The Vicksburg Lions Club is working hard to become more relevant in the community and plans to do so by revitalizing its vision screenings for elementary-aged students.

That’s good news to Vicksburg Warren County School District superintendent Chad Shealy.

Shealy told The Vicksburg Post one such screening held by the Byram Lions Club was responsible for saving the sight of his son. That routine Lions Club screening showed his son was legally blind in his right eye.

“The whole issue with us is if it had gone unnoticed, he could have lost vision in his eye,” Shealy said. “Them being there for my son was a benefit for my family. I would support anything they want to work with.”

That’s a pretty strong testimonial for the Lions Club program.

We applaud the club’s effort to become more active and involved in the Vicksburg community. All civic clubs have their good years with good participation, as well as lean years, when volunteers are few and dollars are fewer.

Right now, the majority of the Vicksburg Lions’ $8,940 budget for service projects is spent on projects on the state or national level.

“We don’t have enough service projects to volunteer and keep the interest of club members, I think,” said Susan Johnston, club president.

“We do give a lot of money, but a lot of it is to projects that are outside of Vicksburg and Warren County.”

We commend the effort to the Vicksburg Lions to re-focus its efforts back on the Vicksburg community.

Focusing efforts toward something specific and meaningful will provide a real service in the community and provide Lions Club members with a feeling of worthwhile volunteerism.