East Hartford Lions' Service Projects
Lions KidSight Pediatric Eye Screenings
The East Hartford Lions have been screening pre-school and day care children in East Hartford for many years to detect eyesight issues that might go undetected until the children are older.
Christmas Food Basket Distribution
Each year the East Hartford Lions provide at least 50 food baskets to families in need in the East Hartford Community. This effort is supported by food donations from the Lions' members and our annual fund-raising efforts. For more information on this project, or to make a food donation, please contact George Precourt (860-983-8988) or Steve Crecco (860-617-7446)
Lions Low Vision Center
In 1989, the Lions of District 23-B were approached by the then Executive Director of the Board of Education and Services for the Blind, Past District Governor George Precourt (an East Hartford Lion), to enter into a new arena of service for the visually impaired in Connecticut. His proposal was to open a center where visually impaired and legally blind individuals could come for vision rehabilitation and be given aids and devices.
The Lions Low Vision Centers provide glare control, magnification devices, telescopic devices, lighting, rehabilitation, teaching in the use of aids and devices, adaptive technology, safety, mobility issues, and counseling in adapting to vision loss.
Lions-Quest
Lions-Quest has been described as the most effective program for youth development and drug and alcohol awareness ever developed. It has been named a "Model Program" by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse.
The middle school component is designed for the developmental needs of young adolescents. It seeks to develop essential social and emotional competencies, good citizenship skills, strong positive character, skills and attitudes consistent with a drug-free lifestyle, and an ethic of service to others within a caring and consistent environment. The Skills for Adolescence program was developed for classroom implementation with the active participation of students, educators and students’ families.
This program was introduced to East Hartford Middle School by the East Hartford Lions over 30 years ago and more than 10,000 Middle School students and their parents have participated in the “Skills for Adolescence” program.
For more information about contributing to Lions-Quest please contact John Reilly at 860-569-8683 or by email at reilly571@att.net.
Scholarships
The East Hartford Lions provides at least one scholarship each year to a graduating high school senior. The recipient can be from any high school as long as they are an East Hartford resident. In the past there have been memorial scholarships given in the names of Raymond Donovan and Russ Richards. Starting in the spring of 2016 there was a new scholarship available, the Raymond and Louise Donovan Memorial Scholarship. This new scholarship was made possible due to the generous contributions of the Donovans' family and friends.
2020 Lions Scholarship Recipient: Shannell Awuah
2020 Lions Scholarship Recipient: Angela DeDominicis
East Hartford Lions’ Annual Fund-Raising Activities
The East Hartford Lions conduct many fund-raising activities each year to support their charitable endeavors including a Craft Show, Christmas Flower Sale, Pasta Dinner, Easter Flower Sale and the annual Lions-Quest Brunch.
East Hartford Lions' Annual Community Support
The East Hartford Lions provide thousands of dollars of financial support each year to a variety of East Hartford organizations including the Fuel Bank, Homeless Shelter, Friendship Kitchen, Little League and the East Hartford YMCA; as well as the financial support for all the East Hartford Lions' service projects.
East Hartford Lions' Annual International and Statewide Support
The East Hartford Lions provide thousands of dollars of financial support each year to a variety of organizations to meet our main mission of serving people who are blind or have other sight related issues. This includes contributions to ,the Lions Club International Foundation, the Lions Low Vision Centers of District 23-B, the Connecticut Lions Eye Research Foundation, CRIS Radio, Board of Education Services for the Blind student activities and Fidelco. The East Hartford Lions also support the American School for the Deaf, Camp Rising Sun and a Diabetes Camp.
