Provides financial assistance for eye care to individuals through local clubs. Coordinates sight conservation activities. (Note: There are Lions Clubs in most localities, and services vary from club to club. Check your telephone book for the address and telephone number of your local club.)
Mission
Lions Clubs International is a service organization whose mission is “to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.” Individual clubs work with the local community to provide needed and useful health-related programs for sight, diabetes awareness, and hearing.
Social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lionsclubs YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/lionsclubsorg Twitter: https://twitter.com/lionsclubs Lions Clubs International Blog: http://lionsclubs.org/blog/
Organizational membership
There are approximately 46,000 Lions clubs worldwide, including 1.35 million members.
Programs
Volunteers operate and/or support a wide variety of projects, such as recreational camps for the visually impaired, eye banks, used-eyeglass recycling centers, international health missions, guide dog schools, research facilities, clinics, and more. Clubs may provide vision and/or diabetes screenings through collaboration with community healthcare professionals; many support mobile-screening units; and clubs may provide assistance for eye examinations, eye care, and eyeglasses for people in need. The international office provides area program chairpersons and club volunteers with resources and information for conducting eye health and diabetes awareness programs. Lions Clubs International supports many other programs that may or may not be health related, such as Hearing Preservation, Awareness and Action, Disaster Preparedness and Relief, Environmental Services, International Relations, Lions Services for Children, and Lions Opportunities for Youth programs.
Meetings
Annual Meeting: Always in June/July Area Forums: Annually Three board meetings a year Clubs: Meet once or more per month
Publications
THE LION Magazine: Published 10 times/year; distributed to all members Chairperson Newsletter: Distributed two to three times a year to district and state chairpersons for the programs, Sight Preservation, Awareness and Action, Lions Services for Children, and Diabetes Awareness Lions Eye Health Program: IAD 419 Lions Recycle for Sight: IAD 403 Club Guide for Collecting Used Eyeglasses: IAD 401 Strides…Lions Walk for Diabetes Awareness Activity Guide for Clubs: IAD 184 Lions Services for Children: IAD 303
Representative
Marilee Kadar, Program Development Specialist
Tel: 630–468–6867
Email: marilee.kadar@lionsclubs.org
Education programs
Diabetic Eye Disease
Healthy Vision
Low Vision
Vision and Aging