NEDERLAND — Members of the Nederland and Idaho Springs Lions Clubs joined forces on July 29 to prepare and serve dinner for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Denver. 

A team of seven from the two Lions Clubs prepared meatloaf, smashed potatoes, glazed carrots, green beans, rolls, and ice cream, serving more than 60 meals.

The Safeway grocery store in Idaho Springs donated a $100 gift card toward the purchase of the ground beef, which was greatly appreciated!

The families staying at Ronald McDonald House reside there free of charge while their children receive treatment for serious and life-threatening illnesses. Several of the children joined their families for dinner, 

Volunteers from the Idaho Springs Lions Club included Lisa and Will Cassidy and Bob Storrs. From the Nederland Lions Club, Ann Marie Morgan, Debbie Stevens, and Margie and Jeff Yansura joined the cooking crew.

Idaho Springs and Nederland Lions Club members in the kitchen at Ronald McDonald House where they prepared and served 60 meals: (left to right) Jeff Yansura, Ann Marie Morgan, Bob and Lisa Cassidy, Margie Yansura, Debbie Stevens and Bob Storrs.

Photo Courtesy of Bob Storrs

“One of the best parts of the project was having two Lions Clubs working side by side,” said Storrs of the Idaho Springs Lions Club. “In addition to sharing the work and the cost of the meal, members had an opportunity to get to know Lions from a neighboring club.

"It was a wonderful example of how clubs can accomplish more—and have more fun—when we work together. It was very rewarding knowing we could provide a healthy and tasty meal for these families experiencing such challenges.”

This service project is among the five Core Global Missions of Lions International:

Vision: Preventing blindness, restoring sight, and providing eyeglass recycling and vision screenings through programs like KidSight.

Diabetes: Raising awareness, promoting early screening, and supporting education to combat the global diabetes epidemic.

Childhood Cancer: Expanding access to treatment, improving quality of life, and supporting children and families affected by pediatric cancer.

Hunger: Fighting food insecurity and supplying nutritious meals to vulnerable and local communities.

Environment: Protecting and restoring local ecosystems through sustainability projects, tree planting, and community cleanups. 

More information about group volunteer opportunities is available from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver: bit.ly/4zjrMfR.