The Brookfields Lions Club proudly reinvests the funds we raise through our annual fundraising events back into the community through a wide range of charitable donations.
Each year, during the District 33A Midwinter Conference in February, the club contributes to several major causes, including:
• Massachusetts Lions Eye Research Fund, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to funding cutting-edge research aimed at preventing and curing eye-related diseases. Since its inception in 1951, MLERF has awarded over $35 million in grants to leading medical institutions across Massachusetts, including Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical Center, and Boston University Medical Center. These funds have supported innovations such as the development of the first photocoagulator ophthalmic laser and advanced treatments for diabetic eye disease and eye tumors .
• District 33A Sight and Hearing Fund, a fund supported by District 33A Lions Clubs donations that assists in obtaining Sight and Hearing assistance for citizens of their communities.
• Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), which provides grants that empower the service of our members. Since its inception in 1968, LCIF has awarded more than US$1.2 billion in grant funding.
In addition to these larger initiatives, the club supports local and global efforts such as:
• NEADS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program in Princeton, MA that provides trained service dogs to people who have physical disabilities or who are deaf or hearing impaired; veterans with PTSD; and children with autism or other developmental disabilities.
• Lions Youth Speech Competition, provides an opportunity for students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 to speak publicly and freely on a designated topic of general interest.
• Smile Train, which provides free cleft palate surgeries worldwide. Smile Train is the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential care.
Locally, the Brookfields Lions Club helps fund:
• Large-print books for public libraries in all member towns
• Eyeglass collection boxes
• Holiday events and gifts for children
• Heating assistance through Hearts for Heat, a community-based and community-driven charitable organization that raises funds to be used to purchase fuel for qualified applicants in North Brookfield.
• Restoration of the Walker Scouting Memorial carillon chimes
• The North Brookfield Soccer League
• Financial assistance for local Eagle Scout projects
• Financial assistance for families facing emergencies
These contributions, and more, reflect the Brookfields Lions Club’s ongoing commitment to service and community support.