By Susan DeRemer
I was in the Apple store last week to pick-up a small tripod for us to record our first Facebook Live presentation.* The team member asked me how I planned to use it and when I told him I was making a recording for the Santa Monica Lions Club, he was curious. “What is a Lions Club?” he asked. I told him we were a service club serving the needs of Santa Monica and the Westside. On an international level we focus on vision, feeding the hungry, children and the environment. His next question was, “What is a service club?” I was not surprised.
It is not uncommon in Los Angeles for people to not know what a service club is. The definition, according to Wikipedia: “A service club or service organization is a voluntary non-profit organization where members meet regularly to perform charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. A service club is defined firstly by its service mission and secondly its membership benefits, such as social occasions, networking, and personal growth opportunities that encourage involvement.”
In an age of hyper-connectivity and philanthropy, I find it odd that no one knows about service clubs. The clubs are all about making connections; finding new friends, networking and learning more about the community you live or work in. They are also about philanthropy; working as volunteers or hold fundraising events to benefit nonprofits, students and others in the Santa Monica/Westside community.
On June 22 from 5 -8 p.m., several Santa Monica service clubs will be sponsoring a shopping event at J. Crew on Third Street Promenade with up to 20 percent of your purchase going to benefit the Westside Family Health Center and Safety Harbor KIDS. The clubs participating are the Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, Jaycees, Breakfast Club and Women’s Club. This is a great opportunity stop by for some snacks and beverages, shop, support local charities and learn more about the outstanding service clubs that you could be a part of.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about the event or about Lions, please contact Susan DeRemer at santamonicalion@gmail.com or call (310) 442-9513.
* Check the SM Lions Facebook page for our Facebook Live presentation by Kyle Kozar, the bikeshare coordinator for the Breeze bikes. He discusses the new pricing schedule starting Aug. 1 and how and where you park may affect the time you are charged for.
For more information about the Lions Club, visit www.facebook.com/smlions, http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/santamonica, call 310-623-4499 or reach them at P.O. Box 3435, Santa Monica, CA 90408.
