Mary Helen Darah

Sylvania Lions Club received a $5,000 disaster relief grant from the Ohio Lions Disaster Relief Foundation to assist the victims of the Hunt Club Apartments. This is the second oldest foundation in Ohio and assists with such things as fires, floods, tornados and other disasters. The funds are given in the form of $50 gift cards purchased from Walmart. “The grant was applied for by our District Governor, Dave Stockum,” said Carol Collins, president of the Sylvania Lions Club. “The Ohio Lions Club Foundation is funded by all the Lions Clubs in the state of Ohio. The Lions Clubs band together to help those in the state.”

The Sylvania Lions were given a list of people in need from the Sylvania Area Family Services with the permission of the Red Cross. “We have 57 families that we will be helping,” stated Collins. “If they have a child in the family, they are getting additional funds based on the number of people in their household. We are trying to make it a priority for the children, especially during this time of kids heading back to school.”

Collins added, “I think we are following the Lion’s motto of ‘We Serve’ by reaching out to the members of our community in need. We want to help make their lives easier. Those we have met with who were impacted by the fire have been so thankful. Every little bit helps. It makes our club realize how fortunate we are to have the means to help them through this difficult time.”