Lions Clubs International is well known for its commitment to help fight blindness, and this focus on providing assistance applies to the local Lions Clubs as well. At the community level, Lions are also responding to other requests for help.

Recently, members of the East Petersburg Lions Club turned their efforts to helping a local resident who is paralyzed. The club helped to improve the resident's quality of life by helping him pay down a loan for a car with lever controls.

"We do whatever we see needs to be done for the local community," East Petersburg Lions member Randy Rannels said. "In this case, we were able to help Andruw Sheffy."

Andruw, 22, has a hereditary condition called cavernous angioma. When Andruw was 13, a hemorrhage of blood vessels on his spinal column left him paralyzed from the waist down. Since then, he has recovered some movement and is looking forward to furthering his education and getting a job. At Penn State Hershey Medical Center, he learned to drive a lever-controlled vehicle and got his driver's license, but obtaining a vehicle was a further obstacle.

He learned that a federal government program would convert a vehicle to lever controls at no charge, but it required that the vehicle be no more than five years old and have fewer than 100,000 miles on the odometer.

After searching, the Sheffy family decided on a new Nissan Kicks that met the requirements, plus had enough room to accommodate Andruw's wheelchair. The Sheffy family was able to purchase the vehicle at a cost in the $25,000 range, but making the payments was a struggle.

A friend who is one of Andruw's former teachers in the Hempfield School District is a member of the Columbia Lions Club. He suggested Andruw's father, Eric, contact his local Lions Club for assistance. "It wasn't easy to sit down and write a letter (and ask for help). I wanted to make it perfect," Eric said. "I've never asked for anything in my life."

The East Petersburg Lions helped facilitate a grant from the Northeast Pennsylvania Lions Service Foundation in the amount of $10,500. The club also made its own contribution of $2,500. Both amounts will go toward paying down the principal amount of the car loan to make the purchase financially manageable for the family.

"This is the first time that our club has done something like this," said Rannels. "It really connected with us. This is something we're proud of. "

"It's really generous of them. I still can't believe it," Andruw shared.

Being able to drive allows Andruw to get around on his own. "This is life-changing for him," Eric said. "It will allow him to gain some freedom and get back and forth to school and pursue a job."

Andruw and his father attended a recent Lions Club meeting, where they got to meet the members, answer questions and show them the vehicle. "They were all so warm and inviting," Andruw said. "What they do for the community is just awesome. The Lions are there to help people."

"'Thank you' is not a strong enough (phrase) to thank (them) for (their) generosity," said Eric, who is so impressed by the Lions that he is even joining the club. "I would like to be a part of an organization that helps people and helps the community," he said.