The Rutherford Lions Club raises funds in order to support local projects and Lion sight and non-sight projects. Here is a list and discriptions of our projects
Local Projects
Rutherford Little League Baseball and Softball 
The Rutherford has sponsored a Little League baseball team since the inception of the program. We also have a sign at the Little League baseball field.
Recently the Little League took over the Borough's softball program. Now the Rutherford Lions Club sponsors a Little League girls softball team and have a sign at the solftball diamond.
Click here for the Rutherford Little League's web site.
Meadowlands Museum
In 1960, a group of Rutherford PTA parents sat at a table, after viewing their children’s social studies/science fair projects. They thought it would be nice for their children to have some “real” objects to look at to aid in their studies. They sent out a letter to every Rutherford parent to ask if people would be willing to donate items of educational value to this new venture.
Today the Museum works to link students of New Jersey Meadowlands history, young and old, to objects that can help them connect to and understand the history the Meadowlands area communities of today. The Rutherford Lions Cub makes an annual donation to the Museum. Click here for the Museum's web site.
The Rutherford Community Blood Bank
The Rutherford Community Blood Bank hold 2 blood drives a year. The Rutherford Lions Club makes an annual donation to the Blood Bank.
The Rutherford Liibrary
The Rutherford Lions Club makes ad annual donation to the library for the purchase of large print books. The club also buys a subscription to the large print edition of Readers Digest for library patrons who are visually impaired.
55 Kip Center 
55 Kip Center is a fun, empowering, and enriching vital resource for older adults and their families. They are Bergen County's ONLY nationally accredited Senior Center of Excellence and has a membership of over 700. The Rutherford Lions Club makes an annual donation to the 55 Kip Center, assists by serving lunch to the Kip seniors a few Saturdays a year and rents their facility for fund raising events. Click here for the Centers website.
American Legion Boys State and Girls State
The Rutherford Lions Club makes annual donations to the 2 Americans. Legion Posts in town to assist them in sending students to the Boys state and Girls State program. Click here for information on Boys State and Click here for info on Girls State.
Rutherford Food Pantry
The Rutherford Lions Club makes a generous annual financial contribution to the food pantry. They have also donated citrus fruit from their annual fruit sale to the Pantry. For information on the Rutherford Food Pantry Click Here.
Vision Exams and Eye Glasses for Needy
Thr Rutherford Lions Club provides vision exams and eyeglasses free of charge to needy residents.
Computer Software
The Rutherford Lions Club has provided computer sofware to assist blind and visually impaired residents.
Christmas Decoration Contest
For over 60 years, the Rutherford Lions Club has sponsored a Christmas decoration contest in Rutherford. Every year, Club members view every decorated house in Rutherford and do the preliminary judging. The Jounior Woman's Club does the final judging and the Lions Club awards "Shop Rutherford" Gift certificates to the winners at a Boroug Council Meeting.
Back to School Gift Cards
The Rutherford Lions Club purchases supermarket gift cards for the Rutherford Social Services department. These cards are given to needy families to assist them with food purchases,.
College Scholarships
For many years, the Rutherford Lions Club have provided scholarships to outstanding graduating Rutherford seniors.
Vision Screening for Children
With financial assistance from the Lions North Jersey District Charitable Foundation, the Rutherford Lions Club has purchased a Spot Vision Screener to screen the vision of children 2 years and older. The Club has held numerous vision screenings at pre-schools and health fairs. The screening is quick and non-invasive. (The device looks like a polaroid camera – it will seem like we are taking a photo of your child).The screening provides instant results to determine the presence of such eye disorders as: Farsightedness, Nearsightedness, Astigmatism, Strabismus (misaligned eyes) and Amblyopia. Amblyopia can only be corrected in children if detected by 5 years of age. If you would like to arrange a screening at a Borough preschool, plese email Lion Laura O'Connor at lauraann37@aol.com. Click Here for information on the Spot Screener.
Sponsors Lions International Peace Poster Contest in Rutherford Schools
Every year, the Rutheford Lions Club sponsors the Lion Peace Poster contest for children 11-13 years old in Union, Pierrepont and St. Mary Elementary Schools. A winer from each school is chosen by Club members. These winning posters continue to the District level with a chance of being chosen as the International winner. Local winning students receive Barnes & Noble gift cards from the Rutherford Lions Club. For information on the Lions International Peace Poster Contest Click Here.
Lions Sight Projects
The Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey (LEBNJ) was founded in 1970 at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of Newark. Known then as the Eye Bank of New Jersey, it became the Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey in 1988 when it became a Multiple District 16 Project, and in 1993, became a State project. LEBNJ serves the 14 northern and central counties of New Jersey.
On August 25, 2005, LEBNJ became a subsidiary of Midwest Eye-Banks, headquartered in Michigan. Midwest eye-banks is a nonprofit corporation that also owns and operates Illinois eye-bank and Michigan eye-bank. LEBNJ is accredited by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA).
The mission of LEBNJ is the restoration of sight through (1) recovery, evaluation and distribution of corneal tissue for transplantation; (2) research into the causes and cures of blinding eye conditions; (3) public and professional education programs that support eye, organ, and tissue donation; (4) eye banking services offered at no charge when patients are unable to afford transplant procedures.
The Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity with a 15-member board of trustees. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, a majority of the board members must be Lions from New Jersey. Two other members of the board are from Midwest Eye-Banks, and two board members from LEBNJ serve on the Midwest board.
The Rutherford Lions Club makes an annual financial donation to LEBNJ
Click Here for the LEBNJ web site.
Music Association for the Visually Impaired Students of New Jersey (MAVIS)
Voted a state project at the 2005 State Convention, MAVIS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing musical instruments and specialized music instruction to legally blind persons throughout the State. Students benefit by gaining confidence, greater independence and improved opportunities for socialization and employment.
MAVIS receives referrals from the NJ Commission for the Blind and other sources. MAVIS will then provide the student with the instrument of their choice and reimburse the student or family for the instruction received. Due to budgetary constraints, MAVIS has a backlog of people awaiting entry to the program.
The Rutherford Lions Club makes an annual financial donation to MAVIS
New Jersey Blind Citizens Association, Inc. (Camp Happiness)
Camp Happiness is wholly owned and operated by New Jersey Blind citizens Association, and is the oldest blind organization in the state. It was founded in 1910 and incorporated in 1917.
Today, Camp Happiness is a year-round facility for the blind. The day program offers a host of projects and activities. The computer program, featuring a narrative software (Jaws) and zoom text, has become the cornerstone of the day program. A new computer program for blind/visually impaired children commenced in 2005. The Lions of New Jersey provide invaluable financial and work program support for the Camp.
The Rutherford Lions Club makes an annual financial donation to Camp Happiness
NJ Foundation for the Blind (Diamond Spring Lodge)
The NJ Foundation for the Blind, once known as Diamond Spring Lodge, is the leading nonprofit organization in NJ offering a continuum of dynamic programs that provides the emotional support and practical training necessary for adults with severe vision loss to return to a full and meaningful life.
Their one-day Essential Low Vision Program provides immediate information to individuals with vision loss and their family members about the myriad of products, services and resources that exist to help people maintain their independence.
The Comprehensive Core Program provides thirteen days of instruction over thirteen weeks in the areas of home management and orientation & mobility, as well as training on Apple's iPad and iPhone for using the Internet, email and specialized apps for daily living. Monthly iPad and iPhone Demonstrations provide an overview of the devices; their integrated apps and accessibility features; and specialized apps designed for the blind and visually impaired.
Our weekly Better Health & Wellness Program is designed to provide a whole-health approach to living with vision loss. Each program is comprised of courses such as Yoga, Tai Chi Chih, Healing through Drumming, Horticultural Therapy and Peer Support Group, and is offered in Bergen, Essex and Morris Counties, with a fourth location planned. Additional classes, such as art, pottery, line dancing, and braille bingo are offered exclusively in Morris County.
With the long-time support of NJ Lions Clubs, NJ Foundation for the Blind is pleased to provide the latest in technology, healing arts, and professional guidance to those who are blind or visually impaired.
The Rutherford Lions Club makes an annual financial donation to Diamond Spring Lodge. Click Here for the Diamond Spring Lodge web site
New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center
The Lions Eyeglass Recycling Program was adopted as an official project of the Lions Clubs International in October 1994, and approved as a state project in May 2000. The goal of the program is to promote eyeglass collection and recycling to meet the demand for quality eyeglasses in developing nations.
Lions clubs collect eyeglasses, eyeglass frames and sunglasses including cataract glasses and send them to the New Jersey Center.
At the eyeglass recycling center, Lions and other volunteers inspect and clean individual pairs of eyeglasses and prepare them for shipment to Lions eye care missions and other organizations overseas.
The Rutherford Lions Club collects glasses at 2 collection points intown: the Rutherford Post Office and 55 Kip Center.
Other Projects
The ARC of Bergen-Passaic Counties
In 1947, in response to a letter in the Bergen Record from Laura Sparks Blossfeld, parent of a child with intellectual disability, a group of parents met to discuss what they might do to help their children with disabilities. That small group of parents joined together to form what was eventually called The Association for Retarded Children (later Citizens) and is now known simply as The Arc.
These original parents helped others in New Jersey and throughout the country to organize parent´s groups. By 1950 the New Jersey Arc and the National Arc had been established. Today there are 20 associations in New Jersey and more than 850 across the United States with over 140,000 members. The Bergen Passaic Chapter of The Arc remains the first and foremost organization for people with disabilities and their families.
The Ruterford Lions Club makes an annual donation to the ARC.
The Rutherford Lions Club has made donations to many other local projects sch as the Michael Cassidy Fund, American Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy Summer Camp, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Project Graduation, St. Lucy's School for the Blind and other projects.
The Rutherford Lions Club has also made donations to Lions Clubs International Foundation to help International and National disasters including the Hatian earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and Huricane Sandy.
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