Lions in Action

Supported by LCIF, several thousand local Lions are now providing immediate relief aid such as food, water and clothing from the west coast of India to Thailand and south to Indonesia . Local Lions in hundreds of places are at the scenes of the disaster, helping to organize relief and ensuring that people get vital relief supplies. Lions from nearby nations also have sent volunteer workers. The Taiwan Lions, for example, sent a medical team to Sri Lanka . The service of Lions is enabling communities to take care of their children, elderly, those with disabilities and other especially vulnerable people.

Here are a few examples of how local Lions are helping victims in South Asia :

In Sri Lanka , Lions are working 16-hour days in organizing relief aid and are a key partner of the government’s relief agency and of the country's president. Enhancing their ability to assist in the relief, Lions hold key positions in the community. The former president is a Lion, as is the current Minister of Housing. District 306-B sent 60 truckloads of food and supplies to several relocation camps. Lions receive police escorts for the deliveries. District 306-A is organizing the installation of tents at new relocation camps in southern Sri Lanka at the government's request.
In Indonesia , Lions are contributing greatly to relief efforts in some of the hardest hit areas. Thirty clubs near Medan provide logistical support for aid shipments to Bandh Acheh and send out four trucks of materials daily. They also are providing shelter, food, and clothing to refugees who have entered Medan . Lion-doctors from Jakarta and Medan are providing medical treatment. Lions also are making preliminary plans to support the educational needs of orphans.

In India , 20 Lions’ ambulances and a team of 80 Lions volunteer medical doctors are providing first aid near Chennai. Nearly 70 clubs fanned out in the region from Parassalla to Haripad to distribute food and clothes at the relief camps. Lion-doctors conducted free treatment at relief centers.

In Thailand , Lions in Bangkok have sent water tanks and trucks loaded with supplies to Phuket. Lions are working with government officials and relief agencies to provide for basic needs at relocation camps.

Generosity of Lions

LCIF’s grants for the tsunami disaster, made possible, of course, by prior donations by Lions, now total US$470,000 and will climb much higher as needs are continually assessed and requests for assistance are made. Additionally, Lions throughout the world are making pledges of support, including US$120,000 from the Lions of Sweden and US$200,000 from the Lions of Korea.

Hundreds of clubs and individuals also have sent funds to LCIF. The Vancouver Metropolitan Lions Club in Canada , for example, sent LCIF a check for US$6,600. Club President Raymond Wong told LCIF, “Everyday we saw on the news that the amount of casualties are increasing by the thousands. We share the same view of most Lions that we have to do something to support the unfortunate people who have to deal with this great tragedy. We hope this small token of donations can bring some immediate help to the people in those regions. In the meantime, I have taken the initiative to ask the other clubs in our district to support this great cause.”

LCIF’s Long-Term Aid

LCIF provides immediate relief and long-term reconstruction after a disaster. LCIF is not only helping people stay alive after the tsunami but it also will rebuild communities for years to come. The real impact of LCIF’s assistance to South Asia will be fully realized in the next several years as LCIF partners with Lions to rebuild homes, schools and community centers. This long-term approach plays to the strength of LCIF and Lions, who belong to their communities, understand local needs and know how to get things done.

LCIF’s prior success with disaster relief in South Asia bodes well for its initiatives in response to the tsunami. LCIF has recently assisted with aid and reconstruction in the aftermath of two major natural disasters in India . In 2001, US$2.5 million was mobilized to assist communities rebuild after the Gujarat earthquake. The funds built 734 homes for people displaced by the earthquake, 20 primary schools, and a general hospital. In 2000, LCIF assisted with almost US$500,000 to assist rebuild areas affected by the Orissa cyclone. A total of 360 homes, nine community centers, five schools, and two orphanages were constructed.

How to Donate

LCIF established the South Asia Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund (#5105) for Lions, clubs, districts and others to assist relief efforts by Lions. The funds are supporting immediate needs such as food and water and will support long-term reconstruction needs.

U.S. donors can:

· Mail a check to LCIF. Make the check payable to LCIF and write “tsunami relief” in the memo field. Send the check to LCIF, 300 W. 22^nd St. , Oak Brook , IL 60523 , USA , Attn.: Donor Services.

· Make a credit card donation with a MasterCard, Visa or American Express by calling LCIF at 630-571-5466, ext. 517 or 554. Call between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST.

Donors outside the United States can:

Make a credit card donation with a MasterCard, Visa or American Express by faxing to LCIF the name of your credit card, credit card number, expiration date and amount of donation. LCIF’s fax number is 630-571-5735.
Mail LCIF a U.S. dollar check drawn on a U.S. financial institution. Make the check payable to LCIF and write “tsunami relief” in the memo field. Send the check to LCIF, 300 W. 22^nd St. , Oak Brook , IL 60523 , USA , Attn.: Donor Services.

Make a direct deposit of local currency into an existing LCI account. Specify “LCIF tsunami relief” on the deposit slip and send a copy to LCIF via fax (630-571-5735).
Do a direct wire transfer. For assistance with this option or the other donation options, contact Gerry Bara of LCIF Donor Services at gbara@lionsclubs.org or by phone at 630-571-5466, ext. 581.

Since this is a donation to a specific initiative, it is not eligible for Melvin Jones Fellowship recognition. The main purpose of the MJF program is to encourage and recognize Lions who donate unrestricted funds to LCIF to support all of the foundation's grant program and to provide for our annual funding. Allowing MJF recognition for donations to a specific disaster could cause a sharp drop in unrestricted donations and impact LCIF’s ability to fund its many programs.

However, donations for tsunami relief are counted toward an individual’s and a club’s cumulative giving totals to LCIF, which help qualify an individual and club for various recognition programs. Also, the names of individuals and clubs that make significant donations will be posted on a new Web site LCIF is creating on the disaster. All donors will be recognized in special reports in the near future,

Note that LCIF is unable to accept offers of goods such as blankets, clothing or food. It is not logistically feasible for LCIF to process and transport such donations.

Why Donate to LCIF

Lions who donate to other relief agencies or Lions districts that donate directly to another district affected by the tsunami are to be commended for their generosity. But donating to LCIF carries several important advantages.

Donations to LCIF are a highly efficient and effective way to help people impacted by the tsunamis. Every donated dollar goes directly to relief efforts; LCIF’s administrative costs are paid for by interests on investments.

The donations empower local Lions who are familiar with the needs of their community to meet the most critical needs of their community. There are 73,000 Lions on the ground in the hardest hit regions of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia who are able to come to the aid of those most in need. LCIF has a long history of disaster relief and filling in the gaps not covered by other relief agencies.

LCIF’s grants are often matched by grants from other agencies. Thus donations made to LCIF are eventually leveraged by other grants, maximizing the power and reach of a single donation.

LCIF takes a comprehensive, coordinated approach to disaster recovery, instead of piecemeal solutions. LCIF strategically plans long-term recovery efforts by working with committees of leading Lions and by working with government officials and other non-governmental organizations. Quite frequently, the government officials and non-profit leaders are Lions themselves, immeasurably increasing LCIF’s ability to move projects forward to a speedy completion. In Sri Lanka , for example, the Minister of Housing is a Lion, and the Lions there are actually working in coordination with the government to direct other aid agencies.

Accountability

As a rule, LCIF does not send funding to local Lions districts without knowing precise needs and without assurance that the local Lions are avoiding duplication of efforts. Donors can rest assured also knowing there is strict oversight of grants:

· All Emergency Grants are awarded solely on the basis of a detailed application from the affected district. A specific action plan must be presented and must include which villages and how many people will be helped and what relief items will be purchased.

· Districts provide final reports that must include documentation, receipts and bank account statements for the funds disbursed, along with photos of the relief effort and other details. In South Asia, those final reports are audited and double-checked by LCIF’s office in Bombay .

· LCIF has been awarding Emergency Grants in these countries for 30 years and has vast experience in ensuring proper coordination and accountability.

· The local Lions who are spending the Emergency Grants also use their own funds and in many instances spend double or triple the amount that LCIF awarded them, which speaks to the care in which Lions use LCIF funds.

LCIF will continue to keep you updated through these bulletins. Also, in the near future, LCIF will have a new Web site containing the latest information on the tsunami disaster. Its address will be www.lions-tsunami.org.

More funds will be awarded by LCIF in the coming days as needs are assessed. Your generosity is deeply appreciated and your continued support is desperately needed.