10 June 2022 marked the 57th anniversary of the Merriman Lions Club in Goodwood and it made history when they elected their youngest ever president who is only 24 years old.
How are the Merriman Lions utilizing this great community centre that the city has entrusted to them?
If you access the Lions Club International website, this is the result of how the club has been used during the current fiscal year. 68 284 people were served, 192 service activities completed, $29 246 (about R438 000 in funds donated, and $31 621 (about R474 000) in funds raised.
Pillar of service included the environment, the club had 7 activities and 1 400 people served. For childhood cancer 8 activities and 240 people served. Here the club teamed up with Reach for a Dream Foundation to do something special for staff and children.
Their hunger relief project had 57 activities and 31 448 people served. During Covid, this project was initiated and run by our youngest members of the club. Now the club has refocused the project to mostly assist organisations assisting children near our club, and normally serve close to 200 meals on Tuesdays
For diabetes they hosted 17 activities and served 14 725 people.
Vision screening had 15 activities and 17 368 people served. These two projects are mostly done together when learners in schools are assisted with vision screening. The target this year is the testing of 10 000 children
As part of their humanitarian outreach, the Lions Club also supported a refugee from Ukraine who arrived in South Africa with only the clothes she was wearing. After requesting humanitarian assistance she was surprised with shoes, clothing, cash, a blanket, groceries and a goodie bag full of snacks.
“She was the person who made headlines after being detained at Cape Town International Airport with allegedly wrong paperwork, but was later released,” Jacques Mostert said.
“All this was done by a club of 25 members assisted by friends and volunteers.”
This clubhouse is also a community centre as the Merriman Lions support entities serving their community as a base from which to operate. A variety of activities are all geared to uplift the local community at this clubhouse.
Activities among others such as vision screening, and all sorts of dancing. The facility has also been used by the department of social development to host classes for first-time offenders as well as diversity classes.
Jamie does not see the club as a hierarchy of power but as a gathering of strong-willed people all working together to strengthen communities and support those in need, as far as Lion eyes can see.
Her membership target for the year is to increase by five new members.
“This does not sound like a lot, but with the economic difficulties we are facing in the aftermath of the pandemic and the struggle to retain club membership, increasing by five may very well be quite the challenge, but it is a challenge I believe we can face if we are driven enough.”?
She also expressed her gratitude to her Inducting Officer PDG Clive Fox for his guidance and mentorship. He also gave an important thank you to everyone who contributed to the organisation of this Induction & Charter Anniversary function.
Fox said the members of the club believe that Jamie will lead them through another successful year to have a significant impact on the communities of Goodwood, Parow, Bellville and beyond.
This club must be proud that they have been actively serving their community for 57 years.
When it comes to meeting challenges, this club’s response is simple: They serve.
“Just two years ago PDG Clive Fox spearheaded soliciting the financial support from Chicago to upgrade the facilities at the Oncology Ward at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital to the tune of some R1,5 million together with the participation of the local clubs. When you visit the children there, you will see the names of all the supporting clubs displayed on the wall.”
Wright concluded, “May the next decade of service be as successful or may I dare say, more successful than the past years”.
