Join us in celebrating the Verona Lions Club
75th Anniversary
Thanks for the support you’ve given us since we began in spring of 1951 – 75 years ago! As a result of your support, we have given assistance to both individuals and other civic groups in our community. While our emphasis traditionally has been on projects designed to prevent blindness, restore eyesight, improve eye health and help the blind, there is much more.
The Lions club has performed many long standing services to Verona over the 75 years and here are examples of each of the major contributions we have made as volunteers.
You may know that we have awarded $6,000 or more every year to local high school seniors who have served others. And you probably know that we helped start and continue to support our town’s medical transportation vehicle. Bus shelters in town? Large print books in the library? Eye glass collection for recycling? Yes, we’ve assisted in all these areas.
Perhaps you or your family members have called us to borrow hospital equipment such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, and walkers without charge. These and many other worthwhile projects were made possible through the generosity of Verona residents like you.
Maybe you didn’t know that over the years we’ve expanded our efforts to help others. In addition to over $3,000 given annually to help residents with food and medicine purchases over the holiday season, we have volunteered our manpower as well as made financial donations to local food pantries. In the last year, we recycled almost 10,000 pairs of eyeglasses.
Also, we give donations to organizations that help veterans and active service members, as well as providing over the last three years multiple truckloads of excess hospital equipment for those in need in Ukraine. In addition, we contribute to fight juvenile diabetes, the Progeria foundation and suicide prevention. We have changed as times have changed.
The Verona Lions Club (VLC) was founded in 1951 as a service organization dedicated to the health and well-being of Verona residents. In 1999, the VLC established a charitable foundation, Verona Lions Charities, Inc., as a 501c-3 to better provide funding for the club’s charitable activities. VLC provides services such as a Hospital Equipment Loan Program. In addition, we sponsor sight and hearing testing at Verona Fair in the Square, recycling and refurbishing of eye glasses for those in need, the Verona Cedar Grove Medical Transportation vehicle service and many others local programs.
Our club maintains a Hospital Equipment Loan Closet. In the event that a Verona resident requires a wheel chair, hospital bed, cane, crutches or other health aids, the Verona Lions are ready to deliver it to the resident’s home free of charge.
Hospital Equipment Loan Program
Our club maintains a Hospital Loan Closet. In the event that a Verona resident requires a wheel chair, hospital bed, cane, crutches or other health aids, the Verona Lions are ready to deliver it to the resident's home free of charge.
Verona Cedar Grove Medical Transportation Program
The Verona Lions Club provides financial support to the Verona Cedar Grove Medical Transportation Program, administered by the Verona Health Department. The club has donated a car to the town of Verona, which is used to transport residents to doctor appointments both in and out of town.
VLC raises money through charitable contributions, a super 50/50 raffle and our annual White Cane Fundraising Campaign, with all of the money redistributed to various Lion charities, local organizations and individuals within the town of Verona who require assistance.
The VLC currently has about 35 members all of whom are highly motivated individuals who enjoy working together for the betterment of Verona and its residents. In addition to our monthly dinner meeting and monthly board meeting (open to all members), we enjoy several social events every year including Charter Night where all new officers are sworn in for the following year’s term, a holiday party and other events.
The VLC meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm. For more information contact President Mike Petti at 973-710-2888 or by email at michael.petti7@verizon.net
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.