OUR FAVOURITE CAUSES

Vision Screening

Navan Lions, together with local volunteers and other local Lions, have been working with professional optometrists, the Canadian Council of the Blind and the Essilor Luxottica Foundation to provide vision screening and a mobile eye clinic for local school children in their school at no charge. The screenings gave an early warning of potential problems such as poor vision, colour blindness, depth perception, limited peripheral vision etc. We are proud to have identified many previously unrecognised problems and assisted in enabling needy families to get eye care and free eyeglasses.

Up to 28% of the children tested required professional follow up and about 9% required eyeglasses. In January 2019 our clinic revealed two children that were completely blind in one eye and which were previously undetected.

The Onesight program is currently evolving to use new technologies which enable faster screening and to extend the coverage to more children across Ottawa. We are also looking for more volunteers – who do not need to be Lions – to join us in this enjoyable and rewarding program.

Dog Guides

The Lions foundation of Canada established its founding program, Canine Vision Canada, in 1985. Since then the Foundation has grown to include seven different Dog Guide programs: Hearing, Seizure Response, Service, Autism Assistance, Diabetes Alert, Facility Support and Canine Vision.

The Foundation’s mission is to assist Canadians with a medical or physical disability by providing them Dog Guides at no cost. To do this, the Foundation operates Dog Guides Canada, a preeminent national training school and charity that assists individuals with disabilities through specialized Dog Guide programs. It costs approximately $35,000 to train and raise each Dog Guide that is provided at no cost to eligible Canadians from coast to coast to coast. The Foundation relies on donations from individuals, service clubs, foundations and corporations and does not receive any government funding.

Now the largest school of its kind in Canada, Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides has two training facilities in Ontario: one in Breslau and another in Oakville. The Oakville school was featured on the Rick Mercer Report on CBC.

Navan Lions support the training of the dogs by organizing sponsored dog walks and other fundraising. We are also contributing to the capital fund for building an expanded training facility to cope with the high demand for dogs.

Watch videos about the many services these dogs provide by clicking on the buttons.

Please note that the 2024 Navan Lions Sponsored Dog Walk in support of the Dog Guides program has now been postponed to the Fall.

Indigenous Reconciliation

Navan Lions are setting out to contribute to Indigenous Reconciliation. Our meetings now begin with a land acknowledgement and commitment;

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People. The Algonquin peoples have lived on this land since time immemorial. We are grateful to have the opportunity to be present in this territory and we undertake to serve and assist all the communities living here in the spirit of reconciliation.

We have recently assisted the Isaruit Inuit Arts organization and Indigenous Clean Energy. We will also be supporting members of the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition. We invite you to learn more about these causes by following the links to their websites.

Check out our poster on the home page to find out more about about our upcoming Film Night on May 4 in support of the Gord Downey and Chaney Wenjack fund.

The Hannah Billings Fund

In memory of Hannah Billings - 1996 – 2007

Hannah Billings, a child in Navan, passed away In 2007, at only 10 years of age, after losing a hard fought battle with Osteosarcoma – (Bone Cancer). Despite the terrible experience of her own treatments and condition Hannah was very active in trying to help other children in dire medical situations. She was one of the faces of the CHEO Dream Team, represented the Canadian Cancer Society and was included in the Candlelighter’s Courage Beads Brochure.
Since her passing the Navan Lions Club – with the help of the Navan Women’s Institute and the Demolition Derby – has been managing a fund in her memory. The fund is specifically for helping sick children and their families deal with the consequences of serious childhood illness or disability.

If you are in that position or you know of someone who is dealing with a very sick child – please download the brochure and application form and either mail, email or present it to any member of the Club. All requests will be considered as confidential, and will be evaluated by a small committee which manages the fund with input from Hannah’s family.

To date the fund has disbursed over $38,500 to several needy families to help with their expenses arising from medical emergencies.

Download the brochure below:

The Herb Deavy Bursary

The Navan Lions Club set up a student bursary program back in 1964. Since that time, the Club has awarded bursaries totalling over $35,000 to over 60 students.

Now named the Herb Deavy Bursary – in honour of a founding member of the Navan Lions – the bursary is intended to assist students (with a connection to the Navan community) while they pursue higher education at university, college or are learning a skilled trade.

NEW! The bursary is now also being made available to students who are commencing their studies next school year and who are in the application process. All the necessary information and the application form is now available from the button. Applications for the 2024 bursary will be accepted until May 31st and the selection process will follow shortly after.