Holiday Food Drive: Since 1948 the Milwaukie Lions Club has spearheaded a Holiday Food Drive that benefits families in North Clackamas County. Starting with only a handful of families, this project has grown over the years to include hundreds of families, serving more than 400 families in 2016. The Saturday before Christmas, we deliver to all the families with food amounts based upon the size of the family, and include toys for children under 12 years old.
The Milwaukie Lions Club and the Milwaukie Elks Lodge have partnered for many years to coordinate the food collection, funding and logistics for the food drive. The KGW toy drive has provided toys for the families with children. Many other organizations and business provides support to the Lions club for this project: North Clackamas School District Students and Staff, Life Christian Center, Wichita Family Supportcenter, Dave's Killer Bread, Bob's Red Mill, Norlift (providing a forklift), Lowes (providing shopping carts), U-Haul, Compassion in Action - Clackamas County, Botsford and Goodfellow. Most of these provide help or services free of charge. In 2014, a building was donated by Phoenix Business Park in Clackamas.
Backpack Buddies: Backpack Buddies serves more than 800 elementary and pre-school children in the North Clackamas School District who need food on the weekends. The Milwaukie Lions Club, with the support of Milwaukie Presbyterian Church, provides coverage for Oak Grove School. They supply a variety of food for the weekend for up to 80 children each week, for 37 weeks during the school year. Enough food is sent home with the students for at least two meals over the weekend, and extra food is sent home over holiday weekends and vacation.
Community & Environment: Our club has been taking on more environmental and commnunity improvement projects lately. In the last year we helped the Johnson Creek Watershed Council plant trees and shrubs in an effort to restore Tideman Johnson Park, and we helped Growing Gardens install garden beds to help low income families grow their own food.
http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/community-and-environment-programs.php
Flags for First Graders: Every February members of our club pay a visit to several classes of first graders at Lot Witcomb Elementary to give each child their very own flag and to teach them about the history and what the American flag represents.
Eyeglass Recycling: http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/sight/eyeglass-recycling.php
Vision Screening: http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/sight/vision-screening.php
Peace Poster Contest: http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/how-we-serve/youth/peace-poster-contest.php
First Friday and Milwaukie Farmer's Market: Come see us in downtown Milwaukie at First Friday and Farmer's Market events. We will be distributing information, fundraising and running raffles to benefit our Backpack Buddies program. Stop by and say hello.
