Lions Clubs International
Lions International is the largest international charitable organization operating worldwide and it is neither religiously nor politically dependent. It was founded by Melvin Jones in the USA in 1917 and it expanded to Austria in 1952. The Organization has today over 1,400,000 members in more than 44,000 Clubs in 180 countries or geographic areas.
The first Lions Club was also chartered in the United States in 1957. At the present time there are 6600 Leo Clubs with 140,000 members, in 138 countries. In Austria, the first club, Wien Opera, was chartered in 1969.
All the staff of Lions International volunteers its time to humanitarian causes for the general public.
Lions International assists quickly fellow human beings in need by:
- Assisting handicapped children and advancing their therapy and integration
- Fighting alcohol and drug abuse
- Supporting better preventive health care
- Supporting talented youth and children
- Caring for senior citizens and the handicapped
- Supporting tolerance and the multicultural coexistence of all people
- Supporting the preservation of all cultural possessions and cultural furnishings
- Supporting a sustained saving of our environment
