The Observer, February 25, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 19
Students lead new service club, work with community
Two Case students are leading the organization of a new community service club that was organized on campus this semester.
Case's Leo Club, the youth version of the Lions Club International, was started by Suruchi Prakash and Gayathi Suresh and is being billed as a general-purpose effort. Prakash said that, while Leo Club focuses on helping the blind, hearing-impaired, and general medical community, the club's members have a larger scope of projects and organizations that they undertake.
"We have a broader range. We want to do things with a couple different places this semester," she said.
Plans so far include working with Cleveland Art House, an organization that provides after-school and weekend art programs to schools that can't afford art classes, to help with fundraising and help run some of the programs. Prakash said that the Leo Club will also help plan and oversee Saturday morning tutoring programs at the Cleveland Sight Center, help Engineers Without Borders teach science classes in underprivileged schools, and may conduct a clothing drive.
Throughout the semester, committees will take charge of activities at different venues and concentrate on different areas within the scope of the club's service, but the club is also placing emphasis on service ideas proposed by its members.
"The reason we started this was so that we could create a club where not only do you do community service, but you can create your own opportunities," Prakash said. "We're interested in the members coming up with ideas of their own. We want it to be fun."
"If you want to create something yourself, go for it," she added. "Expand your horizons."
The Lions Club International is the biggest community service organization in the world, comprising almost 1.4 million members in 193 countries and geographic areas. Some of the club's service activities include sponsoring programs for the disabled, underprivileged, and elderly; building homes, playgrounds, community centers, and rehabilitation institutes where they are needed; and providing food, medical relief, and workshops to those in need.
Prakash said that most of the Case Leo Club's correspondence is carried out via e-mail, with a few organizational meetings possible throughout the rest of the semester. More information is available by contacting Prakash at suruchi.prakash@case.edu or Suresh at gayathri.suresh@case.edu.
