Riverside Lions Club Stays Busy With Hygiene Helpers, Food Drives

The Riverside Lions would like to thank the residents of the Ellwood City area and particularly Ellport for supporting our collections recently of both food supplies for the Holy Redeemer Food Bank and the Hygiene Helpers boxes located at the Franklin Township Giant Eagle and area Dollar General stores.

The club has tried to stay busy in these unusual times according to King Lion, Chip Campbell.

Since its last update, the club has donated a bench, along with the help of the Rochester Beaver Lions, to the Riverside Elementary school playground.

Pictured are club member Mike Milnes and Dr. Emily Smith, elementary school principal, making sure the seat works.

The bench was acquired through a program from TREX. Any nonprofit who can collect 500 lbs. of sheet plastic can receive a free bench.

“With the help of the Rochester Beaver Lions, led by ex-Riverside resident Rita Swesey, we’ve been able to place three benches in the area in the last year,” says Campbell.

The Riveside Lions made their last pick-up of hygiene products that were donated at the two locations our Hygiene Helpers boxes were out and found great success.

“We collected over 350 hygiene products in the three months they were out,” says Campbell. “Thank you to Gina Felouzis of Giant Eagle and Chris Radich from Dollar General for letting us place the boxes in their stores. We hope to be able to place them again at the end of the school year to furnish supplies for the summer. Please keep your eye out for them.”

The Lions held two food drives in the Ellport area as well, one on October 28 and another on November 17.

The club collected slightly over a pick-up truck load of non-perishable food items in time for the Holy Redeemer Food Bank Thanksgiving give away.

Pictured in the food drive photo, left to right, are club members Lynn Campbell, Mike Milnes, Jim Westlund and Joan Bowser.

Pictured are King Lion Chip Campbell, Bonnie Phillippi and club member Jim Westlund.

“We also had the privilege of donating to the Yellow Ribbon Girls, a local charity who are a faith based mission, supporting deployed service men and women with monthly care packages of supplies, treats, games and crafts,” added Campbell.

The Riverside Club also donated a large and medium box of various items to one of the 111 Pennsylvania service members deployed on Guantanamo Bay, a drive supported by the Lions of Pennsylvania .

“We’ve also sold a Halloween ticket and are in the midst of selling Christmas tickets,” concluded Campbell.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the Lions please contact Chip Campbell 724-944-1869.