Lions provide taxi transportation for seniors on Gabriola

Lions Don, Olga and John present a cheque to the Nanaimo Regional District Hospital

Lions International

Since 1917, Lions clubs have offered people the opportunity to give something back to their communities. From involving members in projects as local as cleaning up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the world's blind, Lions clubs have always embraced those committed to building a brighter future for their community.

Today, with more than approximately 45,000 clubs in 202 countries and geographical areas, Lions have expanded their focus to help meet the ever-increasing needs of our global community.

Our programs are continually changing to meet new needs and greater demands, but our mission has never wavered: "We Serve."

As Gabriola Lions we care about the spirit of Lionism, our community, and our fellow Lions and we adhere to the Lions Clubs International's fundamental value, "To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation."

We serve Gabriolans where there is a need, such as:

• Providing emergency help for those who suffered loss, such as fire.
• Assisting people with disabilities both financially and with special equipment
• Providing funds for young Gabriolans undertaking help for others at home and abroad.
• Supporting Gabriola students through generous bursary and scholarship programs.
• Funding senior's transportation service.
• Helping with transportation and accommodation where family members are in need of special medical care away from home.
• Supporting certain community organizations such as Rainbows, People for a Healthy Community, and The Gathering Place.
• Supplying funds for construction of the Gabriola Sports Field.
• Providing Christmas food vouchers for Gabriola families in need.
• Helping with youth programs such as 4-H and Scouts.
• Assistance for the elementary school lunch program.
• Student assistance for travel for education and overseas service.
• Special equipment for local medical clinics.

We support Organizations dedicated to specific causes:

• Shawnigan Lake Camp is entirely a Lions project for kids in need to get away to a summer camp. Lions members also work at the camp.
• Timmy's Telethon is a fundraising event for disabled children.
• Easter Seal House Program provides accommodation so that parents of children requiring hospitalization a distance from home may be close to their child.
• SightFirst is a world-wide blindness prevention program.
• Donations to Children's Hospital in Vancouver.
• CNIB (Canadian National Institiute for the Blind)
• Heart & Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon
• Dog training facility for sight and hearing impaired, and epileptics
• Lions Quest drug awareness programs
• DARE Drug Abuse Resistance Education adopted by the RCMP to provide tools for young students to resist drugs.
• Diabetes awareness
• Funding for an eye surgery instrument, a quiet room and hospice facility at Nanaimo General Hospital
• Labour and funding for many local projects such as the parking lots at the Community Hall and Agriculture Hall, the kids corner outside the Community Hall, and assisted with the bus used by the Gabriola Home Support.
• Learning assistance programs for the local school and student Police for a day.
• CARE (Canadian-American Relief Everywhere) assists rural communities in South America and Africa generally in the area of fresh water supply.
• Seniors Housing projects in particular the Garden Homes Seniors Residence on Gabriola.