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Phone: 408-430-7830
The power of giving back: Milpitas Executive Lions Club’s impact on the community
By Eric ShapiroMay 22, 2024
For the past 22 years, the Milpitas Executive Lions Club has been devoted to volunteerism and community involvement, with a particular emphasis on people’s health-related needs.
According to the Lions Club’s website, “Lions are men and women dedicated to serving those in need, whether in their own community or halfway around the world. Membership in Lions club provides people with the opportunity to meet and work with other individuals in a spirit of fellowship, striving toward the common goal of helping those in need.”
In 1917, businessman Melvin Jones had the idea of starting a club that would be dedicated to serving others. He founded Lions Club International, and today, over 100 years later, it has grown to include 1.4 million members in 49,000 clubs across nearly every country on the planet.
In 2002, the Milpitas Executive Lions Club was formed, with its first charter members including people like current Milpitas Mayor Carmen Montano and Ray Maglalang, a former Milpitas Planning Commissioner who has served in various Club positions for the past two decades.
In an interview with The Milpitas Beat, current Lions Club President MariCris Benitez, who has been involved with the Club since 2008, explained, “It’s very important because we have a lot of these community service projects and charitable projects that we are involved with. We help the youth, we help the disabled, we help the elders, as well as the homeless.”
Among the Club’s primary focuses is helping those with poor vision. At a recent health fair for the unhoused, Lions Club volunteers showed up with a van from which they conducted vision tests (as well as hearing, glucose, body mass index, and other tests). Likewise, they are active in assisting people with diabetes, since that condition can lead to vision loss or impairment.
From alleviating hunger to helping heal the environment, The Milpitas Executive Lions Club has become a city staple, not only providing volunteer resources, but hosting fundraising events and collecting donations on an ongoing basis to support a wide variety of causes.
Addressing childhood cancer has emerged as another signature Lions Club concern. Last September, the Club held a fundraiser for children living in a farmland community who are struggling with cancer. As a result of inhaling varied chemicals and fertilizers, farming populations tend to be particularly vulnerable to cancer. The Lions Club provided $2,800 in van maintenance so the afflicted children could go back and forth to and from Stanford for their medical appointments.
“We have a lot of memorable events,” Benitez said.
Just last month, the Lions Club orchestrated the shipment of 10,000 hunger packs overseas, to assist those in need of food. “We also send out Christmas baskets to families,” Benitez explained, “and emergency kits that they need.”
She went on to add, “I love doing community service. Volunteering helps a lot.” With a laugh, she explained that “Volunteers don’t have the time, but they have the heart to serve people.”
Back in college, Benitez got early volunteering experience by helping out patients and staff at a children’s hospital. Before then, as a teenager, she was active in helping out at health fairs. “My mom was an educator; she was a schoolteacher. My dad was also in education,” she shared. “That was my exposure to doing community work.”
Congratulations to the Milpitas Executive Lions Club for 20 years of service to the community
Here is nice letter to the Milpitas Executive Lions Club from 2022-2023 Lions Club International President Brian E. Sheehan for our accomplishments over the years.
Here is the link to the Souvenir Program: Installation 2021-2022
Enjoy a Hawaiian Summer Luncheon with the Lions & LEOS at Sonesta Silicon Valley located at 1820 Barber Lane Milpitas, CA at 11 am. Your presence and support will be much appreciated.
See you there!
Milpitas Executive Lions Club
Phone: 408-430-7830 Email:milpitaslions@gmail.com
Date and time
Sun, August 15, 2021
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM PDT
Location
Sonesta Silicon Valley
1820 Barber Lane
Milpitas, CA 95035
Cost $45.00
Choice of Entree:
Roasted Cornish Game Hen
Oven Baked Salmon
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Vegetarian
When: Friday, August 28 from 5 PM – 7 PM
Where:355 Dixon Landing Rd, Milpitas, CA 95035, United States
Hosted by Demetress Morris and MariCris Benitez
Fire Victims Drive Hosted by Milpitas Executive Lions Club up to Friday. There is a list of items that are greatly needed in the affected areas in Santa Cruz. We will be delivering them to the Santa Cruz Fairgrounds.
Thank you Lion Demetress Morris for coordinating this drive.
Hoping for you kind support!
California Lions clubs are working with their local communities to serve and assist as they can. California Lions Foundation is ready to support our California Lions clubs as they serve!
These donations are to support Fire Disaster Victims, especially those victims that have been impacted so hard throughout the areas where the wildfires have destroyed their communities. These wildfires have the potential of being among the most destructive fires in the history of California.
As a fully tax exempt charitable 501(c)(3) entity, ID#81-2850129 the California Lions Foundation is here to provide you with the opportunity to help those in need.
For more details or to donate, please visit our Facebook page
Article from Milpitas Beat:
Since early spring, the City of Milpitas has been partnering with the Milpitas Rotary Club and the Milpitas Executive Lions Club to provide free face coverings to the community.
These groups’ mission to provide face coverings to residents was initiated just before the City Council passed an ordinance requiring that face masks be worn in places of business across Milpitas. That ordinance went into effect on April 24.
Meanwhile, others in the community, including residents from service organizations like the Kiwanis Club in Milpitas, have also been stepping up to help donate, make, and distribute masks.
“The Rotary Club, Lions Club, and City of Milpitas all donated money to buy the materials,” said Kelly Yip-Chuan, who is part of the Milpitas Rotary Club. “Some people in the community donated materials to use as well.”
Yip-Chuan, who is also a trustee on the Milpitas Unified School District’s (MUSD) Board of Education, has been personally helping to distribute the masks. Her focus has been on supplying face coverings to low-income families and refugees. She has also been working with principals from Title l schools in Milpitas to make sure families who need face coverings are able to get access to them.
Free masks have also been given to the Parks & Recreation Summer Camp for children ages 6-12 years old.
MariCris Benitez, from the Milpitas Executive Lions Club, mentioned that although masks are available to all residents, it’s particularly important for households with seniors and individuals with underlying medical conditions to receive them.
“Aside from the ongoing Mask Program, the Milpitas Executive Lions Club has been providing our services for the community. The flags lined up along Calaveras Boulevard put up on July 1st to gear up for July 4th were donated by the club. Last July 23, we organized the successful Blood Drive with the City of Milpitas,” said Benitez, who, along with her fellow Lions Club members, remains committed to serving the community in any way she can.
So far, over 2,000 masks have been made and delivered through this program.
Any resident who needs a mask, wishes to make a contribution, or wishes to volunteer to make masks can send an email to this address: milpitasmasks@yahoo.com
Lions International 2009 Peace Poster Contest Winner, Yennie Shyu
