The Grantsville Lions Club, the last chartered civic organizations remaining in Grantsville, held their regular bi-monthly meeting on Monday February 27th, 2023 and invited Ridgeview News to attend. The Lions Club has been an active, and contributing member to the Calhoun Community for decades by providing purchase help with eye glasses for residents who cannot afford them and collection of unused eye glasses. While vision is focus (no pun intended) for the Lions Club, it is not the only effort for which the members donate their time and money. Each year they provide two $500 scholarships to Calhoun Seniors, give to the Veterans hospital and host a veterans event, donate to the local Boy Scouts, provide snacks for the local nurses, donate to the Minnie Hamilton Long Term Care residents, help youth attend Camp Horseshoe where teens return home with a new vision, commitment, and skills to strengthen and impact their peers, school, and greater community, they sponsor the Carnival for the Calhoun Wood Festival and all proceeds from fundraisers is returned to the community.
Brenda Whipkey is the President of the Grantsville club that currently has 25 members on the roster. One member is the much beloved retired Teacher and Principal, Robert Bonar who is their longest serving member. Mr. Bonar joined in 1977 with the encouragement of George Lambiotte, owner of the local A&P Grocery Store and has served since that time. He currently holds the position of the Lions Club Secretary.
The oldest member of the Lions Club is 87 year old Mr. Jim McCormick of Grantsville, who has volunteered in the community for many years and has been a member of the Lions Club since 1990.
The group inducted a new member on Monday night when Cassandra Collins joined by taking the oath before her new friends and volunteers of the Lion Club organization.
A new venture for the Lions Club to help the community is a commercial grade kitchen that was provided with a grant from the *Food and Farm Coalition. The kitchen is now available for rent in the Lions Club building located behind the Calhoun County Committee on Aging. A commercial kitchen is a fully equipped prep kitchen that is rented out for shared use. There are several advantages to using a shared kitchen, but the most attractive reason is that they’re cost-effective. Commercial kitchens are built up to current local code, have preparation surfaces that are ideal for commercial food production, and are fully stocked with the equipment you need. In other words, they have done all the hard work of creating a suitable and sanitary kitchen workspace for you. All you have to do is focus on your food. Rental fees for the building is $50 for the kitchen only, $50 for the meeting space only (seats 50) or $75 for the use of both rooms. To rent the facility call Karen Law at 304-354-6685 or Carol Taylor at 304-354-7314 to schedule. For Lions Club membership information contact President Brenda Greathouse at 304-354-9080.
(Photos show all appliances and utensils available when kitchen is rented)
