Champions of Change Blog
Improving the Environment through Service
Posted by on October 4, 2012 at 2:11 PM EDT
Nadine Nishioka is being recognized as a Champion of Change because of her work to beautify and improve the environment.
When I was 5, my family went to a Christmas parade organized by Lions. Lions were tossing some coins and candy to people on the street and I remember telling my mother I wanted to be just like all those men wearing the yellow vest, throwing candy to the people lining the streets because everyone was having a great time. I am now a member and march in that parade each year where I am front and center leading the parade holding the Christmas banner.
I have been involved in my community’s athletics league for many years prior to becoming a Lion. Four years after I became a Lion, our league needed repairs to our facility that the city couldn’t afford. Instead, my Lions club stepped up, pouring concrete, laying sod, building rain and wind shield panels for the bleachers and repairing everything that was in desperate need of it. It was from this point on that I realized that the Lions as a whole care about their neighbors. From that point on, I made a strong commitment to serving those in my community as a member of my Lions club.
Although I am visually impaired, I do not allow it to infringe on my ability to serve in and around my community. I have made many adjustments and with the help of many, including Lions, I have been able to continue my responsibilities chairing many projects which are very important to me and our community.
Nadine Nishioka is a resident of Honolulu, Hawaii, and has been a member of the Honolulu Manoa Waioli Lions Club for 11 years.
Learn more aboutEmploying Technology to Restore Vision
Posted by on October 4, 2012 at 1:53 PM EDT
Robert W. Massof is being recognized as a Champion of Change for his work with Lions to restore and enhance the sight of people with low vision.
More than 4 million Americans have low vision. That number is expected to double during the next 15 years. In the past 20 years, I have worked with Lions in my region through the Lions Vision Research Foundation because to be most effective, low-vision rehabilitation services should be provided in the person’s home and community. Through the years I have become very close to the Lions and think of them as family. It was not possible to separate my work at Johns Hopkins from my close relationship with the Lions.
Lions can and should be the community experts on low vision and advocates for their visually impaired neighbors. Low-vision service is in short supply and poorly distributed. Because most people with low vision are elderly, their disabilities from sight loss are amplified and many require help with transportation, shopping, home maintenance and a variety of other everyday needs. Lions educate the community about the limitations and capabilities of visually impaired people, help obtain the services they need, help visually impaired people solve problems with adapting to low vision and provide assistance to people with low vision when needed.
Robert W. Massof of Pasadena, Md., is a member of the Baltimore Brooklyn Lions Club.
Learn more aboutServing as a Lion for Life
Posted by on October 4, 2012 at 1:45 PM EDT
Karla N. Harris is being recognized as a Champion of Change for her work in raising awareness for the visually impaired.
My dad was a Lion and I wanted to give back to the community in a meaningful way. I know of no other organization that can provide the impact that Lions Clubs International does. There are so many needs in our communities, in our country, in our world. As one person, I can serve and make a difference in my community. As a Lion, I join a family of people dedicated to serving. I will never forget the moment I handed the little white cooler of corneal transplant tissue over to the surgical clerk. “Thank you,” she said, “someone will see tonight.” Being a Lion has been the most rewarding volunteering experience I’ve ever had. I will never forget the tears rolling down the face of the 80-year-old man in Mexico when he found that after 15 years, he could finally read again through the recycled glasses I had just placed on his face. Just like I will never forget the man who told me, “You have not just provided me a Leader Dog, you have given me back my job, my freedom, my life.” I will never forget why I am a Lion. I am Lion for life.
Karla N. Harris of South Milwaukee, Wis., has been a member of the South Milwaukee Lions Club since 2002.
Learn more aboutTeaching Life Skills to Youth
Posted by on October 4, 2012 at 1:36 PM EDT
Mike Buscemi is being honored as a Champion of Change because of his long history of work with youth and the development of Lions Quest, a comprehensive life skills program.
As a former school teacher, a parent and a proud grandparent, I am convinced that the future of our society, our country and our great Lion organization is dependent on our commitment to building a healthy next generation. This includes preparing young people to live the most productive lives possible and to commit to serving others and “paying it forward” as we do with our Lions clubs. When I was a junior high school teacher, the challenges my students faced became my reality as well. My students needed skills in learning how to resist peer pressure, stay true to themselves and make safe and healthy decisions. These are tools that every child needs, yet we don’t always have a clear process for communicating these skills and life lessons to students. In developing what eventually became the Lions Quest program, we looked at the whole child throughout the schooling process. What Lions around the world offer millions of children through this program are the personal and practical skills to function independently and successfully as an adult, a parent, an employee and a future leader. Being a Lion member sends a clear signal to the world that as members of the community we are unwilling to allow our world’s youth to be neglected or ignored.
Mike Buscemi of Thornville, Ohio, is a member of the Thornville Lions Club and has been a Lion since 1982.
Learn more aboutHelping Special Olympics Athletes See Clearly
Posted by on October 4, 2012 at 1:21 PM EDT
Dr. Paul Berman is being honored as a Champion of Change for founding the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes, an initiative providing vision care for challenged individuals.
As an optometrist, I always want to help people see. I wanted to do something that I could feel good about. Little did I know my efforts would grow into a global health program. Through Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes, providing eye screenings to Special Olympics athletes, and the Lions Lens, a low-cost solution to the need for prescription eyeglasses, Lions are improving the quality of life for people around the world. The Lions support for the program I founded, answering the call of Helen Keller to be the knights of the blind has enabled this progress. Lions have taken a leadership role in eliminating visual impairments for all people, including Special Olympic athletes globally. Helping low-income individuals and people with intellectual disabilities see enables them to contribute more to society and lead happier, more productive lives.
Dr. Paul Berman of Hillsdale, N.J., is a member of the Hackensack Lions Club and has been a Lion for 20 years.
Learn more aboutProviding Vision Services for the Underprivileged
Posted by on October 4, 2012 at 1:02 PM EDT
Brad Baker is being honored as a Champion of Change as the CEO of Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service, Inc., an organization that provides comprehensive sight and hearing care to individuals in need.
I’ve always felt an obligation to serve the community. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of two of my heroes: my dad and mom who were both Lions. Since I became a Lion in 1990, I have worked at Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service. The organization provides me with a unique opportunity to work with Lions from all over the world, and gives me the privilege of seeing how Lions are making a positive difference in the lives of people every day. By providing comprehensive medical care to the unemployed, uninsured and underinsured in our region, the positive impact on hundreds, if not thousands, of lives cannot be measured in dollars. The rewards of watching a grandmother see her grandchild for the first time; hearing stories of people who thought the world had gone gray, but can see colors again; people who forgot there were actually leaves on the trees instead of big blobs of gray-now speak of how the Lions came to their rescue. The most poignant story is of a nurse who had lost her sight and “prayed that God would send an angel to restore me to my family and to my life…but He did not. Instead, He sent the Lions.”
Brad Baker of Jonesboro, Ark., is a member of the Jonesboro University Heights Lions Club and has been a Lion for 22 years.
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