From Closing to Revival - It's all about ATTITUDE! 

It has been said that “Your Attitude determines your Altitude”. That perfectly describes the transition that the Westboro Lions Club went through during the first half of 2020.

Westboro, Missouri is a small village that has a strong history of Lions Club activities over the past 70 years. During that time the school closed through consolidation and most of the businesses that once lined main street have disappeared. As Lions members grew old and passed on, few young people were found to carry on the legacy of a once vibrant Lions tradition. Membership plummeted to only 12 members in 2019. In fact, a Lions meeting was held in June of this year to vote on closing down the Westboro Lions Club.

During that voting process a sense of great loss welled up in several of the members. Members reminisced about some highlights of the past several years where the Westboro Lions Club was instrumental in sponsoring fundraising event that were pivotal for projects like “cleaning up hazardous building in Westboro” and “raising substantial money for families with cancer”. This time of reflection stimulated a revival for the passion “TO SERVE”.

The club then identified a huge need that exists in Westboro, as well as the rest of Atchison County. This desperate need is “families and elderly folks who are food insecure”. Yes, the county has a food pantry and a Community Service Center but they depend heavily on local food donations and financial support from churches. This is a place where we can SERVE as a gathering point for funds to assist with this desperate need.

The Westboro Lions Club will be networking with churches, community leaders, and other organizations to have a MEAT-A-PLENTY event this fall to raise money for those who are food insecure in our county. At the club meeting on Monday, August 10^th, approval was given to move forward with this event plan.

But we aren’t waiting until then – we have already started putting our money where or dreams are!! Since that meeting in July that spurred a revival, The Westboro Lions Club has already donated 180 dozen eggs, and 45 containers of cottage cheese to the Atchison County Community Service Center. We are on a mission to serve and we are making a “ROAR”. No more “quiet social club” for us!! We are out to engage the community!! That is what being a LION is all about!

Lion Daniel Yonker

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