History of the
The Toluca Lake Lions Club was charted on April 20, 1964, with 21 members to serve the areas of
During the first few years, the money raised by the Club was donated to Twin Vision for the use in publishing the Twin Vision Hot Line to the blind all over the nation and for a new typewriter. Funds also went to needy families for Christmas dinners. Members and their families participated in a Red Cross blood drive, donating eight pints.
Over the years, the club has continued to raise funds for local, national and international causes. Additionally, club members donate their time for such things as serving lunches at the Foothill Center for the Blind, raising puppies that became seeing eye dogs, holding vision and glaucoma screening clinics, collecting and recycling eyeglasses for use in developing countries, hosting young people from foreign countries in the Lions Clubs Youth Exchange program, teaching ESL courses, staffing the call center for MDA's annual telethon, collecting pop-top tabs and cooking meals for our local Ronald McDonald House, teaching music for an after school program for at-risk children, and adopting a local elementary school where members tutor children and assist where needed — even helping with yard beautification projects. As needs have arisen, skilled members have stepped up to volunteer.
Children have always been a top priority with our club. For many years we have held an annual Peace Poster Contest for middle school children and a Student Speakers Contest for high school kids. Quarterly, we honor a student from our adopted school. These children are selected by teachers and the principal for marked and consistent improvement in their school work.
The Club continues to provide financial volunteer assistance to those in need. See our Projects page for a more detailed current listing.
Realizing that Lions have a bigger impact when we work with other Lions, our members continually assist our District efforts. One of our current members is a former District Governor, another is the District’s newsletter editor and former District Secretary-Treasurer, another is chair of the District’s Youth Exchange Committee, another is the District’s newsletter production manager AND Valley Region Chair, another is chair of the District’s program to take blind kids on fishing trips, and another is the District’s webmaster.
