How We Serve
Forest Lions Serve our community. Scroll through the following topics to learn more.
Community Outreach
Youth & Education
Preserving Vision
Community Health Projects
National and Global Humanitarian Support
Local Community Support
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Empowering Others
EDUCATION
Helping Those Who Need Us Most
Youth and Education Programs
Peace Poster Contest
Sponsorship of the Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest at the Forest Middle School. Program promotes the concept of world peace in the minds of middle school students. The international winner receives $5,000 and a trip for 2 to the award ceremony at the United Nations in New York.
Bland Music Contest
Each year the FLC sponsors the local portion of the Lions of Virginia Bland Music Competition, a music contest, both imstrumental and vocal, for public and home schooled students grades 6 through 12. Students compete locally with winners moving on to zone, district and state for music scholarships of up to $2,500.
Scholarships
Each year the Lions Club awards up to $9,500 scholarships to deserving seniors based on community service, leadership and academics.
Preserving Our Vision
Sight
Since Lions Clubs International was founded in 1917, Lions have worked on projects designed to prevent blindness, restore eyesight and improve eye health and eye care for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Indeed, sight is one of Lions defining causes.
Recycling
In just about any home, one can find a pair of eyeglasses that are no longer being used. That same pair of eyeglasses can change another person's life through the Lions Recycle for Sight program. Everyone can help!
Volunteer
Throughout the year, Lions, Leos and other volunteers collect used eyeglasses and deliver them to regional Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers (LERCs). LERC volunteers clean, sort by prescription strength and package the glasses. Recycled glasses are distributed to people in need in low and middle income commmunities where they will have the greatest impact.
Donations
You can drop off your eyeglass donations at any of the following locations:
Walmart Supercenter, Old Forest Rd.
Forest Public Library
Harmon Eye Center on Graves Mill Rd.
Harmon Eye Center Wyndhurst on Enterprise Dr.
MyEyeDr. on Timberlake Rd.
Johnson Curran Optometry Center on Timberlake Rd.
America's Best on Simons Run
A. G. Jefferson on Sheffield Dr.
Beltone on Fort Ave.
Timberlake United Methodist Church
Forest Family Eye Care on Graves Mill Rd.
Jefferson Forest High School
Need Assistance?
Are you in need of services? Click on the Download button below to print out a form and mail it to:
Forest Lions Club, PO Box 834, Forest, Virginia 24551
Or email a copy to forestlionsclubva@gmail.com
Community Health Projects
Annual Back to School and Family Health Fair
Held at the end of each July to help families prepare for the start of a new school year, the Club brings together dozens of local organizations who volunteer to provide screenings and consultations on a range of topics. All children receive age appropriate school supplies
Sight Conservation
Provides a point of contact for those in need of funding for eye exams and eye glasses. Places eye glass collection boxes at community businesses; collects and turns in used glasses for recycling. Collects thousands of glasses annually for recycling.
Diabetes Awareness
Support the efforts of the Lynchburg based Type 1 Diabetes Experience (T1DE) organization both monetarily and with manpower support of its Memorial Day 10K run. Beginning in 2019, sponsor attendance for one camper to Camp Too Sweet.
National and Global Humanitarian Support
These are some of the other organizations we support.
Canine Companions & Leader Dogs
Old Dominion Eye Foundation
Lions of Virginia Foundation
Local Community Support
Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign
The Forest Lions serve as bell ringers in support of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle fund raising campaign at the Forest Kroger.
Food Insecurity
The Forest Lions Club reaches out to the community with donations of food and monetary donations. We support the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Parkview Missions and the Salvation Army.
Road Clean-Up
The Lions in support of VDOT are responsible for the trash pick-up along Bateman Bridge Road between Route 811 and Enterprise Drive. The popularity of Poplar Forest as a tourist attraction for Lynchburg and Central Virginia makes this service to the community even more significant.
Forest Volunteer Fire Department
Forest lions Club donated $10,000 and raised an additional $40,000 for the construction of the new fire station on Thomas Jefferson Road.