際際滷

際際滷Share a Scribd company logo

Annual State of Service Report

V
vavila3

This annual report summarizes Lions Clubs International's global service activities from 2011-2012. It shows that Lions clubs organized nearly 450,000 service projects serving over 200 million people and investing over 550 million hours of service. Key areas of service included community and culture projects, health and wellness activities, disaster relief, and environmental sustainability. The report provides an overview of Lions' global impact and commitment to community service in over 207 countries and territories around the world.

1 of 14
Download to read offline
ANNUAL STATE OF SERVICE REPORT The Global Leader In Humanitarian Service 2011-2012
We Are Global CA I U.S. and Affiliates, Bermuda and Bahamas US CA II Canada CANADA CA III South America, Central America, Caribbean & Mexico FOLAC CA IV Europe EUROPA CA V Orient & Southeast Asia OSEAL CA VI India, South Asia, Africa & Middle East ISAAME CA VII Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, S. Pacific ANZI
Ninety-five years ago, Melvin Jones, a 38-year-old Chicago business leader, asked a simple and world-changing question what if people put their talents to work by improving their communities? Almost 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization, with a global network comprised of over 1.35 million members in over 207 countries. This Annual State of Service Report provides an overview of the impact Lions are making in service to their communities. Lions from around the world worked to address some of the most pressing issues facing our global community, including disaster preparedness and relief, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability. Lions were also challenged to expand their service to individuals with vision loss. Since Helen Keller asked Lions to be the knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness at the 1925 Lions International Convention, Lions have served hundreds of millions of people by providing vision screenings, eyeglasses, education (including access to assistive technology and Braille learning materials), cataract surgeries, vision-related services, and advocating for the blind and visually impaired. Lions continuously demonstrated their unyielding commitment to community service by serving millions more people and organizing thousands more activities in all corners of the world. As you read through the report, we hope that you will be touched by the stories behind Lions service and inspired by how powerful a network of volunteers can be in meeting the needs of more than 46,000 communities around the world. Wayne A. Madden International President Wing-Kun Tam Immediate Past President 1
2 We Make A Difference Service Highlights SERVICE ACTIVITIES In 2011-12, participating clubs (approxi- mately 50% of all clubs) reported nearly 450 thousand service projects, a 28% increase over last years reported serv- ice activities. The total number of people served in the 2011-12 fiscal year was well over 200 million people. A 25% increase over last years reported number. Lions members represented in this re- port invested over 550 million hours of service into developing and integrating service projects in all corners of the globe. CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS Lions were challenged at the beginning of the year to plant one million trees; upon the completion of the tree planting campaign, Lions reported planting over 15 million trees worldwide. Lions served a total of 16 million people through their combined efforts under the Global Action Campaigns and in- vested a total of 207 million service hours to these efforts. STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS The seasonality assessment revealed that Lions were most active in the first and second quarters of the fiscal year. The highest amount of service activities were reported in the month of October. This assessment provides new insights on the seasonality of Lions service that can be used for targeted programming and promotion of related resources during specific times of the year. Through the implementation of Project Refresh, a secondary study that was conducted on membership, we were able to compare differences in activity reporting between blue clubs and gold clubs. This evaluation revealed that there are significant correlations between membership engagement and service activities. LOOKING AHEAD This report provides key insights that can be used to develop more targeted service planning tools and resources to support Lions within a particular geographic or program area. The report also allows us to assess Lions level of service engagement and explore possible correlations with membership growth. While the data are not fully representative of the all geographic areas (particu- larly Europe and ISAAME where club reporting is still quite low), the report can be an important part of long range planning for the Association. Looking ahead, more clubs should be encouraged to use the service activity report, particularly in the underrepresented areas, in order to allow for a more accurate analysis of Lions service trends. It will also be important to monitor service and level of engagement with the introduction of various campaigns and special initiatives.
ENGAGING OUR YOUTH In August of 2011, Lions were encour- aged to organize and participate in a variety of service projects working with the youth in their communities. The campaign provided a means to not only mobilize youth to participate in projects that made a difference in their communities, but also enabled them to learn new skills and apply their leader- ship through service. The Engaging our Youth campaign had the highest amount of reported activities this past year. On average, each Lions club served 100 people through this cam- paign. The average Lions club invested 6 hours into planning and implementing youth related activities. In total, 1.6 mil- lion people were served through this campaign. SHARING THE VISION Lions have a long history of serving the blind and visually impaired dating back to 1925 when Helen Keller challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in this crusade against darkness." During the month of October, Lions placed an additional emphasis on this area of service by organizing a variety of vision related health projects in commemora- tion of World Sight Day. Specific projects included education and aware- ness events, vision screenings, eye- glass collection, and assistance to the visually impaired. In total Lions served 5.5 million people and collected a total of 678 thousand eye glasses. Each club, on average, organized 5 activities and served 100 people. This illustrates the commitment that Lions have to continually being knights of the blind. 3 RELIEVING THE HUNGER During the months of December and January, Lions were called to fight hunger in their communities. Lions took on the challenge by organizing a variety of projects including community-wide food drives, school-based feeding programs, distribution of food baskets for needy families, and special events to raise awareness about hunger and poverty. Lions clubs served more people through the Relieving The Hunger cam- paign than any other campaign. Each club, on average, organized 5 activities and served 127 people. In total, over 8 million people worldwide were served through this campaign. PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT During the month of April, Lions were challenged to organize projects to improve and protect their local environment in celebration of Earth Day. Clubs participated in a vari- ety of projects as part of the campaign, including highway/community clean ups, recycling, and community education and awareness events. Reporting clubs dedi- cated more service hours (206 million) to Protecting Our Environment than any other campaign. On average each club served 80 people. Lions were also challenged to plant a million trees this past yeara goal that was surpassed just three months into the campaign. Global Service Action Campaigns
4 We Make A Difference Global Service Project Highlights ENGAGING OUR YOUTH IN ISTANBUL Lions actively provide the youth in their communities with opportunities for achievement, learning, contribution, and service through the sponsorship of youth development projects. In August of 2011, the Kazasker Lions Club spon- sored a personal development and skills camp for the Engaging Our Youth cam- paign. The camp was a joint project between the Atalar Lions Club and the Kazasker Lions Club. This camp is an an- nual event that has been ongoing for six years. The youth camp consisted of an intensive week of art and cultural proj- ects. The participants of the training pro- gram were exposed to hands-on activities through team building, work- shops, and small group discussions fos- tering the spirit of peace, understanding, and cooperation. SHARING THE VISION IN GHANA Since 1998, Lions World Sight Day, held annually in October, has focused at- tention on eliminating preventable blind- ness and improving sight. Lions clubs around the world conduct special sight- related projects on this day including col- lecting eyeglasses, conducting vision screenings, and raising awareness. On October 21, 2011 the Accra Lions Club of Ghana scheduled a community eye screening in commemoration of World Sight Day. This event benefited over 300 people, who were screened and treated for various eye diseases including cos- metic conjunctivitis, cataracts, and refrac- tion errors. RELIEVING THE HUNGER IN COLOMBIA Today, there are more than one billion people who do not have enough food to eat. That means that one person out of every seven live in a state of chronic hunger. In an effort to alleviate hunger in their region, the Monarch Baranoa Lions Club in Colombia organized food distributions at 20 grocery stores. The goal was to reach a large scale of urban municipalities, according to the World Food Program (WFP) there are currently 6 million Colombians living below the extreme poverty line. With over 43 years of service, the Monarch Baranoa Lions Club believes in large scale projects that extend relief to populations most in need of assistance. PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT IN THE U.S. After discussing Past International President Tams goal of planting one million trees, the Baileys Cross Road Host Lions Club in Virginia was excited to take part in the challenge. They previously participated in projects with their local middle school, Glasgow, and they decided to ask the school's garden club to assist them in this venture. Both the advisor and club members knew this was a great opportunity to work together to beautify their grounds, protect the environment, and help meet the goal to plant one million trees. The Lions attended a local training program, led by a representative from the Virginia Department of Forestry. They learned about why planting trees was important, tree selection, and how to properly plant and care for the trees. After the training the Lions planted trees on the school grounds. The school plans to make a plaque in appreciation and a bench to place in the dedi- cated area.
5
6 We Make A Difference Immediate Past President Wing-Kun Tam began the 2011-12 fiscal year by challenging Lions around the world to plant one million trees to demonstrate the strength of our global network. During the 2011-12 fiscal year Lions reportedly planted over 15 million trees. Why trees? Its no secret that trees help the environment, but you may be surprised by all the benefits that planting a tree can provide. Trees are like the lungs of the planet. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. They also reduce ero- sion to save soil, help preserve local water sources, and provide habitat for wildlife liv- ing under more and more stress. Planting trees on a local level can affect the carbon dioxide and oxygen rates in the entire world. Tree Planting Campaign Lions planted 15.2 million trees which will result in the oxygen supply for over 30 million people.* *A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48lbs. per year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings - McAliney, Mike. Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection. 0 5 10 15 20 25 11 18 18 15 18 21 19 USA Canada Folac Europa Oseal Isaame Anzi GRAPH 2. Average Number of Service Hours per Club Dedicated to Tree Planting 0 50 100 150 200 250 163 250 25 75 114 100 60 USA Canada Folac Europa Oseal Isaame Anzi GRAPH 1. Average Number of Trees Planted by Club Prince Hussain Aga Khan and Past International President Wing-Kun Tam plant a silver oak tree marking joint commitment to plant 1.5 million trees in Kenya.
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN PERU Members of the Lions Club El Por- venir spearheaded an environmental awareness campaign in the northern area of Bello Horizonte Trujillo. They held meetings with top officials and community leaders in the area to explain the objectives of the project (entitled "Planting Oxygen"), and paid visits to institutions of higher education to raise awareness among students about environmental stew- ardship. The project also included a tree planting activity. This project was a huge success and helped to raise environmental awareness in their region. SAND CONTROLS IN INNER MONGOLIA In order to protect the environment and meet the needs of sand controls in the Alashan area (in Inner Mongo- lia), the China Council of Lions Clubs organized a joint tree planting proj- ect. Through this project Lions from 7 districts of mainland China planted 1 million trees on 18,000 acres land in Bayan, Inner Mongolia. Through this project, Lions not only raised awareness, but also they were able to build a relationship with local gov- ernment and the community. 7 BIO-FUEL IN TANZANIA Lions Club Perstorp has been supporting sustainable tree planting projects for over 8 years. The Lions planted Jatropha trees which benefit the poor families living in the Kashumbiliro district. Since the trees can help the community produce oil, the impov- erished families will be able to have a source of income to support their livelihood and allow them to send their children to school. This project illustrates a commitment to sustainability and innovation through tree planting.
8 We Make A Difference Service Activity Overview During FY2011-2012, reporting clubs collectively served over 200 million people around the world and invested over 550 million hours to serving their communities. CATEGORICAL ANALYSIS The four most reported service areas were: Community and Culture, Health and Wellness, Disaster Preparedness and Relief, and Environmental Services. Graph 3 illustrates the average number of serv- ice hours and people served for each of the four categories. This graph illustrates a positive correlation between service hours and people served. The more time clubs invest into service the more people are served through that investment. As illustrated in Figure 1, the Community and Culture service area accounted for the most activities (52%), people served (34%), and service hours (70%). It is in- teresting to note that although Health and Wellness only accounted for 25% of activities, it made up 36% of the total number of people served. 0 50 100 150 200 GRAPH 3. Average Per Club 173 163 144 109 41 52 67 96 Service Hours PeopleServed Service Hours Service Hours Service Hours PeopleServed PeopleServed PeopleServed Community & CultureHealth & WellnessDisaster Preparedness & Relief Environmental Services FIGURE 1. Service Engagement By Key Program Areas 25% 8% 15% 52% 70% 7% 4% 19% Activities Service Hours 24% 36% 34% 6% People Served Community & Culture Health & Wellness Disaster Preparedness Environment
COMMUNITY AND CULTURE Lions value community enrichment and cultural awareness. Reporting clubs organized over 106,000 community service activities throughout the year. Community and culture projects represent 52% of all the reported service activities. HEALTH AND WELLNESS Helen Keller challenged Lions to be knights of the blind in 1925, and Lions have worked on vision and hear- ing projects ever since. Reporting clubs organized more than 52,000 Health and Wellness service activities, attribut- ing to 25% of all reported activities. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RELIEF When disaster strikes Lions are often times the first ones on the scene. Reporting clubs organized more than 16,000 disaster preparedness and relief activities which accounted for 8% of all reported activities. ENVIRONMENT Lions have organized environmental service projects in support of the asso- ciations policy on the human environ- ment for more than 30 years. Today, Lions environmental service projects represent 15% of all reported activities, with over 30,000 reported environmental service activities. 9
Reporting clubs organized over 106,000 community service activities throughout the year, which accounted for more than 341 million service hours that benefitted nearly 146 million people around the world. The most common activities in- cluded social community events (14%), civic services (13%), sports and recre- ation events (10%), art and cultural events (8%), food bank and distribution (7%), and other community service ac- tivities. The Osu Children's Home was estab- lished in 1949, since then it has be- come the largest orphanage in Ghana to look after children who have been abandoned, abused, and displaced. After visiting the Osu Childrens Home the Accra Lions Club realized that the orphanage was in great need of re- pairs. The building posed health haz- ards to the children of the home. The Lions cleaned the grounds of the or- phanage and made repairs to the facil- ity. The Lions also unclogged and disinfected the plumbing to eliminate potential breeding areas for mosqui- toes and help reduce the frequent inci- dence of malaria. The Osu Children's home was very thankful for this under- taking and thanked Lions for helping reinstate a clean and safe environment for the children. Health and Wellness Reporting clubs organized more than 52,000 Health and Wellness service activ- ities throughout the year, including service related to vision, hearing, and diabetes, which accounted for more than 203 million service hours and benefitted more than 20 million people worldwide. The most common activities included Health support services (23%), Eyeglass recycling (17%), and Vision screenings (14%). Together, Lions collected over 5.1 million eyeglasses and more than 22 thousand hearing aids, and assisted more than 3 million individuals who are vision and hearing impaired. On the chilly morning in November more than 250 participants waited by the starting line ready to make stronger strides in defeating diabetes. At 5:45am the gunshot fired and the race began in celebration of World Dia- betes Awareness Month. The Baguio Everlasting Lions Club in the Philip- pines organized a Lions Strides Walk & Run for diabetes awareness. Free diabetes screenings were conducted after the run along with eye exami- nations. The high risk patients were screened by ophthalmologists from the Baguio General Hospital. The registration fee included a commemora- tive t-shirt, race bib, certificate and information on diabetes prevention. Cash prizes, medals, and pins were also awarded to the top finishers of each category. The proceeds that were raised from this event will be used to fund the clubs upcoming diabetes projects. 10 We Make A Difference Community and Culture
Disaster Preparedness and Relief Reporting Lions clubs organized more than 16,000 Disaster Preparedness and Relief activities which accounted for over 588 thousand service hours and bene- fitted more than 15 million people world- wide. The most common activities included blood drives (60%), emergency health service (4%), and emergency sup- plies collection (3%). There was a loud explosion from the powerful blast that filled the streets of Abuja on August 26, 2011. Dozens were injured and some critically hurt after a bomb exploded outside of the UN building in Nigeria. UN chief Ban Ki-moon called the attack "an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others". The Abuja Metropol- itan Lions Club in Nigeria rose to the cause and provided relief to those in- jured. They created a social media campaign to recruit local volunteers. Their unparalleled service motivated the people in their communities to give aid to those in distress. Hospitals were said to be overwhelmed by the number of injured and appealed for blood donations. Lions sponsored a blood collection drive and donated relief materials to the National Hospi- tal of Nigeria. When disaster arises Lions are there to provide assistance and relief. In the 2011-12 fiscal year alone Lions reported serving over 15 million people through disaster pre- paredness and relief projects. 11 Environment Reporting clubs organized more than 30,000 environmental service activities which ac- counted for over 1 million service hours. The most common activities included tree planting (43%), clean up services (21%), and recycling (14%). An estimated, 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide every year, contributing to toxic emissions and ultimately damaging our environment. According to a num- ber of studies by the Plastic Development Council, India will emerge as the third largest consumer of plastics in the world by end of 2012. Plastic bags and plastic waste are also the biggest contributors to environmental pollution in India. The Rajahmundy Rainbow Lions Club in India organized a Say No to Plastic aware- ness rally to inform their community about the environmentally harmful effects that plastic has on the environment. The event was televised and publicized through various news publications adding to the visibility and awareness of the campaign. The Rajahmundry Rainbow Lions Club noted that this campaign was the first one of its kind in the region.
Annual State of Service Report

More Related Content

Annual State of Service Report

  • 1. ANNUAL STATE OF SERVICE REPORT The Global Leader In Humanitarian Service 2011-2012
  • 2. We Are Global CA I U.S. and Affiliates, Bermuda and Bahamas US CA II Canada CANADA CA III South America, Central America, Caribbean & Mexico FOLAC CA IV Europe EUROPA CA V Orient & Southeast Asia OSEAL CA VI India, South Asia, Africa & Middle East ISAAME CA VII Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, S. Pacific ANZI
  • 3. Ninety-five years ago, Melvin Jones, a 38-year-old Chicago business leader, asked a simple and world-changing question what if people put their talents to work by improving their communities? Almost 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization, with a global network comprised of over 1.35 million members in over 207 countries. This Annual State of Service Report provides an overview of the impact Lions are making in service to their communities. Lions from around the world worked to address some of the most pressing issues facing our global community, including disaster preparedness and relief, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability. Lions were also challenged to expand their service to individuals with vision loss. Since Helen Keller asked Lions to be the knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness at the 1925 Lions International Convention, Lions have served hundreds of millions of people by providing vision screenings, eyeglasses, education (including access to assistive technology and Braille learning materials), cataract surgeries, vision-related services, and advocating for the blind and visually impaired. Lions continuously demonstrated their unyielding commitment to community service by serving millions more people and organizing thousands more activities in all corners of the world. As you read through the report, we hope that you will be touched by the stories behind Lions service and inspired by how powerful a network of volunteers can be in meeting the needs of more than 46,000 communities around the world. Wayne A. Madden International President Wing-Kun Tam Immediate Past President 1
  • 4. 2 We Make A Difference Service Highlights SERVICE ACTIVITIES In 2011-12, participating clubs (approxi- mately 50% of all clubs) reported nearly 450 thousand service projects, a 28% increase over last years reported serv- ice activities. The total number of people served in the 2011-12 fiscal year was well over 200 million people. A 25% increase over last years reported number. Lions members represented in this re- port invested over 550 million hours of service into developing and integrating service projects in all corners of the globe. CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS Lions were challenged at the beginning of the year to plant one million trees; upon the completion of the tree planting campaign, Lions reported planting over 15 million trees worldwide. Lions served a total of 16 million people through their combined efforts under the Global Action Campaigns and in- vested a total of 207 million service hours to these efforts. STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS The seasonality assessment revealed that Lions were most active in the first and second quarters of the fiscal year. The highest amount of service activities were reported in the month of October. This assessment provides new insights on the seasonality of Lions service that can be used for targeted programming and promotion of related resources during specific times of the year. Through the implementation of Project Refresh, a secondary study that was conducted on membership, we were able to compare differences in activity reporting between blue clubs and gold clubs. This evaluation revealed that there are significant correlations between membership engagement and service activities. LOOKING AHEAD This report provides key insights that can be used to develop more targeted service planning tools and resources to support Lions within a particular geographic or program area. The report also allows us to assess Lions level of service engagement and explore possible correlations with membership growth. While the data are not fully representative of the all geographic areas (particu- larly Europe and ISAAME where club reporting is still quite low), the report can be an important part of long range planning for the Association. Looking ahead, more clubs should be encouraged to use the service activity report, particularly in the underrepresented areas, in order to allow for a more accurate analysis of Lions service trends. It will also be important to monitor service and level of engagement with the introduction of various campaigns and special initiatives.
  • 5. ENGAGING OUR YOUTH In August of 2011, Lions were encour- aged to organize and participate in a variety of service projects working with the youth in their communities. The campaign provided a means to not only mobilize youth to participate in projects that made a difference in their communities, but also enabled them to learn new skills and apply their leader- ship through service. The Engaging our Youth campaign had the highest amount of reported activities this past year. On average, each Lions club served 100 people through this cam- paign. The average Lions club invested 6 hours into planning and implementing youth related activities. In total, 1.6 mil- lion people were served through this campaign. SHARING THE VISION Lions have a long history of serving the blind and visually impaired dating back to 1925 when Helen Keller challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in this crusade against darkness." During the month of October, Lions placed an additional emphasis on this area of service by organizing a variety of vision related health projects in commemora- tion of World Sight Day. Specific projects included education and aware- ness events, vision screenings, eye- glass collection, and assistance to the visually impaired. In total Lions served 5.5 million people and collected a total of 678 thousand eye glasses. Each club, on average, organized 5 activities and served 100 people. This illustrates the commitment that Lions have to continually being knights of the blind. 3 RELIEVING THE HUNGER During the months of December and January, Lions were called to fight hunger in their communities. Lions took on the challenge by organizing a variety of projects including community-wide food drives, school-based feeding programs, distribution of food baskets for needy families, and special events to raise awareness about hunger and poverty. Lions clubs served more people through the Relieving The Hunger cam- paign than any other campaign. Each club, on average, organized 5 activities and served 127 people. In total, over 8 million people worldwide were served through this campaign. PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT During the month of April, Lions were challenged to organize projects to improve and protect their local environment in celebration of Earth Day. Clubs participated in a vari- ety of projects as part of the campaign, including highway/community clean ups, recycling, and community education and awareness events. Reporting clubs dedi- cated more service hours (206 million) to Protecting Our Environment than any other campaign. On average each club served 80 people. Lions were also challenged to plant a million trees this past yeara goal that was surpassed just three months into the campaign. Global Service Action Campaigns
  • 6. 4 We Make A Difference Global Service Project Highlights ENGAGING OUR YOUTH IN ISTANBUL Lions actively provide the youth in their communities with opportunities for achievement, learning, contribution, and service through the sponsorship of youth development projects. In August of 2011, the Kazasker Lions Club spon- sored a personal development and skills camp for the Engaging Our Youth cam- paign. The camp was a joint project between the Atalar Lions Club and the Kazasker Lions Club. This camp is an an- nual event that has been ongoing for six years. The youth camp consisted of an intensive week of art and cultural proj- ects. The participants of the training pro- gram were exposed to hands-on activities through team building, work- shops, and small group discussions fos- tering the spirit of peace, understanding, and cooperation. SHARING THE VISION IN GHANA Since 1998, Lions World Sight Day, held annually in October, has focused at- tention on eliminating preventable blind- ness and improving sight. Lions clubs around the world conduct special sight- related projects on this day including col- lecting eyeglasses, conducting vision screenings, and raising awareness. On October 21, 2011 the Accra Lions Club of Ghana scheduled a community eye screening in commemoration of World Sight Day. This event benefited over 300 people, who were screened and treated for various eye diseases including cos- metic conjunctivitis, cataracts, and refrac- tion errors. RELIEVING THE HUNGER IN COLOMBIA Today, there are more than one billion people who do not have enough food to eat. That means that one person out of every seven live in a state of chronic hunger. In an effort to alleviate hunger in their region, the Monarch Baranoa Lions Club in Colombia organized food distributions at 20 grocery stores. The goal was to reach a large scale of urban municipalities, according to the World Food Program (WFP) there are currently 6 million Colombians living below the extreme poverty line. With over 43 years of service, the Monarch Baranoa Lions Club believes in large scale projects that extend relief to populations most in need of assistance. PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT IN THE U.S. After discussing Past International President Tams goal of planting one million trees, the Baileys Cross Road Host Lions Club in Virginia was excited to take part in the challenge. They previously participated in projects with their local middle school, Glasgow, and they decided to ask the school's garden club to assist them in this venture. Both the advisor and club members knew this was a great opportunity to work together to beautify their grounds, protect the environment, and help meet the goal to plant one million trees. The Lions attended a local training program, led by a representative from the Virginia Department of Forestry. They learned about why planting trees was important, tree selection, and how to properly plant and care for the trees. After the training the Lions planted trees on the school grounds. The school plans to make a plaque in appreciation and a bench to place in the dedi- cated area.
  • 7. 5
  • 8. 6 We Make A Difference Immediate Past President Wing-Kun Tam began the 2011-12 fiscal year by challenging Lions around the world to plant one million trees to demonstrate the strength of our global network. During the 2011-12 fiscal year Lions reportedly planted over 15 million trees. Why trees? Its no secret that trees help the environment, but you may be surprised by all the benefits that planting a tree can provide. Trees are like the lungs of the planet. They breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. They also reduce ero- sion to save soil, help preserve local water sources, and provide habitat for wildlife liv- ing under more and more stress. Planting trees on a local level can affect the carbon dioxide and oxygen rates in the entire world. Tree Planting Campaign Lions planted 15.2 million trees which will result in the oxygen supply for over 30 million people.* *A single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 48lbs. per year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings - McAliney, Mike. Documentation and Information Sources for Land Resources Protection. 0 5 10 15 20 25 11 18 18 15 18 21 19 USA Canada Folac Europa Oseal Isaame Anzi GRAPH 2. Average Number of Service Hours per Club Dedicated to Tree Planting 0 50 100 150 200 250 163 250 25 75 114 100 60 USA Canada Folac Europa Oseal Isaame Anzi GRAPH 1. Average Number of Trees Planted by Club Prince Hussain Aga Khan and Past International President Wing-Kun Tam plant a silver oak tree marking joint commitment to plant 1.5 million trees in Kenya.
  • 9. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN PERU Members of the Lions Club El Por- venir spearheaded an environmental awareness campaign in the northern area of Bello Horizonte Trujillo. They held meetings with top officials and community leaders in the area to explain the objectives of the project (entitled "Planting Oxygen"), and paid visits to institutions of higher education to raise awareness among students about environmental stew- ardship. The project also included a tree planting activity. This project was a huge success and helped to raise environmental awareness in their region. SAND CONTROLS IN INNER MONGOLIA In order to protect the environment and meet the needs of sand controls in the Alashan area (in Inner Mongo- lia), the China Council of Lions Clubs organized a joint tree planting proj- ect. Through this project Lions from 7 districts of mainland China planted 1 million trees on 18,000 acres land in Bayan, Inner Mongolia. Through this project, Lions not only raised awareness, but also they were able to build a relationship with local gov- ernment and the community. 7 BIO-FUEL IN TANZANIA Lions Club Perstorp has been supporting sustainable tree planting projects for over 8 years. The Lions planted Jatropha trees which benefit the poor families living in the Kashumbiliro district. Since the trees can help the community produce oil, the impov- erished families will be able to have a source of income to support their livelihood and allow them to send their children to school. This project illustrates a commitment to sustainability and innovation through tree planting.
  • 10. 8 We Make A Difference Service Activity Overview During FY2011-2012, reporting clubs collectively served over 200 million people around the world and invested over 550 million hours to serving their communities. CATEGORICAL ANALYSIS The four most reported service areas were: Community and Culture, Health and Wellness, Disaster Preparedness and Relief, and Environmental Services. Graph 3 illustrates the average number of serv- ice hours and people served for each of the four categories. This graph illustrates a positive correlation between service hours and people served. The more time clubs invest into service the more people are served through that investment. As illustrated in Figure 1, the Community and Culture service area accounted for the most activities (52%), people served (34%), and service hours (70%). It is in- teresting to note that although Health and Wellness only accounted for 25% of activities, it made up 36% of the total number of people served. 0 50 100 150 200 GRAPH 3. Average Per Club 173 163 144 109 41 52 67 96 Service Hours PeopleServed Service Hours Service Hours Service Hours PeopleServed PeopleServed PeopleServed Community & CultureHealth & WellnessDisaster Preparedness & Relief Environmental Services FIGURE 1. Service Engagement By Key Program Areas 25% 8% 15% 52% 70% 7% 4% 19% Activities Service Hours 24% 36% 34% 6% People Served Community & Culture Health & Wellness Disaster Preparedness Environment
  • 11. COMMUNITY AND CULTURE Lions value community enrichment and cultural awareness. Reporting clubs organized over 106,000 community service activities throughout the year. Community and culture projects represent 52% of all the reported service activities. HEALTH AND WELLNESS Helen Keller challenged Lions to be knights of the blind in 1925, and Lions have worked on vision and hear- ing projects ever since. Reporting clubs organized more than 52,000 Health and Wellness service activities, attribut- ing to 25% of all reported activities. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RELIEF When disaster strikes Lions are often times the first ones on the scene. Reporting clubs organized more than 16,000 disaster preparedness and relief activities which accounted for 8% of all reported activities. ENVIRONMENT Lions have organized environmental service projects in support of the asso- ciations policy on the human environ- ment for more than 30 years. Today, Lions environmental service projects represent 15% of all reported activities, with over 30,000 reported environmental service activities. 9
  • 12. Reporting clubs organized over 106,000 community service activities throughout the year, which accounted for more than 341 million service hours that benefitted nearly 146 million people around the world. The most common activities in- cluded social community events (14%), civic services (13%), sports and recre- ation events (10%), art and cultural events (8%), food bank and distribution (7%), and other community service ac- tivities. The Osu Children's Home was estab- lished in 1949, since then it has be- come the largest orphanage in Ghana to look after children who have been abandoned, abused, and displaced. After visiting the Osu Childrens Home the Accra Lions Club realized that the orphanage was in great need of re- pairs. The building posed health haz- ards to the children of the home. The Lions cleaned the grounds of the or- phanage and made repairs to the facil- ity. The Lions also unclogged and disinfected the plumbing to eliminate potential breeding areas for mosqui- toes and help reduce the frequent inci- dence of malaria. The Osu Children's home was very thankful for this under- taking and thanked Lions for helping reinstate a clean and safe environment for the children. Health and Wellness Reporting clubs organized more than 52,000 Health and Wellness service activ- ities throughout the year, including service related to vision, hearing, and diabetes, which accounted for more than 203 million service hours and benefitted more than 20 million people worldwide. The most common activities included Health support services (23%), Eyeglass recycling (17%), and Vision screenings (14%). Together, Lions collected over 5.1 million eyeglasses and more than 22 thousand hearing aids, and assisted more than 3 million individuals who are vision and hearing impaired. On the chilly morning in November more than 250 participants waited by the starting line ready to make stronger strides in defeating diabetes. At 5:45am the gunshot fired and the race began in celebration of World Dia- betes Awareness Month. The Baguio Everlasting Lions Club in the Philip- pines organized a Lions Strides Walk & Run for diabetes awareness. Free diabetes screenings were conducted after the run along with eye exami- nations. The high risk patients were screened by ophthalmologists from the Baguio General Hospital. The registration fee included a commemora- tive t-shirt, race bib, certificate and information on diabetes prevention. Cash prizes, medals, and pins were also awarded to the top finishers of each category. The proceeds that were raised from this event will be used to fund the clubs upcoming diabetes projects. 10 We Make A Difference Community and Culture
  • 13. Disaster Preparedness and Relief Reporting Lions clubs organized more than 16,000 Disaster Preparedness and Relief activities which accounted for over 588 thousand service hours and bene- fitted more than 15 million people world- wide. The most common activities included blood drives (60%), emergency health service (4%), and emergency sup- plies collection (3%). There was a loud explosion from the powerful blast that filled the streets of Abuja on August 26, 2011. Dozens were injured and some critically hurt after a bomb exploded outside of the UN building in Nigeria. UN chief Ban Ki-moon called the attack "an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others". The Abuja Metropol- itan Lions Club in Nigeria rose to the cause and provided relief to those in- jured. They created a social media campaign to recruit local volunteers. Their unparalleled service motivated the people in their communities to give aid to those in distress. Hospitals were said to be overwhelmed by the number of injured and appealed for blood donations. Lions sponsored a blood collection drive and donated relief materials to the National Hospi- tal of Nigeria. When disaster arises Lions are there to provide assistance and relief. In the 2011-12 fiscal year alone Lions reported serving over 15 million people through disaster pre- paredness and relief projects. 11 Environment Reporting clubs organized more than 30,000 environmental service activities which ac- counted for over 1 million service hours. The most common activities included tree planting (43%), clean up services (21%), and recycling (14%). An estimated, 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide every year, contributing to toxic emissions and ultimately damaging our environment. According to a num- ber of studies by the Plastic Development Council, India will emerge as the third largest consumer of plastics in the world by end of 2012. Plastic bags and plastic waste are also the biggest contributors to environmental pollution in India. The Rajahmundy Rainbow Lions Club in India organized a Say No to Plastic aware- ness rally to inform their community about the environmentally harmful effects that plastic has on the environment. The event was televised and publicized through various news publications adding to the visibility and awareness of the campaign. The Rajahmundry Rainbow Lions Club noted that this campaign was the first one of its kind in the region.