The Morro Bay Lion’s Club celebrated its many volunteers over a variety of community benefit efforts, by sitting down to a “Volunteer Appreciation Dinner” at the Eagle’s Aerie in North Morro Bay.
Outgoing Club President Chuck Stoll introduced the volunteers that help the Club’s activities and programs, which include the free Monday Night Dinners, held every Monday night at the Moro Bay Vet’s Hall, 209 Surf St.
Eight total groups including local churches and community groups, help out with the weekly dinners, which serve a hot meal and distribute groceries and other items like clothing, to the folks who attend, many of which are homeless.
According to the Club’s newsletter the free Monday dinners served about 2,122 people from July 1, 2021 through May 2022.
They calculated over 2,100 hours of volunteer time went into those dinners.
For those not aware,” the newsletter item said, “the project has multiple components. It starts earlier in the day with the community food donations pick ups and volunteers who hard boil the eggs if available, and the sandwich making team.
“But even that is not totally accurate because we have trips to the food bank for the pantry and individuals who go outside those hours to pick up food donations.”
The dinners also include other services like free haircuts and beard trimming by Jon Elliott of Mike’s Barber Shop. Different people, including some restaurant owners, trade off being the lead chef on given Monday nights.
The Lions also celebrated all the folks who volunteer with the Car Giveaway Program, the free Community Thanksgiving Dinners, and the club’s scholarships program, as well as programs through the larger Lion’s Club International supporting science based education, and a recycling program supporting the car giveaway and other Lion’s Club causes.
As for the location of the dinner, the Lions and Eagles have an agreement to share the Eagles’ clubhouse for its meetings and once a month the Lions cook a special dinner for everyone to enjoy.
In the photo are some of the Monday Night Dinners volunteers who were on hand for the Club’s Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. Photo by Neil Farrell
