Face-to-Face Meetings Are Back!

We had our first face-to-face meeting that we have had since the pandemic started over two years ago. It was good to see people again!

We had breakfast at Marion's of the Rockies. Einar Jensen from the South Metro Fire District gave a very informative talk about preparing for wildfires-- a topic that is so important where we live.

Relief for Marshall Fire Victims

At the end of last year, a rapidly-moving wildfire starting near Marshall, Colorado, swept through Marshall, Superior, and Louisville. Over a thousand homes were destroyed in a few hours. Lions District 6C was heavily involved is setting up a relief center to provide food, clothing and other essentials for the people left homeless.

Today, Lion Annie volunteered at the distribution center:

Sorting Eyeglasses for Recycling

 Clubs all over the district have been collecting used and discarded eyeglasses. These eyeglasses can be recycled for people who need prescription glasses, but cannot afford them.

The Idaho Springs club collects them around town, as most clubs do. Furthermore, our club also collects lost and abandoned glasses at several of the casinos in Blackhawk. So we make a large contribution to the overall district effort.

People from all over the district are getting together to sort the glasses, to get them ready for the recycling.

KidSight Vision Screening

The club has been able to get back to the screenings, after missing a couple of years because of the pandemic. We are all grateful that at least some of the schools will let us come in and screen the pre-schol kids.

Lions Annie, Mike, and Vickie were one of the teams.

Lion Mike at the camera:

Lion Annie at the camera:

We did one screening jointly with the Nederalnd Lions Club:

Lions Ann Marie from Nederland and Annie from Idaho Springs

Sorting Eyeglasses for Recycling

The Idaho Springs club collects discarded eyeglasses from around town and from nearby casinos. The eyeglasses are put together with eyeglasses that have been collected from other clubs for recycling. The Lions Club District 6 has arranged for the prescription glasses among them to be back-refracted so that the original prescription can be determined. They are then distributed to Lions clubs around the world, where they can be matched to people who cannot afford the glasses they need.

Lions Brandi, Annie, Jack, Sandy, Carolyn, and Mary gathered to do the work:

There were a lot of glasses:

Lion Mary used the industrial-strength dish washer at the Elks Club to make sure that all the glasses were sanitized:

Lion Brandi demonstrated that there were plenty of glasses:

Social Salvation Center Orphanage Home in Nepal

In 2010 Chris Berry, a friend of Idaho Springs Lions Barb Stoffers and Mary Broyles visited Nepal. He was befriended by Aleylama,  Principal of The Social Salvation Center Nepal Orphanage in Kathmandu and made donations to his cause, later keeping in touch by email.  

In 2015 Barb and Mary read an emotional email from Aleylama describing their ordeal with the tremendous earthquake.  Aley reported that their building was completely destroyed and the children, although safe, had been unable to retrieve any of their personal items and were terrified. They were given a tent to live in where they soon had to endure the misery of the monsoon season.  Lions Mary and Barb immediately held a family and friend fundraiser and sent Aleylama some relief money.

They stayed in touch, sending what they could over the course of a year.  Aley and the orphans were able to leave the tent and rent a place like they had done before the earthquake. What Aley really needed, though, was to buy land and build his own place where the orphans and his family could live.  

Lions Mary and Barb were able to send a donation which Aley eventually used to buy land on the Buddhist religious hill Swayambhu in Kathmandu, known as Monkey Temple. Lions Barb and Mary continued to send donations as they could.

In April 2021 Aleylama sent photos and reported that after getting a bank loan, building had begun, starting with 1 toilet and three rooms - a center room for community gathering and sleeping rooms on either side - one for girls and one for boys. Glad to hear that news, Lions Mary and Barb approached their Idaho Springs Lions Club and were able to include matching funds to send to the Social Salvation Center Orphanage of Nepal.

Before long, Aleylama found that he needed to build a 7 ft wall of stone and cement that would stop the land below the building from eroding away in their yearly monsoons.  A young couple from France stayed with them, helping to build 2 new rooms and that retaining wall - covering the cost and supplying labor.  Videos were taken showing them carrying the building materials on back packs since there are no roads for delivery up to the building.

This news of help from Paul Berthelot and his girlfriend, Maelle was good - but knowing that Aleylama also had bank interest and principal due in January 2022, Mary and Barb, along with the Idaho Springs Lions Club sent a donation in December 2021 to help cover that expense.  Aleylama's goal is to have a 2 story facility with altogether 8 rooms where he can bring in more orphans and homeless children.

Lion Mary has been in touch with the Kathmandu Ramechhap Lions and Leos club.  They are interested in Twinning with the Idaho Springs Lions Club.  By sharing information about Aleylama and the orphans of the Social Salvation Center Nepal, Mary hopes to engage their help.

Aleylama, pictured with his Social Salvation Center Orphans before the 2015 Earthquake:

Five years after the earthquake the orphans live in a rented home:

The gray building is Aleylama's:

The wall, which is becoming another 3 or 4 rooms:

Paul Berthelot and Maelle with Aleylama's wife:

Fall Fund Raiser

As a fund raiser each year, the Lions Club helps with the Fall Foliage Relay Race, which runs from Idaho Springs to Buena Vista.

We help set up, at 3:30 am.

Lion Carolyn starts in:

Lions Mike and Carolyn continue with the set-up:

lion Carolyn checks in one of the really teams: