Monessen Lions Club lives up to its motto of serving

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
The Monessen Lions Club lived up to its motto of “We serve” this week.
The 32-member Lions Club donated a combined $6,750 to three Monessen-based organizations dedicated to serving others. The check presentations were held Tuesday.
King Lion Kathy Warfield said $750 was given to Mon Valley Emergency Medical Services, $1,000 went to SPHS and $5,000 was donated to the Salvation Army’s Mon Valley Citadel in Monessen.
She said earlier this month, fellow club members, Lion Tim Billick and her husband Red Warfied, began asking area community and nonprofit organization leaders “what we could do to support them in the face of the pandemic.”
“Our motto is ‘We serve,’ so what we’ve done is, with the pandemic and all the needs we’ve seen in the Valley, we have approved three donations for three organizations that really need it.
“We’re just trying to live up to that by reaching out and contributing to people during this difficult time,” Kathy Warfield said. “We just want to make sure we are available to help people.”
She said the club’s members approved the donations in a virtual meeting earlier this week and were “thrilled” to be able to donate the money they have raised at various fundraising events earlier this year.
Mon Valley EMS will purchase no-touch thermometers with the Lions Club donation.
Warfield said they were told the majority of SPHS employees “are still out and about physically working with clients, serving families and meeting their needs.”
“With doing that good work and taking care of some of the people who need it the most, SPHS employees are in need of safety supplies like masks, gloves and cleaning supplies. They’re on the front lines and they requested help with purchasing those supplies.”
The largest donation went to the Salvation Army in Monessen. Kathy said the $5,000 is earmarked for two purposes: to help pay for free meals given to area residents and to help vulnerable people pay utility bills.
“This will ensure the Salvation Army has help with continuing to provide meals for the children in Monessen,” she said. “Unfortunately, our school district does provide meals for students, but not all of the children in Monessen have the ability or the means to get to the meal sites. The Salvation Army has been delivering meals to children who can’t get to the sites.”
In an effort not to pull kids outside, the Salvation Army has condensed its feeding. Via its canteen truck, Salvation Army staff and volunteers have been handing out three meals for the week on Wednesday evenings, according to Capt. Sue Thwaite.
Thwaite said the Salvation Army also recently started a new program, Operation Barbecue, which is also operating out of the McKeesport Salvation Army branch.
Through Operation Barbecue, Monessen Salvation Army is donating around 750 meals per week to hand out to Mid-Mon Valley residents in multiple communities. The meals are pre-cooked and feed a family of four.
Warfield said the checks were distributed Tuesday and that all of the recipients “were all very, very appreciative.”
To donate to the Salvation Army in Monessen visit wpa.salvationarmy.org/WesternPennsylvania/monessen. Call 724-489-9100 to donate to SPHS and 724-684-7600 to find how to help Mon Valley EMS.
Warfield said the Monessen Lions Club “does a lot of good work” and is in search of new members.
She said most of the club’s “dedicated” Lions are senior citizens and that they are interested in attracting younger members who have a passion for serving their community.
To learn how to become a Monessen Lion call Warfield at 412-977-6553.