Adena Lions club is always looking for new members

“I’ve gotten more than my share back from the Lions club,” Adena club member John Lengyel said. Lengyel has been a member of the Adena Lions club for over twenty years and is committed to making the local community as good as possible. What made him become a Lion was the club’s immediate response to flooding in his community in 1990. Club Treasurer R. J. Konkoleski explained, “Lions are often the first to arrive after natural disasters. We are on the ground with money before the government or the Red Cross can get there because we’re a private organization and can move quickly.”

Lions International helps communities worldwide with a heavy focus on sight-saving through sponsoring research and providing eyeglasses to anyone in need. “It’s the largest service organization in the world,” R. J. said. The Adena Lions club was created in 1945 and has managed to outlast several other area clubs.

The club is staffed entirely by volunteers who pay a small yearly membership fee to cover administration costs for the club. All money raised by the club goes directly back into the community.

The community focus is the whole reason the club exists. They sponsor local baseball and softball teams, donate to the Adena food pantry, collect clothing for the Urban Mission of Steubenville, host a Christmas giving tree, and partner with local schools to provide eye exams to the students. The annual Adena Lions Club Show not only brings in donations for the club but also provides a platform to showcase local talent.

Community outreach is necessary to fund events and connect with local residents to create an environment in which everyone can participate. While the organization does a lot, membership does not mean you must devote every second of your life to the club. “You can put in as much as you want,” Marketing Communications Chair Laura Konkoleski said. “You can support the club in a variety of ways.”

The club holds monthly meetings, but regular attendance isn’t required. “People contribute in whatever way they’re able.” said R. J. “A lot of members don’t want to come to the meetings and do the planning, but they’ll show up at the event and say, ‘tell me what you want me to do.’ And that helps too; that’s important because we need people to do that.”

Serving the community through the Lions club isn’t tied to one job. There are options for anyone who wants to lend a hand, whether being on stage as part of the annual show or staying behind the scenes to assist with smaller tasks. “We have some members we see once a year. But if we didn’t see them that once a year, we’d be in trouble because they do the things they do every year.” R. J. said. “Then you have a group that we see every month.”

To become a member, you need to have an existing member sponsor you, and then the club officers make the final decision. “We want to make sure we’re bringing in someone that is going to do good in the community,” Laura said. “I don’t think we’ve ever turned anyone away.”

If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Adena Lions club or are looking for a club closer to you, they are ready and willing to help get you where you need to be. Message their Facebook page: facebook.com/AdenaLionsClub; Email them: adenalions@comcast.net; or fill out a membership interest form: adenalionsclub.weebly.com.

Lions Clubs International is the largest service club organization in the world. Our 1.42 million members in more than 48,000 clubs are serving in over 200 countries and geographic areas around the globe. Since 1917, Lions have strengthened local communities through hands-on service and humanitarian projects, and we are able to extend our service impact through the generous support of our Lions Clubs International Foundation. We are focused on supporting sight, hunger, the environment, childhood cancer and our new global cause, diabetes, to help address some of the biggest challenges facing humanity. Lions have set an ambitious goal of helping 200 million people per year so we can bring even more service to more people than ever before. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit lionsclubs.org.