LIONS CLUBS RELIEF AID TO JAPAN

 

Members of the 870 Lions Clubs in the British Isles and Ireland quickly responded to the multiple disaster situations in Japan following the earthquake, tsunami and later nuclear incidents. Together with members of the 42,000 Lions Clubs worldwide over

US$6 million has already been donated and made available for the immediate and longer term relief.

 

To distribute the aid effectively, the 100,000 members of Lions Clubs in Japan quickly set up four Lions relief aid warehouses in affected areas. Lions are coordinating relief aid distribution with local government officials and with the Japanese Red Cross. As a result, Lions are helping coordinate blood donation campaigns within Japan.

 

With some roads re-opened, Lions from all over Japan are sending relief aid from every corner of the country as well coordinating the provision of essential provisions from across the world including rice,  baby formula, women's health products and  our blue Lions relief tents that are being delivered to give shelter for Lions volunteers and other relief workers in the hardest-hit areas.  Within a day of the disaster, many Lions Clubs distributed over 20 tons of food as well as water and emergency supplies, despite great risks and challenges to themselves. 

 

There are 31 Lions clubs in Sendai  - the largest city affected by the quake

and a Club in virtually every town up and down the coastline.  Whether it's clothes

and food today, or shelter next week, or a wheel chair the week after, Lions will be

 there to give dignity to those who have suffered such unimaginable pain and

suffering.

 

 

Bill Blake

for Lions Disaster Relief Committee

British Isles and Ireland

 

 

THANK YOU DROITWICH

Kind hearted residents of Droitwich gave fantastic support to Droitwich Lions Club on Saturday when a bucket collection was held in the town in aid of the Haiti Disaster Appeal.

In just a few hours almost £1800 was collected by the Lions from generous shoppers around the town centre and this money will go to Lions Clubs International Foundation who will use all of it directly in the disaster area. Lions International is a self funding service organisation and its members finance the administration and running costs themselves which means that 100% of all money raised by the Lions is used to provide welfare assistance where it is most needed.

 

Lions around the world have not only already pledged US $250,000 but they are also busy providing practical help; from The Dominican Republic they are delivering supplies across the border and Canadian Lions, who were already in the area helping to establish a clean water system for an orphanage are now helping with emergency medical care. Lions in Sweden are sending tents to provide much needed temporary accommodation.

Lions' immediate relief efforts centre on providing water, food, medicine and other essential needs but there will be many other projects which will have to be undertaken later. Readers will remember the work done by Lions after the South Asia Tsunami; the Droitwich Club and other local clubs, organisations and schools raised more that £60,000 which has been used to build a new community centre for the village of Hikaduwa in Sri Lanka which is also used as the village school. Droitwich Lions are twinned with the Hikaduwa club and members and friends and other local supporters sponsor poor students through school and university.

John Kelly, President of the club said " It is very heart warmimg to know that in just a few hours in the centre of town we collected such a considerable amount of money. The people of Droitwich always show great support for everything that we do in the town - one resident of Vines Lane saw our collectors outside Waitrose from his kitchen window and then walked across the park with a bag of coins which he had been saving for a suitable occasion ! We also received 10 Hungarian Forint, worth about 10p, 1 Euro and 1 Swiss France - it all counts !"