Many people from the local area give up their time to help the Lions. Although they are not members of the Lions International, they spare a little of the time they can to help us with our events , both fundraising and community service.
Here is the view of one of 'Santa's Helpers'
For someone who normally sits behind a desk all day in a warm cosy office the thought of going out for a couple of hours on cold December evenings was daunting, but believe me you soon forget the cold when you see the delight on a child’s face as Father Christmas waves to them at their bedroom window.
Even hardened teenagers forget about X boxes and iPods when Santa comes calling as we all relive our childhood for just a few moments.
The generosity of people within our community, be it young or old is staggering, and in a world where the news nearly always seems to be bad, my faith in human kindness has been restored. The warmth of a welcoming smile when you knock on someone’s door makes you forget that by now you can’t feel your fingertips. You may be the only person that the householder has come into contact with that day and they are happy just to have someone at the door to talk to if only for a minute – but spare them that minute, it could make all the difference.
On Boxing Day I found myself selling yellow plastic ducks at the start of the Annual Duck Derby, something which in previous years I would not have had the courage to do. Within a few minutes of setting up my stall (on a pasting table) I knew what it was like to be caught in the “Next” January sale! Once again it was people’s generosity and joviality which made it all so worthwhile and the fact that we could raise some additional money was an added bonus.
The Vale of Belvoir Lions support many community activities through fund raising, but by lending them a hand I and others have had a tremendous amount of fun. I met people from 9 months to 90 years young and came home feeling cold, tired but uplifted to know I had contributed in a small way.
Give it a go in 2008, you’ll be surprised how much you enjoy yourself