Browse here to learn how Olympia Host Lions are helping our community. For more information about any project - or to find out how you can help - give us a call at 360 790-8667.
DIABETES
Camp Leo –
Camp Leo for Children with Diabetes provides a week long over night camping experience exclusively for children ages 8 to 18 Over the years Olympia Host Lions played keys roles in the operations and management of camp. Growing from 1 week serving 25 children to 4 weeks serving 400 children, camp provides children the tools to live a healthy life with diabetes.
ENVIRONMENT
Earth Day –
Partnering with the PARC Foundation, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Yelm school districts and park departments from the same cities, Earth Day multi-park clean up projects provide a contest for schools based on student participation. Lions fund the winning school district, provide t-shirts, and staff the refreshments at each location.
Sensory Garden –
Lions planted a flower and herb garden for people to smell even though they may not see. Located along the Bud Bay walking trail at the JKL docks of Swantown Marina, this garden project is a partnership with the Port of Olympia who provides the land and water. Lions provide the labor to plant and maintain the garden which is valued by those walking by. Each time we work at the garden someone stops to thank us for caring for this peaceful sensory garden.
HUNGER
Sunday dinners for the community -
Olympia Host Lions gladly support the Sunday feeding program sponsored by the First Baptist Church where we need each week. Four times a year we provide all the service, clean up and funding for the event that routinely serves 450 people.
Lunches for homeless shelters -
During the Covid pandemic, Olympia Host sponsors 2 meals a month at the Interfaith Works homeless shelter. Members bring assigned parts of a meal for 30 people to a central location for transport to the shelter.
Food is Free Olympia - East West Food Project
September 2020
Thanks to the donation of a 26 foot Budget Rental truck and mileage from Plumb Fit, the Olympia Host Lions Club was able to transport 12 pallets of food from Woodinville to Olympia as part of the Food is Free Olympia Program. Weighing in at 18,084 pounds, the food translated to enough dairy, vegetables, fruit, meat and leafy greens to feed 1004 adults and children.
YOUTH
Dictionaries for 3rd graders –
All 3rd graders in the Olympia and Griffin school districts receive a dictionary which is sometimes the first book the student owns. Lions present the book with an interactive lesson on features of the book. In return the teacher creates a writing lesson using the dictionary where the student writes a thank-you note to the club.
Evergreen Vista children’s program –
Members provide weekly snacks for the homework club at Evergreen Vista Low Income Apartments. Following Lakefair in July we serve a BBQ meal for the entire complex.
VISION AND HEARING
Union Gospel Mission Vision Program -
Lions clubs from all over Thursday county partner with the Union Gospel Mission Vision Program to provide glasses for low income people. Lion Violet Hofman, from the Olympia Host Lions club runs this program which provides a free eye exam and new prescription glasses. Lions clubs donate money to the Vision Program to make this possible.
Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center –
Lions club collect used eye glasses placed in collection boxes placed in their community. Lions gather the glasses and take them to the Lions Eye Glass Recycling Center in Lacey Washington. Clubs set up work parties at the center to wash and grade the glasses for vision missions to third world countries all over the world. People barely able to see are given the gift of sight through this well coordinated program.
Sight and Hearing Screening –
Each year the Olympia Host Lions go to all the elementary and middle schools in the Olympia and Griffin School Districts and all the private schools, to screen the vision and hearing the students. Working through the school nurses the parents are informed of the need for further medical follow up. Taking 3 weeks, this is the club’s largest service project.
Hearing Aids –
Working with the Hear Aid program of the NW Lions Foundation, Olympia Host Lions provides hearing aids for very low income people. The person receives a free exam and hearing aids through a local audiology office upon approval of their application.
Low Vision Resource Center –
People with low vision have limited access to equipment to assist them to function in a world built for sighted people. The center carries adaptive devices freely given to people coming to the center for assistance.
Vision and Hearing Pins –
We most often do not know we are interacting with a person with low vision or hearing. By wearing a handsome pin of an eye or ear, the person can call attention to their special need during an interaction thus improving the persional interaction.
HELPING TO MAKE OLYMPIA AN EVEN NICER PLACE TO LIVE
Music in the Park -
For several years, Olympia Host sponsored summer concerts downtown throughout the summer
LIONS PARK -
Olympia Host Lions were instrumental in getting this park established and continue to help with maintenance and improvements as needed
Downtown Cleanup - helping to make our town more liveable
