Lions Club is a group of volunteers who give their time to humanitarian causes within their local community, their country, and around the world. By conducting service projects and fundraising, Lions strive to live up to their motto, “We Serve” to help those in need wherever the need exists. The parent group, International Association of Lions Clubs was founded in Chicago in 1917. It is the world’s largest service club organization with 2 million members in over 206 countries. Locally, most cities around the Bay have an active Lions Club or more than one.

Lions Club has no religious or political affiliation. It includes members from all cultural, religious, and economic backgrounds. Since 1987 Lions Club membership has included men and women.

No type of uniform clothing is required. Members can wear whatever they’d like. Members who want to exhibit the Lions logo might choose to wear a yellow vest with the club name on the back or a shirt with the Lions logo.

Lions Club members often form lasting friendships as they work together, over time, to serve others. There is something about helping people and working together toward an altruistic goal that creates a bond between people. That bond creates a sense of well being. That feeling then prompts a desire to continue to serve.

The benefits vary for different people. Some people become members because they want to give back through Lions local and international service projects. Some join in order to have fun while doing fundraising events within Rossmoor. Some want to work directly with those in need either domestically or internationally. Others prefer to work with a certain type of project, like working specifically with the blind or deaf. Some want to work with youth. Some seek to become volunteers in the administrative levels of the greater Lions Club organization so that they can impact change in a more global way. And some join to give when they can or attend functions with friends.

Regardless of why a person becomes a member of Lions Club, they will, in some way, be involved with helping those in need.

The ways to give service as a Lion are endless. The organization realizes that meetings aren’t for everyone. That’s why Rossmoor Lions Club encourages their members to inquire about and participate in the various service programs of the Rossmoor club and the broader Lions Club International. That could include helping at the site of a natural disaster; volunteering at Lions summer camps for deaf children; attending international Lions trips to help with eye exams and distribute eyeglasses; volunteering for an environmental project; working with teens at a Lions youth event; assisting with a Veterans eye clinic; volunteering for eyeglass collection events or at the Lions In Sight warehouse; volunteering at one of the local Lions vision centers; collecting eyeglasses from local optometrists; or volunteering at the numerous annual Lions Club fundraising events here at Rossmoor.

That is a common approach. Many Rossmoor Lions Club members lead busy lives. They choose the events with which they want to participate or attend meetings when they can. There is no required amount of participation.

We have a summer picnic at Sportsman’s Park and a catered holiday dinner in Creekside’s Fairway Room. We also hold monthly meetings where club members relax and enjoy the club’s speaker series.

If you attend a club function alone, you will be welcomed. The Rossmoor Lions Club ensures that everyone is greeted and feels comfortable attending events. If you are more comfortable joining with a friend or a significant other, both of you will be warmly welcomed.

Absolutely. You are always welcome to the Rossmoor Lions Club no matter where or when you were a Lion. Come tell us what you liked about your previous club or what you’d like to see within the Rossmoor Lions Club.

The club, in accordance with national Lions guidelines will mainly focus on service projects regarding vision, hearing, diabetes, hunger, pediatric cancer, and the environment. In the event of a national disaster, the club would discuss supporting relief efforts.

Once a person becomes a member of a Lions Club they become part of the organization’s vast, worldwide network. Opportunities for involvement are presented through that network. Lions Club members can become involved in any activity that they learn about whether it is local, within California, or beyond.

No. Members are responsible for their own travel expenses. The Rossmoor Lions Club does not provide funds to members who participate in Lions events.

The annual membership fee is $100, less than $10 per month. A spouse or partner membership is $78.50.

The Rossmoor Lions Club is made up of two non-profit entities, a 501(c)(4) and a 501(c)(3). Membership fees support the administrative costs of Lions Club via the 501(c)(4). Donations are made to the ‘foundation’ 501(c)(3) entity of the club and are used for outreach. Donations to the foundation are tax-deductible. Lions gives 100% of those donations to service programs.

The list of events includes, but is not limited to the following: eyeglass and hearing aid collections; eyeglass sorting events for the Lions In Sight warehouse; Lions Campaign annual fund drive; Antique Appraisal; Lions Breakfast; coffee and donuts during the Rossmoor Flea Market and July Fourth events; toiletries collection for women’s shelters; backpack supplies for homeless groups; food collection for the food banks and food delivery programs.

There are multiple ways to give. Monetary donations are always appreciated. Please make checks payable to Lions Club of Rossmoor Foundation and either place your gift in the Lions Club mail slot in the Gateway administration building or mail to P.O. Box 2181, Walnut Creek, CA 94595. You can donate used eyeglasses, hearing aids, and plastic bread tags to our collection bins in the Library, Fitness Center lobby, and Gateway between the Wood Shop and Lapidary Studio. You can also support Lions Club and have fun by attending our Rossmoor fundraising events throughout the year.