WESTFIELD – The new Westfield Lions Club has chosen as its first community service project, a professional clothing drive for Westfield High School students. The Westfield Centennial Lions, named in honor of the service club’s 100th anniversary in 2017, was formed last fall after an outreach effort by Lions International. The last Lions Club in Westfield dissolved in the 1970s.
Kyle Pierce, president, Westfield Centennial Lions club. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Kyle Pierce, assistant branch manager at PeoplesBank on East Main Street, was one of the people visited in the outreach. Pierce went to a formation meeting in October at Westwood Restaurant, where he was elected president. The club is now under the guidance of the Southwick Lions.
Pierce said the new club is very different from ones in a lot of other areas that consist of mostly retired members, in that the Westfield Centennial Lions have a lot of younger professionals. Pierce said they are fortunate to have members from the Westfield police and fire departments. Detective Roxanne Bradley is secretary and Captain Michael McCabe is treasurer. Other members work in city hall, in the schools, in the medical and business professions. Pierce said another new club has also started in Chicopee.
A few months ago, Pierce attended a Westfield Education2Business Alliance (WE2BA) meeting, where he listened to Westfield High School principal Charles Jendrysik speak about the Community Closet at the school, where students can get needed clothing and other items with no questions asked. Jendrysik said at the meeting that the community has been very generous with donations, but what is lacking are professional clothes that students can wear to interviews or jobs.
Kyle Pierce holds shirts and jacket donated at PeoplesBank for professional clothing drive for students. Collections are being taken through the end of April at the fire department on Broad Street, police department and the bank.
Pierce, who graduated from Westfield High School in 2006, immediately spoke up at the meeting and asked what the newly formed Lions Club could do to help. The answer was a professional clothing drive. Pierce said now is a good time for people to go through their closets, and do some spring cleaning
“They have tons of supplies of regular clothing and athletic wear. For kids going on job interviews or to a job, almost nothing,” Pierce said.
The Westfield Lions Club is collecting professional wear throughout the month of April for the Westfield High School Community Closet. Students utilize the closet for any situation where professional attire is required and they don’t have the means to provide their own. The Lions Club will be collecting at the Westfield Police Department, Westfield Fire Department (34 Broad Street), and PeoplesBank of Westfield through the end of the month.
The clothing drive is the first community event for the club. The club is also co-sponsoring a community health fair at the Western Mass Hospital Health Fair on Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where they will offer eye and dental screening.
The Westfield Centennial Lions will also have a team in Run Westfield on April 29.
“Driving, you pay more attention, I guess. I see the signs everywhere,” Pierce said of the Lions. He said some of the clubs do some great work in Western Mass. The Agawam Lions Club is helping with handicap accessibility projects. The West Springfield club donated $25,000 in school scholarships.
The Westfield Centennial Lions is looking for more members, people who are willing to join and help in the community, Pierce said. To find out more, follow the Westfield Centennial Lions Club on Facebook, or email [email protected].
