Friday, Jan. 30, the Lions Club chapter at the College of William and Mary hosted community advocate Meta Chambers to speak at Tucker Hall.
Lions Club International is a global service organization focused on supporting humanitarian projects in communities around the world. According to its website, there are nearly 1.5 million members and 50,000 different chapters. The service group aids over 200 countries and regions.
Chambers came from the Norfolk Ocean View Lions Club chapter. She began by discussing an experience she had in a Kenyan village that shaped her drive for service.
“I was [in the village] holding hands with a lady whose eyes were crusted over,” Chambers said. “[She had] what I believe to be cataracts.”
Chambers explained how cataracts are curable with the correct medical treatment, but because this woman was in an impoverished village, she was left alone to suffer.
Chambers marked this experience as an important moment in her life, as it helped her realize that many humanitarian issues around the world remain unaddressed due to a lack of action.
“That was one of the pivotal points in my life that changed me, wired me to drive harder, to go further, to do more [and] to turn my passion and compassion into responsibility,” she said.
Chambers then spoke about the Norfolk Ocean View Lions Club, which has 27 members.
“We’re growing, [and] we support through service and finances over 31 different organizations,” she said.
Chambers transitioned to discussing some of the humanitarian service projects she has completed with Lions, starting with bringing school supplies and children’s books to Kenya.
“It broke my heart to know that these kids never had time to spend with a book until I brought those books,” she said.
Chambers said the kids did not want to leave the books, so she gave some to each child.
Chambers discussed a fundraising initiative for other African communities in need of humanitarian assistance. She filled backpacks with Jenga blocks, providing the children with toys.
“For a $5 donation, [the donors] could write an action verb [on a Jenga block],” she said. “That gives the kids an opportunity to practice language and have fun because there’s no toys over there.”
Chambers said the Lions Club shipped over 1,000 books to a school in Nairobi, helping them create a library.
Chambers also outlined a Lions-funded hospital initiative in which the organization provided roughly 6,000 free cataract surgeries per year. To ensure that rural communities were included, the Lions traveled to these areas to conduct surgeries.
She mentioned other Lions Club projects, including starting recycling drives for orthopedic glasses, supporting an orphanage and donating sewing machines.
Chambers concluded her talk with a call to action.
“And so my challenge to you all is to change,” she said. “You don’t have to graduate to be a leader. You’re already a leader.”
After the event, Phoenix Smith ’28, president of the Lions Club chapter at the College, discussed the group’s service projects. Initiatives include making blankets for a children’s hospital and co-hosting a charity event with the College’s Chapter of Circle K International.
Smith also mentioned the club’s future plans, such as arranging kits for the Hampton Roads homeless community.
Smith expressed gratitude for Chambers and encouraged other community members to consider joining Lions.
“I hope anyone who’s really invested in service and leadership and making a real change in their community on campus joins the Lions Club,” he said.
Mack Stevens is a member of the Lions Clubs of Virginia. His job is to help launch new Lions chapters across the state.
“Phoenix and all of the students are very excited about getting going and starting new projects and finding out how they can help their community,” he said.
As a school teacher in Virginia Beach, Va., Stevens enjoys seeing youth participation in Lions.
“This is an opportunity where you meet some great people, and you network with professionals,” he said.
