Tanda Stiffler is a longtime volunteer and current president of the Edwardsburg Lions Club, which meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of the month in the Edwardsburg American Legion building. The organization provides various services for the community, including Project KidSight, which performs vision screenings for children.

 

What do you do for the Edwardsburg Lions Club?

I have been the president for the past two years, so I organize and get most of our fundraisers going. I also do all of the publicity. I want to get the word out to the community to show that we are committed to the community.

I am also the co-coordinator for the whole district for the project KidSight. We do vision screenings for kids from 1 year olds to 17 year olds. At our pancake breakfast we did 41 kids and of those 41 kids, three children we found need to be seen by a professional eye doctor. If the kids are in school and having trouble, we help them.

 

When and how did you become involved with the club?

My husband (Dave) and I both joined the Lions in November of 2007. My husband’s father was a Lion for many years, Herb Stiffler. We joined right away. We went to a district forum and I listened to a couple gentlemen talk about Project KidSight. I was so impressed that I came back and said I want to do a pancake breakfast and offer Project KidSight in our community. We’ve been doing that every year since we joined.

Any of the schools or festivals or churches — anytime there is an event in Cass County — we take our camera and we screen children all throughout the district in Cass County. We go wherever there is a need to make sure kids can see well and do well in school and have a better chance at life.

 

What do you enjoy about volunteering there?

Helping people, watching their faces and knowing that we are making a difference in their lives.