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 Dear Lions,
It is a
great pleasure to speak about something near and dear to my heart - Lions
Quest. Some of you may not know much about Lions Quest and others of you
are already very involved. So why is Lions Quest so important to us as
Lions and so important to me personally? It gives hope to youth. It gives
hope to communities. Most importantly, it gives hope for a better
tomorrow.
With
our Lions Quest program, we deliver values to live a healthy life. We
give answers to questions such as - What does violence mean? What is
frustration? How can I  say NO to drugs? What is
personal responsibility? It is not enough to deliver facts only in
school, but also life skills for more harmony and success.
There
is no other youth program in the world that is in more than 60 countries
offering life skills to youth. This is why we have set a goal of
expansion to more than 10 additional countries. Just last month 14 new
grants were approved which will continue supporting our goal of
expansion. Through our efforts, 12 million youth have received health
benefits and skills for life. Half a million educators have been trained
to deliver the Lions Quest curriculum. Do you agree with me that these
are truly incredible results? We must continue working together to
achieve even more.
Lions
in countries throughout the world have experienced the positive
sensations of Lions Quest first hand. For the first time ever, I was
present with our Lions Quest  Team at every Lions'
Constitutional Forum, where we received a very encouraging response. This
month I traveled to Bhutan and Nepal to share the sensations of Lions
Quest with Lions interested in starting the program. It is truly exciting
and promising that so many Lions are engaged in Lions Quest.
I ask
that you join in helping expand this amazing program to make a better
life a reality for youth around the world. The youth of today is the
future of tomorrow. We need your help. With your support, we will turn
our goal into a reality. I count on you. We truly rely on you. I
challenge you all to be our ambassador in these months to come. Make sure
to help us in our efforts.
With my
cordial regards,
Eberhard
J. Wirfs
Chairperson, Lions Clubs International Foundation
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Lions
Quest Growth
The Lions Quest program continues to grow
worldwide. New countries implementing Lions Quest this year include
Bulgaria, Malawi, Mauritius and the Philippines. In addition, four new
countries recently received funding to support implementation, including
Egypt, Indonesia, Moldova and Uruguay.
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New Grants Approved
At the January SightFirst Advisory Committee Meeting, 18 grants were
approved for US$5,430,891. This includes a grant to expand the
Childhood Blindness project over the next two years to 18 additional
centers in eight new countries or areas. Additionally, 14 grants were
approved totaling US$540,000 at the Lions Quest Advisory Committee
Meeting. More information about all the recently approved grants is online. To date, LCIF has awarded 10,057
grants totaling US$708 million.
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Relief Following Disasters
Following devastating flooding in Australia, LCIF provided four emergency
grants totaling US$50,000 to aid local Lions in their relief efforts.
LCIF also awarded US$10,000 to Lions in Brazil following massive
flooding. Funds helped purchase relief supplies for those who have been
displaced by the flooding, including food, water and medicines. Lions
wishing to help in relief efforts can make a designated donation to LCIF for Australia
or Brazil. Additionally, LCIF provided relief for other recent natural disasters,
including in Sri Lanka, Philippines and elsewhere. When disasters strike,
Lions are often first on the scene to provide immediate relief and the
last to leave. Each year, LCIF awards nearly US$2 million in funds to
support both immediate and long-term relief. These humanitarian efforts
are a direct result of Lions' generous support from around the world.
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Support
UNICEF's School-in-a-Box Program
In 1996, Lions Clubs International began working
with UNICEF to support the School-in-a-Box program. For 15 years, the Lions/UNICEF School-in-a-Box program has
provided educational supplies to teachers in areas affected by civil
unrest and natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. To
commemorate this program, a special check presentation to the U.S. Fund
UNICEF is planned for Lions Day at the United Nations in March. Lions can
support this program by donating to LCIF. Donations
in any amount are welcome. Each UNICEF School-in-a-Box costs
approximately US$257. Lions clubs, Leo clubs, districts or multiple
districts that wish to support the purchase of a School-in-a-Box kit
should donate to LCIF, noting
"School-in-a-Box" in the comments section. Contact LCIF
Donor Services for assistance with donations. Clubs,
districts or multiple districts that contribute US$500 or more in
each fiscal year can receive a Lions/UNICEF School-in-a-Box banner patch.
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New Publications
Available
LCIF has a number of new publications for download
online and in hard copy by request. The 2009-2010 Annual Report is now available.
Additionally, there are two newly created pieces available, LCIF By the Numbers and International Lions Quest How to Guide.
More resources on LCIF are available online.
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What Lions are
saying about the LCIF Newsletter.....
"Thanks
for sending the Lions Clubs International Foundation Newsletter. I am
so pleased to see so much progress in rebuilding efforts in Haiti,
and all the updates of disaster relief going on around the world. The
LCIF Newsletter really helps us to see the progress we are making around
the world. So much help is needed, and our Lions are there!"-
-Debra
Day, Kentucky, USA
Why do you like
receiving the LCIF Newsletter? Let us know and you may be featured next
month!
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