Spring Valley Lions Club Projects
The mission of the Blind Community Center is to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired adults and children, preparing them for a normal, active life in a society that is principally sighted.
We provide an environment for personal growth, social integration and interaction, and the development of individual skills and talents. Through sharing, caring, tolerance and respect, participants develop a sense of family and community.
Lions Camp Jack
Lions Camp Jack is the dream of its founder, Jack Wyatt, a member of the San Diego Downtown Lions Club since 1969.
Jack's dream was to provide a summer outdoor experience for San Diego's at-risk youth. The goal is to provide a safe and fun-filled one-week vacation away from their regular surroundings, to build and perpetuate a friendly relationship with law enforcement personnel and to reinforce moral and ethical values and community responsibility.
The dream became a reality in 1996 and has been growing stronger each year, with plans for year-round activities. Campers enjoy such activities as Archery, Arts and Crafts, Aquatics, Creative Arts, Hiking and Exploring.
City of Hope is recognized worldwide for its compassionate patient care, innovative science and translational research, which rapidly turns laboratory breakthroughs into promising new therapies.
For nearly 100 years, City of Hope’s pioneering research has brought the world closer to cures for many life-threatening diseases, from cancer to diabetes.
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Spring Valley, CA 91978
• Provide assistance using resources with; free food distribution, child nutrition programs, job training and referrals, educational opportunities, community service and mentoring, housing referral, and promotion of free community events.
• Serving; homeless single men and women, families, children, youth, seniors, students, immigrants, and refugees in San Diego County.
Lions Flag Days
In 1969 a kindergarten teacher in Cupertino became appalled to the attitude of many in the community concerning respect for the flag of our country. She did many things in her classroom to instill patriotism in her students, but the progress was very slow. She appealed to her husband, a member of the Cupertino Host Lions Club, to assist her in her quest for a newfound show of respect for Old Glory. She was Margaret Richter, wife of Lion Al Richter who would seek and win the office of District Governor of District 4-C6. Lion Al was a gentleman with lots of energy and new ideas – ideas that he was afraid to share and make come to fruition.
The Lions Flag Day started in that kindergarten having approximately 20 students. The students learned about the early years of America and the feeling of patriotism among its citizens of that era. They dressed in red, white and blue one day in February, the month of the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. At the conclusion of the day, Mrs. Richter distributed small American flags on short staffs. Other teachers in other schools within the school district heard about the program that she was using and started in a similar manner.
The Lions Optometric Vision Clinic (LOVC) was created in 1963 as a service project, with the support of the local San Diego County Lions Clubs in California. The first clinic was located in the Blind Recreation Center and later moved to its own clinic below the center. The LOVC was established to provide vision care to individuals in our community that could not otherwise afford adequate care. This service has provided eyeglasses to over 10,000 individuals. More than 200 San Diego agencies currently refer patients to the clinic. Each patient must meet certain criteria in order to receive benefits from the clinic. It has been the tireless effort and dedication of volunteers from the Lions Club and the San Diego County Optometric Society that have made this a successful project.
In August 2000, the clinic moved to its present location on the Third Floor of the newly built Blind Community Center on Upas Street. The clinic has two fully equipped exam lanes for optometric examinations. The most modern optical instruments and professional diagnostic equipment available at the time was purchased through donations of Lions International Foundation, the San Diego County Optometric Society and Lions Clubs of District 4L6, as well as individual donors. The clinic is staffed by three employees, an Office Manager, an Optician and an Optometric Assistant. The members of the San Diego County Optometric Society volunteer their professional services and time Monday through Fridays. Complete optometric care is available including examination for lenses, dispensing glasses, glaucoma and other eye health screenings, evaluation for low vision appliances and consulting services for other related vision problems.
San Diego Blood Bank
In 1950 the San Diego Blood Bank was established through the support of the San Diego County Medical Society. The foresight and dedication of founding fathers Dr. Thomas O'Connell and Dr. Frederick G. Hollander led us to the San Diego Blood Bank of today, an organization known for excellence in its service to our community.
Prominent San Diegans have taken pride in San Diego Blood Bank from its earliest beginnings, Jonas Salk, Allan Klauber, Neil Morgan, John Quimby, William Stephens, Sr., Legler Benbough, Dr. J.B. Askew, Mayor Harley Knox and Councilman Charles C. Dail are among those who supported it during its first two decades.
From 1950 to 1953, annual donations averaged 27,000 pints in San Diego County. In the 1960s, San Diego Blood Bank's growth continued and so did donations, nearly 40,000 pints were given annually by 1969. The 1970s ushered in an era of tremendous development. Our landmark Hillcrest headquarters opened in 1972 and our first satellite location, the North County Donor Center, opened in Escondido in 1978.
By 1986, donations reached 86,000 pints annually and have exceeded 100,000 for many years now. Today, we operate eight full-service regional locations and 10 fully equipped mobile units available for on-site blood drives. San Diego Blood Bank fixed centers are located in El Cajon, Escondido, Sabre Springs, San Diego, Point Loma, Chula Vista, Vista and Carmel Valley. Our bloodmobiles travel throughout the Southern California region from San Diego’s most southern cities to the Imperial Valley in the east and as far north as Orange County.
Dramatic events and exciting medical advances have accelerated our development. The progress of open-heart surgery and its concurrent blood requirements in the mid-1960s propelled the San Diego Blood Bank into an even more vital role in our community. In the late 1960s, we were also in the forefront of medical technology when we were one of the first blood banks in California to institute hepatitis screening on all donated blood. San Diego Blood Bank has also helped to develop and institute stringent blood screening tests as soon as they were approved by state and federal licensure. In addition, in 1981 we were among the first blood banks in the nation to formalize a designated donor program, which allows patients to select their own donors. Our autologous donor program also was put into place more than 30 years ago for patients who wish to pre-deposit their own blood for planned surgery.
One thing that has not changed since the very beginning is the remarkable commitment and selfless spirit of our most vital resource-blood donors. Our entire donor population is solely volunteer and has been since 1974. Some of today’s donors are as young as 17 and nearly half are women. Their generosity is as keen as ever. In fact, a few of our regular donors have been with us almost as long as we’ve been in existence!
San Diego Blood Bank is licensed by the State of California Department of Health Services and by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is a fully accredited member of the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) and a member of the California Blood Bank Society (CBBS), America’s Blood Centers (ABC), Blood Centers of America (BCA), the Blood Centers of California (BCC) and is the local Cord Blood Registry for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).
San Diego Blood Bank
3636 Gateway Center Avenue, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92102
(760) 758-5956
San Diego Center for the Blind (SDCB) provides the first step toward adjustment to vision loss through its comprehensive and specialized rehabilitation program. These services greatly impact the vision impaired individuals’ response to his or her disability and their ultimate return to an independent lifestyle in their community. Accurate and timely rehabilitation efforts will facilitate the individual's adjustment to their vision loss.
Guide Dogs for the Blind
At Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), we believe that everyone deserves to move through the world safely and confidently—to live the life they want to live. Our passionate community employs innovative practices to create life-changing partnerships. And, we advocate for the policy reforms that change how the world views blindness and disability. Because when everyone is empowered to participate, our communities are stronger.
With world-class client services and a robust network of instructors, puppy raisers, donors, and volunteers, we prepare highly qualified guide dogs and K9 Buddy dogs, provide guide dog readiness skills, and offer youth programs to empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired. GDB not only improves mobility for our clients, we further inclusion.
As the largest guide dog school in North America, more than 16,000 guide dog teams have graduated from GDB from across the U.S. and Canada since our founding in 1942. All of our services are provided free of charge, including personalized training and ongoing support, plus financial assistance for veterinary care, if needed. Our work is made possible by the generous support of our donors and volunteers; we receive no government funding.
Nonprofit Status
Guide Dogs for the Blind is a non-profit, charitable organization under the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (tax ID #94-1196195). Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
San Diego Food Bank
The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank chapter comprise the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County. Last year, the Food Bank distributed 44 million pounds of food, and the Food Bank serves, on average, 400,000 people per month in San Diego County.
Through our North County Food Bank chapter and by partnering with nearly 500 nonprofit partners with feeding programs, the Food Bank provides nutritious food to individuals and families in need in communities throughout San Diego County.
The Food Bank operates a number of hunger-relief and resource programs for our client population. For a full listing of our programs.
The Food Bank receives food from a range of sources including locally run food drives, the USDA, growers, retailers, and wholesalers. Once the food arrives at our warehouse, we rely on volunteers to inspect and sort the food. Food is then categorized by food group and boxed and bagged for distribution to the community.
Approximately 32,000 people volunteer at the Food Bank’s warehouse every year – saving vast labor costs. The Food Bank distributes food directly to families and individuals in need at more than 200 distribution sites throughout the county every month, often in parking lots.
The Food Bank also provides food to more than 500 nonprofits that operate feeding programs. Nonprofits pick up food from the Food Bank’s warehouse and distribute the food to people in need in their areas. These nonprofits include soup kitchens, shelters, churches with feeding programs, schools, senior and disabled living facilities, and food pantries.
San Diego Lions Gift of Sight
Fourth District Student Speakers Contest
The "Lions Fourth District Student Speakers Foundation, Inc." is a California nonprofit corporation administered by a board of directors and 15 trustees. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide scholarships to augment the prizes awarded to the winners of the California Multiple District Four Student Speakers Program.
This year the Foundation will provide scholarships totaling $103,500.00. From this amount, each of the fifteen District winners will receive a $4,500.00 scholarship, each of the four Area winners will receive an additional $6,500.00 scholarship and the winner of the Multiple District Four Contest will receive an additional $10,000.00 scholarship.
The assets of the Foundation are invested primarily in federally insured, term accounts to provide the highest rate of return obtainable with maximum guaranteed security for the assets of the Foundation. With this investment policy and with additional income provided through contributions to the Foundation, the Lions Fourth District Student Speakers Foundation, Inc. will be able to continue its annual support of the scholarship awards program.
Toys for Tots
The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
