Lions International "Kindness Matters" Service Award

2023-2024

 

"This prestigious award is given annually to a handful of Lions and Leo clubs for performing an outstanding service project in one of our global cause areas. Nominated at the club level, the Kindness Matters Service Award is a challenge for Lions and Leos to develop exceptionally innovative and creative service projects with the aim of leaving a positive impact in their communities."


Bobcaygeon & District Lions Club | Ontario, Canada | Bobcaygeon Fire Vicoms Rescue Project overview: Responded rapidly to a fire that displaced people in an apartment complex. Organized a donation drive, collected clothing, personal items and bedding, and worked with local churches to distribute these goods. Additionally, the Lions club provided US$3,000 in Visa gift cards to the victims and secured a disaster relief grant from LCIF, which enabled them to offer further assistance with a US$425 allowance per victim for essential items. The project also partnered with a local food bank, restaurant, churches and other businesses to collect and disperse resources. Global cause: Disaster relief People served: 27 Number of volunteer hours: 100 Number of volunteers: 12
   
Here is the written application for the award to help clarify what gains attention from LCI when applying for this award.


Service Project Description Supplemental Document Section A



1) Please describe your service project in as much detail as you can.

On the afternoon of May 2, 2024 in Bobcaygeon, Ontario, a tragic fire broke out in an apartment complex, displacing 28 occupants. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but these poor people lost everything other than what they wore. Immediately, our Bobcaygeon Lions Club jumped in to help. We contacted everyone in our community to donate clothing, shoes, personal products, towels , bedding etc. to be dropped off at our Hall. Our Lions and several volunteers from the community then had the chore of sorting and organizing the items. We ended up with a huge amount of donations, so much so that we reached out to a couple of churches to help store the donations. We loaded up many vehicles and transported the donations to these churches where we were able to help distribute them.

Our Bobcaygeon Lions Club gave out $3000 in Visa cards to the fire victims from our public funds account.

Our club also applied to LCIF for a disaster relief grant with the help of our District Governor and District LCIF Coordinator. We received $6,841.90 CDN. We set up an account at our local hardware store, where the victims had $425 each from the grant to spend on necessary items. The help is still ongoing.

2)What was unique, outstanding, or innovative about this service project?

I would have to say that because it just happened, there was no pre-planning, setting up budgets, or even work schedules. We just dove in and helped where we could. We were the first club on the scene and we are still helping where we can.

A Bobcaygeon Fire Victims Committee was formed quickly, and, as President of Bobcaygeon Lions, I joined wanting to have our Lions Club involved. We were honored to be part of a group of dedicated members, including our local councillor, President of the Food Bank, Manager of Aspira Retirement Residence, a Legion member, a member of the Spirit of Christmas, a board member of the Kawartha Lakes Community Disaster Fund and other volunteers, making many lasting friendships. Together, we were able to get the necessary funds for the victims to pay for first and last month's rents. We helped find housing, furniture, necessary household goods, even new credentials that had been lost in the fire.

I am proud to say that several Lions clubs in Region 52 donated money to the Bobcaygeon Fire Victims Fund and our efforts were supported by our District.

I would definitely consider this to be a unique, outstanding, and innovative service project.

3)Why is this service project important to your community?

It helped to bring our whole community together to help others in desperate need. Everyone pulled together, demonstrating how much our community cares for each other. The local businesses were also very generous in their financial assistance.

4)Which local partnerships helped make this project possible, if any?

We worked very closely with our Food Bank, donating supplies and helping to deliver them to the storage units, churches, and victims. We partnered with Bethel, Trentside, and Knox churches in storing, sorting, and distributing the tons of donations. We received free storage units from a local business for the overflow and donated furniture. We received a very large donation from the Spirit of Christmas members. Our local Legion volunteered with funds and help as well. A local restaurant owner set up a go fund me and donated the money to our Lions club to distribute to the victims. We also worked very closely with our local Home Hardware store where our Lions Club has an account, allowing the fire victims to choose what they needed, at a 15% discount. The LCIF grant money paid for this.

5)How did this service project elevate the Lions brand?

Whenever and wherever we were, we wore our Lions shirts and had our Lion signs posted on our vehicles. We were very visible in many places around our community whether we were delivering needed supplies, helping with furniture drops, giving out gift cards, or even picking up donations for the fire victims.

With me being on the Bobcaygeon Fire Victims Committee, I always wore my Lions shirt, pin, and name badge to all of our meetings. At one of the meetings, one of the Committee members asked me all about Lions and what we do. It gave me a perfect opportunity to share lots of information. Two members of the committee are now members in our Lions club.

6)Were any resources from Lions International’s service resources (Advocacy Toolkit,Service Toolkit,Service Project Planners, or program webpages) used to plan and execute this project? If yes, please explain.

Due to the emergency of this disaster, there was no pre planning so these items were not used, but maybe a project planner for Disaster Relief could be assimilated from how this unfolded.