covid

MD20, which comprises New York State and Bermuda, has received a $200,000 grant from LCIF specifically for feeding the doctors, nurses, and other front-line hospital personnel who are working with COVID-19 patients. About half of that will go to the NYC area, where the need is greatest.

District 20W has formed a committee to apply for a share of this grant. The western and northern portions of our district have experienced relatively few cases and the clubs in those areas are instituting various programs to address their local needs. Those clubs have agreed that the Capital Region should be the sole beneficiary of the 20W grant.

4/25/20: The 20W committee received a $10,500 grant to provide 2100 individually-wrapped meals to Albany Med, St Peter's, Albany Memorial, Samaritan, and Ellis hospitals over 6 weeks. Popeye's, which has locations in Albany, Troy, and Schenectady, has agreed to provide the meals but they cannot deliver them. WE WILL NEED VOLUNTEERS TO PICK UP MEALS AND DELIVER THEM TO THE HOSPITALS. You won't have to go into the hospital; they'll meet you and take the meals from you. Click the link below to see the schedule. To volunteer to drive or to make any changes or additions, contact Jerry Gordon at 518-235-8232 or jerrygordon@juno.com.

Drivers: Please wear your Lions uniform, vest, Lions shirt or whatever Lions-branded clothing you own (or can borrow).

The 20W Grant Committee has applied for a $2500 grant from the Brandel-Murphy Youth Foundation. This will be donated to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY, whose service area includes all of the 16 counties in District 20W. This is important because food pantries are especially challenged at this time of need. Without the support of school lunch programs, families are dependent upon the pantries in their community to provide them with meals that they need for their children. Food supplies are facing heavy pressure on a daily basis. Just another way that Lions live our motto: We Serve.

A group of our newer Lions (Irv Ackerman, Jordan Alexander, Eva Bass, John Bianco, Greg & Jodi Sheldon) has put together a formal proposal. They're suggesting that we donate 100 bottles of hand sanitizer to the Albany Police Department at a cost to us of $280, including a custom label identifying us as the source of the donation. This would be a pilot project, with the idea that if it's successful, we would expand it to other PDs within our bailiwick.