By now, you’ve probably heard about the Service Journey, a new way Lions Clubs International is thinking about service. Lions have been serving their communities faithfully for more than 100 years—so what is it about our service that has stood the test of time? In a world of increasing need, can we increase our service to keep up? And can we do it even better?
The Service Journey is the way we’re addressing these questions—and, hopefully, answering them. To better understand the Service Journey and how it can support your vision and passion to make a difference, lionsclubs.org is a great place to get started.
The Service Journey webpage on lionsclubs.org provides a high-level overview of what the journey is all about, focusing on four distinct phases: Learn, Discover, Act and Celebrate.
Learn
As a Lion, you’re constantly learning—increasing your understanding of your community, your world, and the needs that face them. Deepen your awareness of these critical challenges by exploring our five global causes: diabetes, vision, hunger, the environment, and childhood cancer.
Discover
Everyday experience tells us that learning inspires creative thinking. We’re constantly looking for ways to apply what we’ve learned to our own context. Clubs looking to inspire and expand their impact with new insight can click through to the Service Toolkit, a collection of five resources designed to help clubs assess, position and spring into action. From the Club & Community Needs Assessment to the Developing Local Partnerships guide, the toolkit is a great way to take your exciting next step in the journey of service.
Act
Lions and Leos are people of action—it’s what our organization is known for. Once we’ve understood a challenge and discovered ways to overcome it, we’re ready to do something about it. If that describes you and your club, then be sure to check out the Service Launchpad, an interactive tool that will connect you with planning resources to help you serve the causes you care about. After asking you a few questions, the launchpad will show you an array of Service Project Planners that meet your criteria.
Celebrate
We take joy in service. Celebration has always been a value of our organization’s journey through the decades, and we have no intention of stopping. Serving humanity in more than 200 countries, we take pride in the unique expressions of kindness found in each member and club around the world. It’s because of this rich diversity that we share our stories and report our impact—to build unity, inspire our communities and show the world how we’re making a difference. Click through to read our service stories when you visit the Service Journey page.
Remember, there are tons of ways you can get to know the Service Journey and explore how it might fit into your own expression of service. The Service Journey page is a fantastic place to get started.
Taylor Birkey is a creative lead at Lions Clubs International.
