History of the Elkhart Community Lions Club

The Elkhart Community Lions Club was chartered May 21, 1988.  The Dunlap Lions sponsored the group at a time when their club was male only.  Our new club began as a women's group and later men became members also.  The Dunlap and Elkhart Community clubs enjoy cordial working relationships, demonstrating the true nature of Lions in general.

Our group is small in number but abounding with enthusiasm and friendship.

As many as nine members have gone to Mexico for the Eye Glass Missions.  It has been a life-changing event for many of us.

Elkhart Community Lions were some of the first Lions in Indiana trained for the KidSight program.  Five members went to the Midwinter Conference in Indianapolis.  After that, a training meeting was held for 5 clubs in the Elkhart Metro area.  We started screening children in March and by June we had processed over 500 children.  Our club continues to be involved both by monetary donations and working at the sites.  Recently, a child was found with cataracts on both eyes.  Needless to say, it makes the work very rewarding.

One of our charter members was legally blind.  Her brother, an electrical engineer, made a low vision reader for her.  She convinced our club that we should be making this available to the community and other Lions Clubs.  Currently, one of our members is assembling the machine and we place them to deserving people in the area and also several of our own members in the past.

It is a pleasure to enjoy the friendship of members and work together to help people in many ways.