[05/17/2024]

Lions Youth Foundation (LYF) is a better kept gem than some of the other Lions Organizations. This foundation was established in 2004 by a result of the generosity of our Past International President Clement F. Kusiak, from District 22-A. Please look out for upcoming celebration of our 20 Years of service to our youth in the Multiple District 22. Its MAIN objective is to develop, establish, promote, and maintain a program of youth services to Multiple District through Lions Clubs of Multiple District 22.
It is accomplished by providing matching grants through the service activities of a Lions Club involving youth. It gives opportunity to work with clubs to serve the youth of our communities. It has to be a special project for youth not an annual event that your club has been doing for years. The project must be managed by a Lions Club, which means that the Lions must be active participants in the project. There are so many opportunities for a Lions Club to partner with a youth organization in the community such as Leo Club, Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troop, Boys & Girls Club, 4H Club, Reading Youth Group in a Library, Volunteer Club etc.
Some of the past matching grant awardees are: Severn River Lions Club and Cub Scout Pack 688 Project of obtaining a Trailer for the Troup, Salisbury Lions Club’s Leo Club participation in Wreaths Across America project in Arlington National Cemetery, Salisbury P.R.I.D.E. Lions Club’s youth seminar on “Breaking the Chains- Prisons and Gangs”, Lexington Park Lions Club’s obtaining sporting goods for Lions Camp Merrick, Darlington Lions Club’s Community Leo Club purchasing Plus-Optic equipment for vision screening, and Carroll County Lions Clubs ask kids to Roar LikeaLionactivitiesintheLibraries. Wecannotfindabetterwaytoinvolveour
youths in the community in service activities and develop our next generations of service-oriented citizens.
There is an old saying, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.” President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “We are not building our youth for the future. We must do better.” Let us take the challenge. If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?
The best gift we can give ourselves is the gift of possibilities. We can find our possibilities by contacting our District’s Lions Youth Foundation Trustees, District Governor, and they are listed in the District Roster Book.
The grant application is a one-page form which is quite simple. The application form and all the information can be accessed from the website; www.md22lyf.org If you have any questions or concerns about the grant application process, please contact IPDG Carol Schoonover, Chair, LYF Grants Committee.
Youth are our future and have vibrant energy to change humanity. Are we directing their energy to follow our legacy? Youth/children we are blessed to call our own. We are offered the invaluable opportunity to awaken ourselves and thereby liberate humanity. Let us not miss the opportunities we have!
“Youth is the most wonderful thing in this world---and what a pity that it has to be wasted on children.” ---- George Bernard Shaw
In your service,
Bijoy Mahanti
Chair, LYF Education Committee
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