The Yonkers Lions Club, New York’s longest-standing Lions Club since 1922, unites compassionate volunteers to serve communities, support global causes, and uphold the proud mission of Lions International, creating lasting change locally and worldwide under the motto “We Serve.”
Our association is made up of 1.4 million members in 49,000 clubs who bring hands and hearts to the communities we serve in nearly every country on earth. Our Lions and Leos help hundreds of millions of people every year. Check out the ways we serve.
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) 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. Learn more about the difference we’re making together.
Driven by the spirit of service, the Yonkers Lions Club is on a mission to uplift lives, strengthen communities, and inspire change. Since 1922, we have dedicated our time, skills, and resources to addressing local needs while supporting global initiatives, united under Lions International’s guiding motto—“We Serve.”
DONATE NOWWith every project completed and each person served, we make history. We’ve been around for over 100 years, yet our story is still in the making. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s being written by helping hands, by shovels hitting the dirt, by donations being made and by lives and communities being improved in over 200 countries and geographic areas around the world.
In response to social problems created by World War I and rapid industrialization, a Chicago businessman named Melvin Jones invites business clubs from around the USA to a meeting where the Association of Lions Clubs is formed.
Just three years after founding, the Association of Lions Clubs becomes international when the Border Cities Lions Club in Windsor, Canada is established. At the time, Lions were active in 23 U.S. states with a total of 6,400 members.
Helen Keller addresses Lions at the International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She famously challenges Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” This begins a century-long mission—impacting hundreds of millions of lives through vision-related work.
Lions and other representatives from 46 nations meet to help establish the NGO section of the United Nations (UN), underscoring Lions International’s commitment to a “certain and lasting peace for the world.” Today, Lions continue to work with the UN at annual Lions Day with the United Nations events.
The Leo Program is developed to provide the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. Today, there are 200,000 Leos worldwide.
Lions Clubs International Foundation is created, with the mission “to support the efforts of Lions clubs and partners in serving communities locally and globally, giving hope and impacting lives through humanitarian service projects and grants.” To date, our foundation has awarded more than $1.2 billion in grants.
Lions reach a historic milestone by welcoming our millionth member, Barney Gill from Virginia, USA. Today, we have more than 1.4 million members worldwide.
LCIF awards its first Major Catastrophe Grant of US$50,000 for earthquake relief in Mexico. Today, we continue to step up in times of crisis by offering grants to support our disaster relief efforts.
Lions launch a campaign to help restore sight and prevent blindness on a global scale. More than 488 million people have been impacted over the last 30 years.
The 100th year of serving local communities and the world is celebrated at the Lions Clubs International Centennial Convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA—the same city where the association began.
LCIF exceeds its goal for Campaign 100: LCIF Empowering Service. A total of US$325 million was raised during the campaign, which is the organization’s most ambitious fundraising initiative to date.
LCIF and Lions Quest become a founding member of The Choose Kindness Project, a coalition of the leading nonprofit organizations in the United States championing bullying prevention, intentional inclusion and youth mental wellness.
“It’s not only acts of service. It’s not only volunteering. It’s doing that while having fun.”
“There’s a satisfaction you get from being a Lion that you won’t get from anything else. That’s why I’ve been a Lion for 35 years.”
“I’m a Lion because of the feeling I get from knowing I have helped in some way. When I see what can be achieved by Lions, I’m filled with pride.”
“It’s not only acts of service. It’s not only volunteering. It’s doing that while having fun.”