‘We try to help out any way we can’: Manor Lions club celebrates 75 years in community

Joy Clontz always had a box of eyeglasses in her home during her childhood.

Her father was a member of the St. Marys’ Lions Club in Elk County for 60 years. She remembers helping him with various Lions events, including Recycle for Sight — a program in which Lions members across the world collect and donate usable glasses.

Clontz collects glasses to this day as a 20-year member of the Manor Lions Club, which reached its 75th anniversary in June.

There are 1.4 million Lions members across the globe who have served more than 200 countries and regions for more than 100 years, according to the Lions International website. There are about 50,000 clubs across the world, about 30 of which are in Westmoreland County.

The Manor club is known in the community for its pancake breakfasts and chicken barbeques, where members make about 1,000 chickens during the spring and summer months.

The primary focus of the club is serving others. Every time the club gets together, the members know to bring something to donate, Clontz said.

“In the community, we try to help out any way we can. We do food drives. Right now, we do a food drive at every election day,” Clontz, of Manor, said. “Everyone knows when they come to Manor to vote to bring food for the food pantry.”

Members collected food donations, totaling around 250 meals worth of food, when the club gathered for its 75th anniversary celebration last month, Clontz said.

The club hosts events to raise money for charitable causes, collecting dues from its members to ensure 100% of funds raised among the community go to those in need.

Members have raised money for the Manor Recreation Board, the Manor and Westmoreland City fire departments, and the Penn Township Ambulance Station. Years ago, the club helped local police purchase radar guns, Clontz said.

In August, the club raised $1,200 for Make A Wish. And in the coming months, the club will “adopt a family” for its annual Christmas program — purchasing clothes, toys and other gifts to bring the holiday spirit to a family in need.

Joe Tauber got involved in the club nearly 30 years ago, shortly after moving to Harrison City. He has stayed for the people.

“To be together for 75 years as a group in any type of organization is a rarity,” said Tauber, of Irwin. “A lot of times within years, a large percentage of groups like that would no longer be meeting.

“It’s just nice to see the ongoing efforts. The community knows you, they see you, they’ll stop by and talk. It’s just nice to be part of a community and exist for 75 years.”

The club has about 15 members, several of whom are older, Clontz said. There are four people in the group in their 90s and one who will turn 100 in April.

It is difficult for any organization to get members today, she said.

“(Membership) is sort of low, but we’ve made do with less,” Clontz said. “We just have to have everybody working.”

Clontz continues to lead the club because of the positive impact it has left on Manor and the surrounding community. She is particularly inspired by a project done by the Seton Hill Lions Club in 2011.

The Seton Hill club formed in 2009. It is not listed on the university’s 2022-23 active clubs list, but Clontz served as their “guiding Lion” for several years. The students heard about a local man who was losing his vision, which forced him to take a cab to work and sell his home to live in an apartment.

The students raised about $2,300 to help the man get vision-repairing surgery in both eyes.

“That’s my big moment there — helping to do that,” Clontz said.