Our October meeting brought back a longtime friend and former Santa Monica Lion, Mike Cortrite, who spoke with members about his career since retiring from the Santa Monica Police Department. Having taught leadership and tolerance courses during his years as a police officer, Mike continued his work in education at Santa Monica College, California State University, Northridge, and the Museum of Tolerance. He had also found time to collaborate with colleague Jonathan Jiang on a book, Embracing Peace, reflecting on the events leading up to 9/11 and the importance of understanding and tolerance. We were all honored when he presented each member with a signed copy.
Brian Ransom, our service chair, shared that our September food drive collected 190 pounds of food for the Westside Food Bank at the previous meeting. We are already planning our next food drive in about six months, to help the post-holiday season when donations take a sharp drop.
Hunger is one of eight global causes supported by Lions Clubs International. While collecting and distributing food is an important part of addressing hunger, Lions also recognize the need for longer-term solutions. These include promoting wellness and nutrition through education and advocacy, supporting sustainable community agriculture, and advancing food equity by empowering women and children through hunger-related service. Our local food drive may be a small part of this worldwide effort, but it is a meaningful way for our club to help local families struggling with food insecurity and rising costs.
Our Wednesday Lunch Club continues to be a popular gathering, with our October lunch held at Spruzzo's in Pacific Palisades. Always meeting on the second Wednesday of each month, these informal lunches give members a chance to enjoy each other’s company without conducting any Lions business. As we head into fall, there have been some discussions about attending newly released movies as an additional activity.
Are you curious about what becoming a Lion is about? Join us as our guest for our next dinner meeting on Wednesday, November 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Centric Delfina Santa Monica, 530 Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica. Valet parking is available. To RSVP, please contact Kingsley, our membership chair, at 310-454-2960 or smpplionsclub@gmail.com.