank You Bags’ phase was launched on Friday, February 26th. Lions Scott Walthour, Michele Sciacchitano, Bruce Edwards, Carole Neff, Jerry Apicella, Bob Hodgkiss and Lion Ann Kramb packed the thank you bags on Friday for approximately 350 recipients. The volunteers met at the Freedom District Optimist Hall on Friday morning at 9 am which had been graciously offered to us for our use on Friday by the Optimist members. Each bag contained snacks and helpful items such as protein bars, chips, pretzels, lip balm etc., as well as donations from some of our local businesses, including French Twist, Market Tavern, Be Blends, Tri Sport Junction, Sykesville Station and Norwood Ice Cream and Candy Co. The bonus in each bag was the thank you notes of which many were handwritten by the FDLC Leos and some from the Lions, as well. There were approximately 270 notes provided by the Century and Liberty High School’s Leo members under the direction of Lion Bob Bastress. Lions Jerry Apicella, Carole Neff and Ann Kramb delivered the 20 boxes to Carroll Hospital for distribution.

SYKESVILLE LIONS HOLIDAY TREE

Lions Youth (children of Lion's) helped to spread some holiday cheer Freedom District Lions Club style by decorating a tree the Lions way at the gazebo in downtown Sykesville.  Ezra, Lucas, Mi-ra, Samantha and Mackenzie all helped decorate the tree with the assistance of Lion Melissa and Lions Scott.  

POP-UP FOOD PANTRY

The Freedom District Lions in collaboration with COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) participated in a pop-up pantry for the needy in our community at the Eldersburg Commons parking for 16 week at the height of the COVID crisis.  The groceries are provided by various groups in the area. 

We Serve Safely!

Freedom Lions and the LEO's work together to on two annual service projects:

Members of the Century High School Leo Club, Liberty High School Leo Club and the Freedom District Lions Club (FDLC) were busy, as usual, this holiday season with two of their annual community service projects.  First, on November 27, 2019, Leos and Lions gathered at Salerno’s Restaurant in Eldersburg to pick up and deliver a fully cooked Thanksgiving dinner to each of 27 families (consisting of 137 people) in the Sykesville/Eldersburg area.  The local restaurant prepares and packages the dinners each year at the request of the local service clubs.  Volunteers from the three service clubs assembled at the WalMart in Eldersburg on Saturday morning (December 14, 2019) and the Leos shopped for gifts for 64 children.  When the shopping was completed, the gifts were taken to Liberty High School where they were wrapped by Lions and Leos and bagged by family for afternoon pickup by the parents. 

In addition, Lion Michelle Sciacchitano and Roderick Brown donated coats for the children.  Lion Bob Bastress, Chairman of the FDLC Youth Outreach Committee coordinated both of these projects.


Childhood Cancer Support

On November 22nd, members of the Freedom District Lions Club delivered 306 toys to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore.  The service club does this regularly throughout the year for children receiving cancer treatment on an outpatient basis but this delivery also included same toys for the “Santa Shop” at the hospital.  Parents of a child in the hospital on Christmas day can select a toy from the “Santa Shop for their hospitalized child.  Pictured are:  Front row (l-r) Sinai Hospital child care employees Angela Finelli, Adina Levitan and Kelly Beck.  Back row (l-r) Freedom District Lions Don Champ, Ann Kramb, Barbara Brimigion, Diane Torockio, Gary Peltier and Viki Peltier.


Lifetime Membership Award

Joseph Wisniewski, a member of the Freedom District Lions Club since October 1979 was recognized by the club with a “Lifetime  Membership Award” for his 40 years of outstanding service during their 73rd Charter Night celebration held in Celebration Hall, Messiah Lutheran Church in Berrett on September 11, 2019.  Wisniewski has served 3 times as President of the local service club that is part of the world’s largest service organization in the world – Lions Clubs International.  In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors for several years and chaired many important committees, including the See More Support Group (comprised of Blind or sight-limited individuals who meet monthly to her resource information that assists them in living independent lives plus have social activities and the Pre-school Vision Screening Committee.  Pictured above:  Wisniewski (center) displays his “Lifetime Membership Award” and certificate he received from FDLC President Jim Moore (left) and FDLC Secretary Gary Buchman (right).

 


 

2019 Scholarship Winners...

Matt King, Chairman of the Educational Services Committee introduced this year’s winners of the club’s scholarships during their May 22, 2019 meeting held in Celebration Hall, Messiah Lutheran Church in Berrett. 

The club selects one graduating senior from Liberty High School and one from Century High School each year. 


June 2019 - Sinai Hospital Pediatric Outpatient Clinic

Members of the Freedom District Lions Club (FDLC) Childhood Cancer Committee took a large number of games, toys and stuffed animals to Sinai Hospital Pediatric Outpatient Clinic on June 7, 2019.  The service club donates these new items several times a year so the children have things to occupy their time while they attend the clinic for cancer treatment.  

Lions Clubs International News
Connect with Us Online
Twitter