Eden Prairie Lions are sponsors of a new virtual Lions club

By Karla Wennerstrom

On May 14, a new Lions club was born and it’s the pride of the Eden Prairie Lions Club, which is sponsoring the new group.

The club is called the Eden Prairie Friendship Lions, and it’s a “virtual club.”

It’s a way to encourage membership in a community organization, as membership in many community organizations like the Lions is declining across the country.

“We look for new ways to attract people,” said Eden Prairie Lion Gary Stevens. “It’s another way to encourage other people to get involved in Lionism.

It’s not the only virtual club in the country, not even in the state (It’s the fourth one in Minnesota.), but there is another thing that is special about the Friendship Lions. They especially encourage membership of people with disabilities, along with those with time and location constraints who often gravitate toward an online club.

John Warner, the club’s secretary, who works in the development department of Friendship Ventures, says that the seeds of the idea were planted years ago through his work with adults with developmental disabilities at Warner Carehomes in Cokato. He started a workshop for the residents there.

“I’ll never forget, the first week that our residents worked and they got a paycheck,” he said. “They were showing people they had a job now and they had a paycheck. … They were proud of paying taxes.

“It’s the same way with service,” he said. “People don’t always want to be given to. It’s nice to be able to give to somebody else.

“When you think about it, it all started with Helen Keller,” he said.

An address Keller gave to the Lions clubs in 1925 led to the group’s ongoing support for the blind and visually impaired.

“It started out with a person with tremendous disabilities and I feel it should continue that way,” Warner said.

Warner said that several staff members from Friendship Ventures, people who have disabilities and their family members have joined. The group has members from Duluth and Tennessee.

“What makes ours unique is that we felt it would be a good opportunity to welcome people with disabilities, people who are homebound,” he said, “yet who want to give back to their communities by serving.

“I think that serving is something that everybody deserves to have an opportunity to do … even disabled people,” Warner said.

“The whole main goal is to make Lions available to people whether they have time constraints or physical constraints or mental constraints,” Warner said.

Meetings and even fundraisers will be held online. Occasional in-person meetings, like the installation on May 14, and fundraisers are to be held at Camp Eden Wood in Eden Prairie.

“The challenges are going to be getting people to actual get-togethers, because we feel that’s an important thing to do,” Warner said.

Warner said that he e-mails out meeting minutes, then members must e-mail back within three days to say they received the minutes and make comments. A board of the group meets separately to decide what items to bring to the entire club for a vote or discussion. Members will pay dues and vote on how funds are used.

For more information, contact Warner at John38warner@gmail.com or 612-202-7197.

“I think that serving is something that everybody deserves to have an opportunity to do … even disabled people.”

– Friendship Lions secretary John Warner