The Sooke Harbourside Lions have gone and done it again. Is that all they do, is give?
Most recently, the Harbourside Lions gave the Sooke Transition House Society (STHS) a bundle of cloth bags, complete with books and stuffed animals with which to fill them.
The effort, which was coordinated by Lion Stephanie Jenkins, easily fell into place.
These perpetual good-deeders continually target areas that could stand a bit of improvement and without much ado and even less fanfare.
“We’re always searching for a good bang for our buck, where our efforts as a group would be best,” said Jenkins. When Geri Pudwell showed up with her home-crafted book bags, the book project just took on a life of its own. The stuffed animals, said Jenkins, were included for comfort.
As is their standard, they rally around an idea and quickly move it from conception to accomplishment.
Mission accomplished on the morning of June 13.
Arlene Rees, the Executive Director at STHS, gratefully received these book bags, saying that the seeds of confidence and relationship are laid when parents read books to their children. Rees said many children come through the transition house without anything, and children with attachment issues find comfort in the tactile presence of a stuffed animal.
As outlined on their website (sooketransitionhousesociety.com), STHS provides emergency shelter for women and their children who are in crisis resulting from family violence. Rees detailed their program, saying they offer 30-day emergency shelter for women fleeing abusive situations. They assist with counselling for women and children to address what Rees refers to as the “constellation of associated issues,” which include histories addiction, abuse and low self-esteem.
STHS also has a program in place to work with girls, nurturing the growth of confidence and self esteem so they can better guard against unhealthy relationships in life. This program, Young Women of Spirit, is open to all girls.
When asked if the Sooke Harbourside Lions ever get any rest, Lion Diane Kent said this particular Lions club has over 50 women in it. “If you have enough women, you can work on your passion.” Many hands make for little work, with big impact.
They do slow down somewhat in July and August, though they promised periodic resurgences even in these slower months.
