Tough Competition @ Meeting #1!
April 12th was our first meeting of 2023! We welcomed a great number of new members and have 114 committed men, so far, for 2023! The competition did not disappoint at the meeting. Ballots were cast for multiple nonprofit organizations from our existing, and new, members.
The meeting began with the presentation of Recovery Raw by one of our new members, Eric Rippy. He discussed the need for a positive experience in recovery that is led through experience and understanding. The presentation was RAW, emotional, and inviting. He focused on the need for their children’s program where they teach ways for building character. They provide the kids with an opportunity to build a suit of armor in confidence to handle things kids should never have to experience. Eric highlighted the program’s upcoming events and ended the presentation with a little information about his past and reasoning for starting Recovery Raw.
Our second presentation was for Sustainable Housing through Family Support Services of West Central Indiana. Scott Monnett stressed the need for domestic abuse advocacy through providing housing accommodations for victims and their families. Family Support Services’ Supportive Housing Initiative seeks to provide survivors of domestic violence weekly supportive mobile advocacy services. This level of support will assist survivors and provide opportunities to help them successfully reach their goal in re-establishing their lives and becoming self-sufficient. Scott’s presentation enlightened the members on a few of the many difficult obstacles that come with a victim attempting to re-establish their life after domestic violence.
Our final presentation of the night was for the Cloverdale Lions Club and their need for vision screening machines. Dakota Lanham spoke to the members and explained the urgent need for a blinq camera. The abilities of the camera allow a volunteer, through the club, to capture an image of the back of the eyes to detect potential abnormalities and damage to the eye that would otherwise go undetected. This technology would provide instant eye exams to children, ages 18 months to 6 years old. Dakota also highlighted that the Cloverdale Lions Club has been completing the state mandated vision screenings for 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade students in all 4 of our county schools for 2 years with the help of the Bainbridge and Greencastle Lions Clubs. The blinq camera is approximately $9,000.00 and the club would be able to provide these screenings at daycares, schools, religious groups, community events, and more with the help of volunteers.
At the end of the meeting, the secret ballots were cast. Each member navigated through the stacked presentations to decide who would receive the check for almost $11,000! After the votes were tallied, the Cloverdale Lions Club was victorious! This year, 100+ Men made the decision to give something small to each presenter’s nonprofit that did not receive the BIG check. Recovery Raw and Supportive Housing each received a check for $250. They are eligible to present again during our July meeting.
