The Darlington Lions Club undertakes a number of initiatives each year to assist area residents with one of our largest being an annual Christmas Food Basket program.  Each year at Christmas we solicit (through our charitable foundation the Darlington Lions Charities, Inc) donations from area businesses and residents.  We also receive donations of toys from area residents & businesses, as well as club members.  Financial donations are used to purchase and provide food baskets and toys to needy local families identified by the Mason-Dixon Community Association and local churches & elementary schools.  We assisted 28 families during the 2022 holidays with the purchase of more than $4600 worth of food stuffs and grocery shopping cards.  Prior to the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, the foundation also puirchased breakfast food that was prepared and served to clients who receive monthly food distributions through the Wilson Community Center.

In 2014, the Darlington Lions assumed responsibility for organizing the annual Darlington Independence Day Celebration that includes a parade and fireworks.  To facilitate obtaining grants and donations to finance the event, we established the Darlington Lions Independence Day Committee, Inc and received recognition from the IRS as being a 501c3 charitable entity.  The 2023 event is planned for June 24, 2023.

The Club also maintains a stockpile of medical equipment such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, potty chairs, shower seats, and crutches that are loaned at no charge to individuals recovering from surgery or illness.  If you have a need for such an item, please contact us.

We have also undertaken some environmental stewardship projects.  We clean-up trash along Shuresville Road in the spring and fall.  We also maintain an aluminum collection trailer located behind the Darlington Pharmacy.  Donations of aluminum from area residents are welcomed and the proceeds raised from the recycling trailer are used to support our community projects.

From our fundraising activities we provide monetary donations to the following community organizations:

• Darlington Volunteer Fire Company

• Wilson Community Center

• Darlington Elementary School

• Dublin Elementary School

• Darlington-Dublin Parks & Recreation