Manchester Vermont Lions Club

The Elf Express Train is a charity event sponsored by the Manchester Lions Club.

The Manchester Lions Club is a member of the world's largest service club organization.  We are men and women who are active in community projects.  We are best known for fighting blindness – its part of our history as well as our work today.  We also perform volunteer work for many different kinds of community projects, including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry, aiding seniors and the disabled.

Lions give sight.  By conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease, Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all.  We have extended our commitment to sight conservation through countless local community projects and through our International SightFirst program, which works to eradicate blindness.

Lions serve youth.  Our community projects often support local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring.  Our Leos program provides personal development through youth volunteer opportunities.

When it comes to meeting challenges, our response is simple: We serve.  In hospitals and senior centers, in regions battered by natural disaster, in schools and eyeglass recycling centers, Lions are doing community volunteer work, helping, leading, planning and supporting.  Because we are local, we can serve the unique needs of the communities we live in.  Because we are global, we can address challenges that go beyond borders.

We believe everyone deserves a healthy life, providing health programs that focus on hearing loss to supporting efforts to control and prevent diabetes.

We empower the next generation.  We provide youth volunteer opportunities and leadership experiences in a Leos club. Our youth programs invest in the future by reaching out to young people.

We serve local communities and protect the planet.  From performing hands-on community work and service projects to providing emergency assistance, our community and environmental programs improve our communities and protect the environment.

Sampling of charities supported: Manchester Food Cupboard, Arlington Food Shelf, Interfaith Counsel, United Counseling Service, Sunrise Family Resource Center, Austine Camp, Vermont Reading Partners, Second Chance Animal Center, Free Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center, Bart Adaptive Sports Center, Burr & Burton Performing Arts, Ski for Heat, and over 30 additional charities.