Service Projects:
Eye Glass Recycling: The Puget Sound Area is lucky to have one of the first and largest Eye Glass Recycling Centers (LERC). Lions collect used eye glasses, clean, sort and match up the used glasses with people in third world countries who cannot afford glasses. In several cases, these people have never been able to see before receiving these glasses and it changes their lives.
Eye Glasses & Hearing Aids for Those in Need: While we recycle used glasses for those in other countries, we also work with those in our communities who do not have the means to pay for eye exams and glasses. We also work with the Northwest Lions Foundation to help provide hearing aids for those who cannot afford to pay for it themselves.
North Mason Community Giving Tree: Many years ago a North Mason Lion was visiting family in California when she witnessed their community giving tree. She was very impressed with their idea and work that she helped start our community giving tree event. The event has grown and changed over the years, but the North Mason Lions Club partners with the NM Rotary Club, several church and food bank organizations to put on this event. The Lions Club organizes the gift part of the event, while the other organizations provide food, used clothe drives, Christmas trees and more. In 2017 we provided Christmas gifts, food and clothes for 160 families, including over 400 children.
Project New Hope: Lions Project New Hope North West is a project that helps families who have had a member serve in our military and now suffer from PTS. LPNHNW puts on several camps a year that help the families talk and cope with life after war.
Ramp Building: The North Mason Lions Club builds ramps for those who needs ramps to be able to come and go from their own homes. Generally these people can afford the building materials, but not hiring a contractor. Our members provide the help needed to build these ramps.
Scholarships for North Mason High School Students: The North Mason Lions Club gives out one or more scholarships every year to North Mason High School seniors. The scholarship committee has the discretion to provide several small scholarships or one large scholarship depending on the applicants.
Sight & Hearing Testing for North Mason Students: Washington State requires that our schools test the children’s vision and hearing almost every year. This is a large expense that many schools cannot afford. The North Mason Lions Club volunteers ever year to test the sight and hearing of almost 1,000 in the North Mason area.
Fundraising Projects:
Allyn Days Pancake Breakfast: The North Mason Lions Club co-hosts the Allyn Days Pancake Breakfast with the Allyn Fire Department. We cook pancakes, French toast, ham and scrambled eggs for donations. Allyn Days is the third weekend in July, and breakfast is served from 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM on Saturday.
Bremerton Raceway Concessions: The North Mason Lions Club provides concessions for the Bremerton Motor Sports Raceway. We split the events with the Port Orchard club. We cook a variety of breakfast dishes along with burgers, hot dogs, philly cheese steak and grilled cheese sandwiches. We have several events throughout the year starting in February (brrrrr) through October. Come check us out at the races!
Fruit Sales: The NM Lions Club traditionally sells local peaches, pears, nectarines and apples.
The North Mason Lions Club is sponsoring the sale of delicious, tree-ripened, handpicked, hand-packed, Yakima Peaches, Pears and Nectarines. Each case is a 20 pound box of free stone peaches or nectarines, which are $30 each, and the cases of Bartlett Pears are $25 each. Contact your club coordinater to place your order. All orders must be paid by August 4, 2018 for delivery by the middle of August.
We are also sponsoring the sale of local, juicy, tree ripened Fuji Apples. Each case is 40 pounds and only $30 each. Our club joins over a dozen other clubs in October and hand picks and packs the apples for our customers. No apple goes to waste. Apples that are not fit for human consumption are donated to local farms for feed. Small apples just right for little hands are packed and donated to local preschools and day care centers. And many more boxes are donated to our local food banks. Delivery is in mid to late October.
White Canes Days: Many individuals throughout the world who are blind or who have severe vision loss use the familiar white cane with a red band at the bottom. Lions help increase awareness of this "symbol of independence" – and the laws governing its use – during international white cane events. October 15th is National White Cane Safety Day, and the third week in May is White Cane Week. The NM Lions Club hands out white canes during a weekend in May, and raises funds that are split between our community to help those who cannot see, and donated to the Northwest Lions Foundation.
All funds donated by the public goes back out to the public. No Lion will benefit from the funds trusted to us by the community.
