“What if people put their talents to work improving their communities?” This was the question Lions Club Founder Melvin Jones asked and later became the foundation of the first Lions Club 100 years ago in 1917.
Five years later, 57 business and community leaders answered that question in Jamestown and formed one of the oldest continuous Lions Clubs in the country, the Jamestown Lions Club.
For 95 years now the Jamestown Lions Club has been serving Jamestown and the surrounding Chautauqua County region.
One of the most important programs the Jamestown Lions Club supports is the Lions See Program, whereby early school age children are screened by the Chautauqua Blind Association staff and trained Lions members for vision disorders. Last fall, out of 269 screenings, 59 children were referred for further eye exams. Hopefully, early detection will prevent future vision issues.
By honoring the Lions Club mission of assisting the blind and deaf, the Jamestown Club provides financial assistance to qualifying applicants needing eye exams, eyeglasses or hearing aids.
Some community activities the Jamestown Lions Club include:
- Hosting a joint picnic with the MS Society for clients of both organizations
- Hosting Christmas dinner and gifts for the blinds
- Fruit Baskets at Thanksgiving and Easter for the blind
- Treating a group of Randolph Children’s Home students to a night at the Gerry Rodeo
- Collecting used eyeglasses at area collection centers, to be analyzed, graded and dispersed to people in thirds world countries
- Providing eye specialists to determine need and fit for eyeglasses
- Donation of money toward the Veteran’s Park on West Third Street, Grave Makers in Soldiers’ Circle of the Lakeview Cemetery, and Playgrounds at Bergman Park
The Jamestown Lions Club is one of the oldest and longest running sponsors of Youth Baseball in Jamestown. In addition, the Jamestown Lions Club built and maintained a building at the Safety Village in Ashville.
Though all of our project are community endeavors, on of our protest moments was when were able to provide an up-to-date reading machine, the ABiSee machine, to an area college student. The machine, an 8-1/2×11 inch computer holds books, papers and newspapers that are read back to the person.
To commemorate our 95th Birthday Anniversary, the Jamestown Lions Club will provide 3 bike racks along the Chadakoin Riverwalk Trail.
Various community fundraisers, such as our White Cane Collection Days, Father’s Day candy & nut sale and more, help us do what we do.
An appeal has been made to area businesses and professionals to support the Jamestown Lions Club through membership, cash donation, or both. Memberships are always open to any civic-minded community person with a heart for helping others. The Jamestown Lions Club meets twice a month. Going fees are waived for the remainder of 2017.
