A Legacy of Service: Cy-Fair Lions Club Honors Origins of Charter 66 Years in the Making
Service through volunteerism takes on many forms, ebbing and flowing with the evolving needs of a community. One organization that has remained steadfast in their commitment to serve others and has become a recognizable symbol of service at home and abroad are the Lions Clubs International. Now in their 106th year, the Lions Clubs International have a unified mission to improve their communities and the world, spanning across 50,000 Lions clubs in over 200 countries.
One of those clubs is right here in Cy-Fair, dutifully serving the community for 66 years with a focus on the Lions Clubs International's five global causes: diabetes, vision, hunger, the environment, and childhood cancer. Well known for their commitment to provide vision and hearing screenings to young children, the Lions' track record of service expands into many other areas - even selling concessions at a local baseball complex, the funds from which help support their ongoing programs that benefit the community at large.
Partnering with other organizations and fostering connections with their members, the Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club has sponsored several different Scouting troops and packs over the years. Each Christmas, the Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club works with local Boy Scout troops to support 100 families in need with a basket containing nonperishable foods collected by the Scouts in their neighborhoods, along with turkeys, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and perishable goods purchase by the Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club. They share responsibilities for packaging and delivering the aptly-named Christmas Cheer Baskets the Saturday before Christmas. Aside from this annual holiday initiative, the Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club has hosted Scouting events in their meeting room adjacent to the concession stand, and have benefitted from many Eagle Scout Projects over the years.
The Houston Cy-Fair Lions' reach expands even further throughout the community, with over 15,500 children in receipt of a vision screening by Lions since 2015. During the school year, Lions Club members who have been trained and certified along side the Cy-Fair ISD School Nurses visit day care centers and church schools to perform free vision screenings. Children as young as 6 months of age can be screened through Lions KidSight, a national program developed to screen preschool children to detect vision problems early. For the past two years, Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club has been one of the top three Lions vision screeners in the entire state of Texas.
In addition to vision screenings, the State of Texas requires hearing screenings to be performed on all four- and five-year-old children enrolled in preschools. The Lions use special, state-of-the-art ear buds designed for children to assess their hearing capabilities. Bridging the gap of accessibility for many families across the region, both screenings by the Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club are offered completely free of charge. The Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club has also paid for eye examinations and eyeglasses for children within the Cy-Fair School District whose families could not afford this important examination.
"A child who cannot see clearly has difficulty learning, and we want to make sure children have the best start in life," said Chuck Martin, Houston Cy-Fair Lions Treasurer.
The Houston Cy-Fair Lions have also led the state in sponsoring and sending children with exceptional needs to the Texas Lions Camp, a 504-acre, full-service camp located in Kerrville, Texas. Fully owned and operated by all of the Lions within Texas, the Texas Lions Camp welcomes children with physical disabilities of various types to spend a full week exploring, exercising their curiosity, and discovering new interests and abilities. Children with Type I Diabetes attend special camp weeks where they learn more about their condition and how to care for themselves, in addition to a special week set aside for children with cancer. Lions throughout the state sponsor children within their area to attend Texas Lions Camp, at no cost to the families.
As part of their ongoing support of children with cancer, the Houston Cy-Fair Lions knit, crochet, and sew adorable hats for children undergoing chemotherapy. These hats not only keep their heads warm, but give them a confidence boost as they navigate hair loss caused by treatment. Hats are made with soft yarns in a variety of styles, colors, and sizes.
Service to the Cy-Fair community stretches even farther, and all are welcome to join the effort in a variety of capacities. The Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at their meeting facility within William E. Bane Park, located at 9600 West Little York, starting at 7 PM. If you would like more information on the Houston Cy-Fair Lions Club, visit houstoncy-fairlions.org or contact Chuck Martin directly at 281-685-6322.
"Come and help make our community a better place for others. The best way to feel better about yourself is to help others. Houston Cy-Fair Lions are doing that in many ways. Add 'Helping Others' to your list of life’s accomplishments," said Martin.
By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region. |
