Something special happened at the CaringKids Toy Workshop recently, and it started with an open invitation.
Lions members, their friends, and a wonderful group of community partners came together for an Open Night with one shared purpose: to create Joy Boxes for young carers across Australia.
The room was filled with energy, laughter, and plenty of hard work.
Joining the Lions Club of Coogee NSW (the founding club behind CaringKids) were members from Lugarno Lions Club, Oatley Lions Club, along with representatives from Diva Charity and Autism Mates.
Different clubs, different backgrounds, one common cause. By the end of the night, they had created a mountain of Joy Boxes ready to reach young carers who need them most.
Nights like this tell a bigger story too. When CaringKids began, the team was sending 100 Joy Boxes a year to young carers. Thanks to the extraordinary support and perseverance of Lions Clubs right across the country, that number has now grown to 1,000 boxes a year.
- Ten times the reach
- Ten times the recognition for children doing the hard and often invisible work of caring for a family member living with disability or illness.
That growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because Lions members show up to workshops, to fundraisers and to committee meetings.
There are more than 1,000 Lions clubs in Australia, there’s always room for new members who want to join in and make a difference.
To every Lions Club, every volunteer, and every pair of hands that packed a box: thank you. 🦁
