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Continuing with a. long-standing tradition, the Bainbridge Lions Club has again joined forces with local businesses to provide help where it is needed in Decatur County. For 61 years, participating businesses have paid $50 to display company contact information in the annual Lions Club Community Birthday Calendar. Individuals can participate as well. For a $5 fee, the birthdays and anniversaries of anyone in the participating household are shown on the appropriate dates. All participants receive a calendar, so they have handy contact information and reminders of important family dates. The calendar project is one of the activities that allow the Lions to respond to various needs in the Decatur County community.

For the Bainbridge Lions Club, a top priority is the commitment that vision care will be available for every person. Anyone needing financial assistance for vision care may apply to be included in the support offered by the Club. Bainbridge Vision Clinic provides exams and prescriptions locally. Through affiliation with the Lions Lighthouse, support for such procedures as cataract surgery, as well as hearing aids, are also available based on individual circumstances. Working with Bainbridge Vision Clinic, in the last three years twelve adults have received vision care sponsored by Bainbridge Lions Club.

The Club is one of the sponsors of a regional support group for persons who are sight impaired. The group aims to empower participants to be as independent as possible by sharing helpful information, which can be especially beneficial to adults who are coping with unexpected age-related vision decline. For example, services or devices are available to allow a person to use remaining vision to read mail or recipes, labels on canned goods or prescription bottles, or denominations of paper money. Some of these aids are available without cost.

The Club also provides support for other groups dedicated to serving the community, including the Decatur County Special Olympics, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Humane Society for example. Even in the difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lions have continued to provide support to aid these organizations in their ongoing services to the community. As another tie to community businesses, the club is a member of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce.

The Bainbridge Lions Club has resumed regular meetings twice a month. After suspending meetings for several months to avoid possible virus transmission, members observe social distancing and other precautions to protect each other while enjoying the opportunity for fellowship again. They value the opportunity to hear what is going on in regional business, educational and cultural pursuits from speakers and from other members. Members find satisfaction as they plan together for events and activities to boost the community, and look forward to adding new ventures to their list of projects.

The Bainbridge Lions Club invites anyone interested in being part of their fellowship to contact the ‘Club president, Jason Williams, for more information. His phone contact is 229-726-8832 and his email address jwilliams@southgaru.com.