Thank You! To Everyone Who Helped Out in These Trying Times

“It’s not for money, it’s not for fame.

It’s not for any personal gain.

It’s just for love of fellowman.

It’s just to send a helping hand.

It’s just to give a tithe of self.

That’s something you can’t buy with wealth.

It’s not medals won with pride.

It’s for that feeling deep inside.

It’s that reward down in your heart.

It’s that feeling that you’ve been a part

of helping others far and near,

that makes you be a Volunteer!”

-Author Unknown

     2020 has pretty much been a miserable year, what with COVID, wildfires and politics.  But I have to admit I am overwhelmed with the response District R received from our own Lions Clubs as well as clubs from other districts and from the public toward helping wildfire victims in District R.

     We had the Echo Mountain fire (Lincoln City area), the Beachie Creek and Lionsheads fires (Santiam Canyon area), and the Holiday Farm fire (McKenzie area east of Springfield).  We applied for an LCI $10,000 disaster grant, received it almost immediately and got busy purchasing supplies for the various evacuee centers.

     I want to recognize clubs that stepped up to help with gathering donations and distributing them, as well as volunteering at the field kitchen in Gates:  Stayton, Silverton, Eugene Bethel, Florence-Siuslaw, Junction City, Mill City, Central, and West Salem.

     Cash donations of $3,250 were received from the following clubs:  Pendleton, South Salem, Central, Lake Oswego, and Crooked River Ranch.  Note that three of these clubs are in other districts.

     Individuals who went above and beyond include the following:  1VDG Lynn Coon (Junction City), PDG Steve Moser (Central), Patty Harrison (Florence-Siuslaw), Susan Pfanner (Eugene Downtown), Ward Frederick (Silverton), Fran Silbernagel (Stayton), Heidi Ostrom (Silverton), and PDG Gary Mose (District G).

     If I’ve overlooked someone, please forgive me (and let me know who I missed).

      Portland TV station KGW filmed a story about the volunteers at the Gates kitchen, which has been feeding 300-500 people three meals a day.  To see the video, go to https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/volunteers-help-feed-families-in-the-santiam-canyon-after-devastating-wildfire/283-674af158-85c5-4776-b276-74b5555018f6.

     In case wildfires weren’t enough, PDG Steve Moser had applied for an LCI $10,000 COVID grant to be shared by the six counties in our district.  We could not give money directly to the county Offices of Emergency Management, so $1,666 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (gowns, gloves, and sanitizer) was delivered to each county.  The county officers were very appreciative as COVID supplies will continue to become hard to come by as we face another virus surge.

     Again, I want to shout out a big THANK YOU! to everyone who helped out in these trying times.  Keep up the good work and remember:

                                                Forward!  Upward!  Onward!

     As a parting thought, I offer this from Maya Angelou:  “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”