The Lions Roar...serious and fun information from the Westerly Lions Club

The Westerly Lions will be selling Strawberry Shortcakes at the Misquamicut Music Festival this Saturday from 3:00pm to 10:00 pm. If you are going to attend the music festival, look for the folks in the gold vests, and help the Lions support the local community.

If you would like to help, please contact co-chairs Michelle Pendola or Angie Smith

Robert P. Christina Sr., 72, husband of Rose Marie (Cofone) Christina, of Yankee Drive, Westerly, died Feb. 3, 2009, at The Westerly Hospital.
Born in Westerly, he was a son of Mrs. Rose (Chiaradio) Christina of Westerly and the late Angelo Christina.
Bob had been employed for 39 years at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, retiring as Inventory Control Supervisor. He had also worked as a mail courier for 10 years at The Washington Trust Company.
He was a communicant of the Immaculate Conception Church, where he also served as an usher, for over 40 years.
Bob was a U. S. Army veteran actively serving from 1957 to 1959.
He was a graduate of LaSalle Academy, Class of "54".
He was a member of the Westerly Lions since 1978, Westerly Lodge of Elks, B.P.O.E. #678, the North End Social Club, the Westerly Democratic Town Committee, the Columbus Day Parade Committee, the Mount Carmel Society, a former member of the Westerly Licensing Board, a former member of the Westerly Housing Authority Board, and a former member of the Westerly Italo-American Club.
In addition to his wife and mother, he leaves a son, Robert P. Christina Jr. of Providence; two daughters, Robin Lamphere and her husband Chet and Lisa Chiaradio and her husband Bob; a brother, John Christina and his wife Sandra, all of Westerly; five grandchildren, Rachel Lamphere, Meagan Lamphere and Taylor Lamphere, and Hannah Chiaradio and Jonathan Chiaradio; three brothers-in-law and six sisters-in-law; several aunts and uncles; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, 59 Spruce St., Westerly. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated Friday at 10 a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church, 111 High St., Westerly. There is no procession from the funeral home to the church. Burial will be in St. Sebastian Cemetery, Westerly.
Family requests in lieu of flowers that contributions in Bob's memory be made either to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 111 High St., P.O. Box 556, Westerly, RI 02891 or to The Bradford Jonnycake Center, P.O. Box 273, Westerly, RI 02891.

This information was provided by The Westerly Sun

The following letter appeared as a letter to the editor in the February 2009 SO RhodeIsland magazine.

Don't forget the Other Jonnycake Center

Since our move a year and a half ago, The Bradford Jonnycake Center, now located in downtown Wsterly at 23 Industrial Drive, has been in a constant state of growth. Our new faciltiy has allowed us to expand the services we offer: GED classes have been ongoing for a few semesters now, and our first round of life skills and computer classes are scheduled to begin in a few weeks. We have also physically expanded, pushing out walls in the thrift store to increase our reail space and adding commercial-sized refrigerators and freezers to our pantry.

Unfortunately, we have also seen the number of clients we service growing anf growing. Some major employers in the area have shut their doors, and others are scaling back on hours so that families that were once getting by are now having trouble making ends meet. Since August, we have seen a 400% growth in requests for financial assistance, and right now, one out of every three clients walking through our doors is new. It is becoming ever more challenging to meet the needs of the community, and we need volunteers now more than ever before. We depend on volunteers to keep every aspect of our operation afloat, from social services to the pantry, and the thrift store.

If you are motivated to help your neighbor and would like to join a dynamic and enthusiastic team that is making a difference in southwestern Rhode Island, then I urge you to consider a volunteer opportunity with us. There are a lot of great volunteer positions in our organization available for people of all ages and skills, listed on the Volunteer Center of Rhode Island website. To find out more information on the Bradford Jonnycake Center of Westerly, visit www.freewebs.com/jonnycake.

Mark Berado

President, Bradford Jonnycake Center of Westerly

The Westerly Lions collected food for the Westerly Johnnycake Center at our January 28th meeting. A request for help from the Center was presented to and approved by the Lions Board on January 21st.

By mobilizing our phone and email committee, the Lions were able to collect 15 bags of food in just a week.

The Board also voted to run a food collection each month, so please remember to bring something to our next meeting too. Our community needs our help, and we are here to answer the call.

(L to R ) Lions Joe Abbott, Bill Brennan, Gary Latz, Dick Cofoni, Michelle Pendola, Angie Smith and Jennifer Campo with just a small sampling of what was collected.

January 28th Westerly Lions Club meeting will be held at Venice Restaurant. Members and guests are welcome.

Please let us know by Sunday, Jan 25^th if you will or will not be attending

Click the link below

I will attend the meeting on Jan. 28 at Venice

I will not attend the meeting on Jan 28th

  THE MANE ISSUE January 2009

PRESIDENT     GARY LATZ

1^ST VP.  DAVID URSO                  2^ND VP.      JOE IACOI

3^RD VP.   DAN MARANTZ                 TREAS.   GILBERT SCOTT

SEC .   JARED BEAULIEU                 TAIL TWISTER   ANGIE SMITH

DINNER MEETING at the VENICE RESTUARANT

165 SHORE ROAD

WESTERLY, RI

JANUARY 28, 2009

6:00 – 7:00  PM  COCKTAILS       7:00  -  9:00 PM DINNER MEETING

VENICE FARE

GUEST SPEAKER  TOM GIBNEY: WESTERLY AMBULANCE CORP

                                 AND CLAIRE LETIZIO : JONNYCAKE CENTER

BOARD DISCUSSIONS:  JANUARY 21 ,  2009

THE BOARD HAS VOTED TO BRING BEFORE THE CLUB, FOR THEIR APPROVAL,  A REQUEST FOR $1200 WHICH WOULD BE FOR A WESTERLY CHILD TO HAVE DRAINAGE TUBES SURGICALLY IMPANTED IN HIS EARS.  THERE IS A CHRONIC HEARING PROBLEM AT THIS TIME THAT THIS OPERATION WOULD RESOLVE.  THERE WILL BE MORE DETAIL AT THE MEETING.

JOE IACOI IS AGAIN GOING TO CHAIR AN EVENING OF WINE TASTING TO BE HELD ON THE 1^ST FRIDAY IN MAY.   YES, THAT WILL BE MAY 1, 2009!  JOE WILL PRESENT MORE INFORMATION THIS FUN EVENT AT THE MEETING.

A BRIEF DISCUSSION WAS AGAIN HELD ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR CLUB’S WEBSITE AND BLOG. DAN IS NOW WORKING ON A HYPERLINK WHICH WILL ALLOW YOU TO ACCEPT AND CONFIRM YOU RSVP TO THE DINNER MEETINGS WITH A CLICK OF A BUTTON CONTAINED WITHIN THE MANE ISSUE.  WE HOPE TO HAVE THIS OPERATIONAL FOR THE NEXT MANE ISSUE.

THIS YEAR THE JONNYCAKE CENTER HAS RECEIVED AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE.  THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REQUESTS FOR BASIC FOOD STAPLES AND THE CENTER IS FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE SUPPLY.  THE CENTER IS ALSO IN NEED OF CASH WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE CENTER TO PURCHASE FROM THE RHODE ISLAND FOOD BANK. BESIDES THESE,  THE CENTER IS ALSO IN NEED OF MORE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP WITH THEIR PROGRAMS.  VISIT WITH CLAIRE LETIZIO ON WHERE YOU COULD HELP.  AS A RESULT OF THIS NEED THE BOARD IS ASKING THE WESTERLY LIONS TO PLEASE BRING TO THIS JANUARY MEETING A DONATION OF NONPERISHABLE CANNED OR DRIED FOODS.  WE WILL BE COLLECTING THESE DONATIONS AT OUR MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. 

NOTE THAT WE WILL BE HAVING OUR DINNER MEETING FOR JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH AT THE VENICE RESTAURANT.

PLEASE SEND ANY ADDRESS, E-MAIL, OR MEMBERSHIP CHANGES TO: jbeaulieu@unitedbuilderssupply.com

Thank you to Joe Iacoi for his hard work in negotiating a great deal for the Westerly Lions Club's next 3 meetings. We will have them at Venice Restaurant on Shore Rd, in the private meeting room downstairs, with our own bar and bartender. The cash Bar will open at 6:00pm.

Please be sure to respond by the Sunday before the meeting to the Lion who calls you so that we can have the proper amount of meals and seats ready.

Our newest Lion is David Nichols. David is a resident of Charlestown, has 7 grandchildren, and he and his wife are foster parents of two teenagers.  He is a retired Army Lt. Colonel, and is anxious to be an active member of the Westerly. Dave owns Quality Transitions, a human resources consulting and recruiting company.

He was sponsored by David Urso, and inducted into the club last night by Past Govenor Ken Perrone.

Dave Nichols and David Urso

www.westerlylions.org/maneissuedec2008

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