Members of the Christiana Lions Club recently presented goggles and hand sanitizer to Christiana Borough and the Christiana Ambulance. The items were obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by Lion Jim Groff to be used during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I have a connection with FEMA. What they are trying to do is get (the items) out to the general public and picking organizations that (can distribute them)," explained Groff, who is also the Pennsylvania Lions disaster relief program coordinator and district 14-D emergency response coordinator. "They call me and tell me what they have, and they ship it to me."

Groff said he was also expecting a shipment of masks for distribution.

"The goggles are one-time use only and then you throw them away," he said, noting the boxes contain 84 pairs of goggles. "When they have someone in the ambulance or at an accident scene, they wear goggles with the masks, and they have a (protective) white outfit they put on. They use as much protection as they can."

At Christiana Borough, items were presented to borough manager Carol Pringle and administrative assistant MaryAnne Schneider. "The (borough) police and Carole and the ambulance crew said it was great because they are lacking supplies and we were able to help them out," Groff stated.

Groff also coordinated shipments of the goggles and sanitizer to Lions Clubs through Pennsylvania, as well as New York, Delaware and New Jersey.

Groff and the Lions Club have a history of helping those in need. In October of 2020, the Christiana club delivered items to hurricane victims in Louisiana. Working with a Lions Club in that area, the local club and the community collected boxes of laundry detergent, bleach, mops, work gloves, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items, which were then brought to the area via tractor-trailer.

In addition to the supplies, two disaster response units were sent to Louisiana. The pods, once emptied, are used as temporary housing for volunteer workers who are helping with relief projects. "The disaster units are still down there, and they are using them for volunteers," noted Groff. "When we went to Louisiana, we saw people crying when we gave them (the supplies). That is the rewarding part."

Groff said that some people may not realize that after a hurricane, relief efforts can go on for years. "I was in Joplin (Mo). in 2011 when that tornado touched down. I was there last year, and they might have gotten one-third of (the area) rebuilt," he stated. "There are houses in (New) Jersey that have not been touched from Sandy in 2012. With disasters like that, they really never fully come back (to normal)."

After his visit to Louisiana, Groff has maintained communication with the volunteers there. "They had no money for Christmas dinner for (a) veterans (group) in Louisiana and we sent enough money for them to buy turkeys and ham with all the trimmings. That Sunday, Dec. 20, everyone came and had a hot meal," Groff shared. "I talk to them almost every week and if they need something, we get things together and make it happen."