Aylmer Lions Club serves community through fundraising and collection initiatives

Sophie Demers

The Aylmer Lions Club is a volunteer organization that is part of a larger network of Lions Club members across the country. The Club has been at work serving the community through three main initiatives.
The club has fundraised for the Aylmer Food Centre with their “Change Hunger” initiative. Barry Chisholm, the president of the Aylmer Lions Club states that over the past year and a half the club has raised approximately $5,000 for the local food bank. The fundraising is done through donation jars placed in 20 local businesses around Aylmer.

The Lions Club also has a used eyeglasses recycling program. The glasses are collected by donation directly to a Lions member or through the donation box at Visique, in the Aylmer Galeries at 191 rue Principal. The eye glasses are shipped to the Canadian Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre (CLERC), a Lions organization based in Calgary that provides free recycled eyewear to individuals in developing countries. To date, the Aylmer Lions Club has collected 335 pairs of used eyeglasses.

The volunteer organization has recently begun a new initiative, which involves collecting donations of used medical aid equipment such as wheelchairs, canes, aircast boots, and crutches. The club will then lend the equipment to those who need it but don’t have access. The club is currently collecting donations before they officially start the program.

“There are currently about 11 Lions members,” said Chisholm. “We would love to have more members! Anyone over 18 can join our organization.” Residents with questions about how they can donate to the club's initiatives or looking to join the Aylmer Lions can contact the president at barry@goldfields.ca

Photo: Barry Chisholm, President of the Aylmer Lions Club
Photo: Courtesy of the Aylmer Lions Club