The fourth annual Service Project Sampler Day will be held on Saturday, April 15th from 10-1 at the Scandia Community Center. This year is the largest yet with 15 hands-on service projects and 21 collection drives!

From 10-12, drop off items for the collection drives and then spend some time doing one or two…or all 15 service projects.

The Lions are asking that everyone who plans to volunteer sign up on the SignUpGenius form so that we can have enough food for lunch. Sign up here under the VOLUNTEER slot: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4fadac29a7f85-2023#/. We also welcome volunteers to sign up as table hosts (instructions will be provided) and to assist with set-up, clean-up, and serving lunch.

The projects include:

• Making 600 sandwiches for the 363 Days Food Program. The bologna and cheese sandwiches will be given to those experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis and St. Paul on the evening of April 15^th.
• Cutting blue jeans into pieces that will be used to make 25 shoes for children who suffer from a crippling foot parasite called jiggers. The pieces are sent to Sole Hope which then sends them to Uganda where cobblers create shoes using the fabric, two pieces of plastic, a piece of elastic, and parts of tires. This environmentally-friendly project literally saves the lives of people who have jiggers.
• Sewing pillowcases for those living in extreme poverty at Yurok Indian Reservation in California. Many of the people at the reservation are living in extreme poverty, and something so simple as a pillowcase is not within financial reach. The cases both protect the longevity of a pillow as well as boost the spirits of the recipients.
• Creating 200 nature and craft kits for Gammelgarden Museum. Assemble craft and activity kits that are focused on nature, heritage gardening, reuse, and resourcefulness that will be offered to youth at no cost during the summer.
• Assembling “period kits” for girls in Cameroon and Madagascar. These items are distributed through Global Health Ministries so girls who have their periods can use these products, and can attend school and go to work like their male counterparts.
• Coloring 100 pictures that are sent to Color-a-Smile which then sends them to seniors who are in nursing homes or homebound; veterans; and service men and women who are stationed throughout the world. These colored sheets provide a message of hope and encouragement.
• Sewing reusable diapers for newborns in third-world countries through Global Health Ministries.
• Tying 10 fleece blankets for pediatric cancer patients at Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis. 
• Making bird suet and seed mixes. The suet will be put in small milk cartons and the seed mixes will be divided into baggies for attendees to take home and use along with the recipes so they can be made at home after the event.
• Knitting and crocheting baby hats and blankets for Global Health Ministries. These items will be given to mothers in third-world countries who deliver their babies in clinics. Printed directions will be provided at the event or can be emailed to those interested in knitting or crocheting at home and bringing finished items to the event.
• Create fleece blankets for kittens, cats, and dogs at Northwoods Humane Society.
• Assembling activity kits for children with cancer at Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis – the kits help
• Assemble 10 bluebird houses. The bluebird house will be installed at Gammelgarden Museum to create a bluebird trail.
• Write letters or draw pictures for residents of Christian Community Home in Osceola, Wisconsin.

COLLECTIONS:

• New LEGO sets for the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital for children and teens with cancer. (
• Items for activity kits for Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis for children and teens with cancer – Activity/coloring books, crayons, markers, sticker books, MadLibs, gel pens, puzzles, and travel-sized games (e.g., Connect Four, Spot It).
• New or very gently used clothing for youth and adults for Valley Outreach in Stillwater (e.g., shorts, t-shirts, short-sleeve shirts, sandals, swimsuits, light jackets, tennis shoes, summer hats, polo shirts).
• Empty plastic pill bottles with labels removed for Matthew 25: Ministries. The bottles are included in shipments of medical supplies, and for shredding and recycling. This program fulfills the dual needs of improving medical care in developing countries and caring for the environment.
• Financial donations for SightFirst which will support cataract surgeries to restore sight, Zithromax to control trachoma, and surgeries for those suffering from trachoma. – (https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/give-our-focus-areas/vision/sightfirst)
• Items for Gammelgarden Museum of Scandia – gift cards to purchase items for youth programs (Walmart, amazon.com, Menards, Joanns, and Prairie Restorations), 20 baskets with handles (to hold 3 strawberry plants), oversized lawn games, antique/old children’s games (jacks, marbles), items for Girls & Dolls tea parties (china sets, china teapots, sets of 4-6 new cloth napkins, highchairs for dolls, white gloves in children’s sizes, and new rectangular tablecloths)
• Hearing aids and financial donations to the Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation. This will support the goal of the Affordable Hearing Aid Program which helps individuals who have a hearing loss and limited financial resources. The MLHF helps them find hearing aids at prices that are affordable to them, no matter how limited their financial resources may be.
• Quarters for Leader Dogs for the Blind – The goal is to raise $1,000 – enough to sponsor two leader dogs and give two people who are blind the opportunity to receive a dog once they are trained.
• Items for Northwoods Humane Society – Dry puppy food, dry kitten food, pate style canned cat food, canned kitten food, clay cat litter (non-clumping), puppy milk replacer, cat toys, soft dog treats, disinfectant wipes, and laundry detergent (liquid, HE).
• Items for Wildlife Science Center – left-handed welding gloves, thermometers, sponges, scour pads, spray bottles, large poop scoopers, kitchen shears, metal food dishes, contractor bags (3 mm thick), and Ziploc bags (any size/brand)
• Items for Personal Care and Household Cleaning for Family Pathways Food Shelf including: deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo (full size), conditioner (full size), body lotion, multi-pack of soap, window cleaner, surface cleaner, floor cleaner, dish soap, and dishwasher soap.
• Lead fishing tackle. People who bring in lead tackle will receive non-lead tackle in return.
• Non-perishable food for the Scandia-Marine Food Shelf. All items should have expiration dates of September 2023 and beyond.
• Pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House.
• Eyeglasses for the Lions Recycle for Sight program.
• Baby blankets for newborns receiving care from Global Health Ministries partners in third-world countries. The blankets need to be acrylic or cotton yarn and be 30”x30”.
• Aluminum cans for recycling which support the Lions’ local programs and services
• New or very gently used books for Literacy Minnesota’s Summer Reads Program – the highest need is for multilingual books and books featuring diverse characters and themes for ages pre-K to fifth grade (e.g., board books, picture books, easy chapter books, middle-grade chapter books). About 10,000 books are given to kids and families who need them, and other school district or nonprofit partners.
• Used digital cameras – for Ukrainian refugee youth who are living in Mellerud, Sweden (Scandia’s Sister City). Photographer Carl Wegener will refurbish the cameras and they will be given to youth to use during a photography course he will give to the Mellerud Photography Club. The youth are able to keep the cameras upon completion of the course.
• Plastic bags for recycling with Trex. When the Lions reach 500 pounds of plastic refuse collected in a six-month span (about 40,500 plastic bags), Trex will give the Lions a high-performance composite bench for our community.

We also will be:

• Offering free haircuts by Scandia Hair Design for those donating 8”+ of hair to Children with Hair Loss. Sign up on SignUpGenius to reserve a spot to get a haircut to donate your hair.