Skip to main content

Our Community Initiatives

Vision Support

We conduct vision screenings for school-aged children and collect used eyeglasses to improve their eyesight and overall quality of life.  More...

​​​​​​

Diabetes Awareness

Raising awareness about diabetes through educational programs and funding support for children to attend diabetes camps.

Environmental Support

Engaging in street clean-ups and plastic collection to promote a healthier environment for all.  More...

Childhood Cancer Support

We support childhood cancer through our donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Feeding the Less Fortunate

We organize backpack programs and food drives to ensure that everyone in our community has access to nutritious meals.  More...

Disaster Assistance

Providing aid and support for communities affected by natural disasters, with recent efforts focusing on Hurricane Helene.  More...

Humanitarian Aid

We provide optometric exams and eyeglasses for financially challenged children free of charge through our Benfield Foundation.

Youth Support

We provide optometric exams and eyeglasses for financially challenged children free of charge through our Benfield Foundation.


Through Lions International we support LEOs and Cubs and provide opportunities with the peace Poster Program.

Vision Initiatives

We have several closely related community vision initiatives that the club sponsors and in which our members work as volunteers. These programs are Unifour Children's Sight (UCS), "Vision After Helene", and "Horizon for Vision".


Unifour Children's Sight is a program in conjunction with Lions "Kids Sight" which performs vision screens of school-age children, particularly those under seven years of age using PlusOptix non-contact refractive "cameras". This program was started by Long View Lions and now has eleven Lions clubs in the four-county Unifour area as participating sponsors.  This organization has raised the money from sponsors in the community to fund the purchase of a dedicated van, several PlusOptix cameras, color blindness screening equipment and other support equipment. For more information see UnifourLions.org.

"Vision After Helene" refers to programs specifically directed at helping survivors of hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. We have done two such programs which included optometric exams for adults by licensed optometrists assisted by Lions volunteers. A third program is planned for Lake Lure in August of 2026.



"Horizon for Vision", inspired by our recent "Vision After Helene" project for Western North Carolina, is our most recent project providing vision screenings and eyeglasses for those adults in financial need. We have partnered with Graystone Eye, Vision First Optometry and Roanoke Eyeglass Recycling. We are regularly adding more partners as this project continues to grow.

Due to the generous assistance of IFB Solutions we have acquired a fully equipped optometric trailer to enable complete eye exams in remote locations and at health fairs etc.

For the latest information on this project see the Horizon4Vision.org Website.

The "Adopt A Street" Program

Working with NCDOT, Long View Lions has adopted about a two mile stretch of 1st Avenue SW in Long View and we pick up trash quarterly. Pictured is the Lions Crew from a clean-up in spring of 2021. More photos can be found on our Facebook "page".

The Corner Table Backpack Program

Our club assists the Corner Table program packing food for needy school students. We often have other Lions club volunteers as well as non-Lion volunteers helping us with this community service program. This program distributes hundreds of food packages each week.

Salvation Army "Angel Tree" Program

The club provides gifts to needy children each year under the Salvation Army "Angel Tree" program. In 2025 the club "adopted" 10 children and provided gifts from their gift lists via this program. Members also volunteered with the receiving/distribution program.

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

Club members volunteer to assist the Salvation Army with their bell ringing kettle fund raising at Christmas. Usually the club participates on one or two days during the holidays.

Annual Coat Drive

When the colder weather comes our Lions have a winter coat drive for the homeless and less fortunate. In 2026 with the help of the community we collected over 160 coats plus some cold weather accessories.

Plastics Recycling Program

With the help of local businesses, the Long View Lions club, and its affiliated organizations, collects and sends plastic wrap to be recycled. In return for this effort the club periodically receives benches that it places in the community. The first two benches were placed at the Long View Police Station/Town Hall. Benches have also been placed at local schools and the Lions Marjorie McCune Community.

The Fall (Halloween) Festival and Neighborhood Night Out

The Town of Long View sponsors an annual fall/Halloween festival at the Long View Recreation Center. This is a fun outing for families and kids. Each booth has a gift or prize for the kids. Long View Lions built a "Ghost" Balloon Board for the kids to pop balloons safely and win prizes. We have also done "Plinko" game with prizes. These have been very popular with the kids.


Neighborhood Night Out showcases public safety units with accompanying vendor booths with give away items and games. Most recently we did the "Plinko" game with toy items. 

Disaster Assistance

While disasters are fortunately infrequent we must be prepared for when they do happen. During the aftermath of hurricane Helene Long View Lions Club helped to support the Marjorie McCune Center in Black Mountain. They were without water for over 6 weeks. The club trucked water and other supplies there as shown at right. We also provided, with the help of a contributor, an outside, heated, shower for the McCune Community. This was welcomed with open arms! They loved it so much they want to do annual outside showers.

Affiliates/Partners/Sponsors