By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
Sitting at a corner table in Moore’s Barbecue on a Thursday evening—the regular meeting spot of the New Bern Lions Club—Bob Block talks about service the way some people talk about hobbies or vacations: as something that brings him joy, steadies his mind, and anchors his life.
“I grew up around Lions,” he says. “Both my mom and dad were members in Chicago. I saw early on what it meant to be part of something bigger than yourself.”
When Bob moved to New Bern and joined the local club in 2014, it wasn’t just about tradition. It was about finding community and purpose.
“For me, it’s mental stability and happiness,” he explains. “Being involved with an organization like this, with people who share your values, keeps you grounded. It gives you a way to give back.”
Bob and his wife are now raising three children—and the Lions Club is very much a family affair. The kids come along to service projects and donation drives. One moment in particular has stayed with him.
They were helping deliver donations to Religious Community Services (RCS). Bob’s son, who had been paired as a helper with a first-grade student, watched the other boy quietly navigate the food line.
“My son realized, ‘He’s not here to help. He’s here to eat,’” Bob recalls. “It hit him hard. After that, we talked about why we do this work. I told him, ‘Keep being his friend. Kindness matters.’”
That, in many ways, is the heartbeat of the New Bern Lions Club: kindness that shows up, rolls up its sleeves, and gets to work.
A Global Mission, A Local Promise
Lions Clubs International began in Chicago in 1917 when Melvin Jones, a local businessman, gathered fellow business leaders with a simple, radical idea: what if their talents and resources were devoted not just to profit, but to serving others?
From that early vision grew what is now the world’s largest service organization. Its global mission is clear:
To empower Lions clubs, volunteers and partners to improve health and wellbeing, strengthen communities, and support those in need through humanitarian service and grants that impact lives globally, and encourage peace and international understanding.
Over the years, Lions Clubs have become especially known for their work to prevent blindness and support people with vision loss. In 1937, Helen Keller famously challenged the Lions to become “knights of the blind.” They answered—and never stopped.
For the New Bern Lions Club, that international mission has been translated into a promise tailored to their own neighbors:
To empower our community to give back and support their neighbors’ wellbeing, to strengthen our community, and support those in need through humanitarian service and financial assistance, and encourage peace and kindness through our daily interactions. We will fulfill this every day, in all our interactions, because We Serve.
Those last two words—We Serve—are more than a motto. They’re a way of life.
Vision, Safety, and a Simple Pair of Glasses
The New Bern Lions’ primary focus is helping community members with visual impairments and unmet vision needs. For some, that means assistance connecting with doctors. For others, it means covering the cost of basic services they otherwise couldn’t afford.
“Our job is to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks,” Bob explains. “If you can’t see, you can’t work safely, you can’t drive safely, kids can’t learn in school. Something as simple as a pair of glasses can change a life—and, honestly, can make our whole community safer.”
The club regularly conducts vision screenings at schools, community events, and fairs—quick checks that can alert a child or adult to a problem they may not have known about.
At a recent screening with Craven Smart Start, for example, the Lions helped screen 130 children in January 2024 alone. Partnerships with local providers like New Bern Family Eye Care, Garber Vision Center, and practices near St. Paul’s have helped ensure that when someone “fails” a screening, there’s a next step—an appointment, a diagnosis, a solution.
Bob remembers one woman who came to a vision fair at the New Bern Mall. She hadn’t had an eye appointment in 20 years.
“She drove herself there,” he says. “She was just trying to get by. Once we connected her to care, it wasn’t just about her being able to see clearly. It was about her safety on the road, and the safety of everyone around her. That’s what early detection does.”
For children, the stakes are just as high. At St. Paul’s, screenings revealed that some students simply couldn’t see the board. “You watch a kid put on properly prescribed glasses for the first time,” Bob says, “and you’re watching their world open up.”
When Disaster Strikes
The Lions’ work extends far beyond vision care. When disaster hits, they are among the first to mobilize.
Bob experienced this firsthand when he served as a zone chair, responsible for several clubs across a broad geographic area. When Hurricane Florence devastated Eastern North Carolina, the Lions moved into action—fast.
“Lions Clubs International gave us a $100,000 emergency grant almost immediately,” Bob says. “That money came from Lions all over the country—including from Chicago, where I had personal connections. We didn’t sit around and have meetings about it. We just went and started doing.”
They used the funds to purchase cleaning supplies, clothing, food, shoes, and other basic necessities. A local church gym on Neuse Boulevard became a makeshift distribution center. Volunteers unloaded trucks, sorted donations, and welcomed families who had lost nearly everything.
“We served more than 250 families in New Bern and surrounding communities,” Bob says. “And it didn’t stop with Florence. When Tropical Storm Helen hit, we made three separate trips with supplies. That’s what ‘boots on the ground’ looks like.”
A Legacy of Service in New Bern
New Bern’s connection to Lionism goes back nearly a century. The local club first formed before World War II—but when many members left to serve in the armed forces, the chapter had to close.
In 1945, with the war ending and veterans returning home, New Bern Lions regrouped, re-chartered, and began again. That spirit of resilience and renewal still defines the club today.
Now led by President Al Yoder, who moved to New Bern from Wisconsin, the club is focused on strengthening community ties and making service both meaningful and fun.
“Al is passionate about serving with kindness,” Bob says. “He wants people to enjoy being part of this—to come out, laugh, work hard together, and know that the money we raise goes right back into New Bern.”
Raising Funds, Raising Awareness
The New Bern Lions Club funds its work through a steady calendar of events and collaborations.
Their largest annual fundraiser is the New Bern Lions Club Golf Outing, held this year on September 26 at the Emerald Golf Club in Greenbrier. Local businesses and individuals sponsor teams, donate prizes, and spend a day on the course knowing their entry fees and sponsorships will translate into vision care, disaster relief, and support for neighbors in need.
The club also hosts chicken dinners (with dates announced on their Facebook page), helps the New Bern Historical Society each year with Ghost Walk, and partners with community organizations such as Craven Smart Start, which invited the Lions to conduct vision screenings for young children. The annual broom sale, which is held at the Trent Woods Townhall.
“We’re always looking for ways to be visible,” Bob says. “If you see us at Piggly Wiggly with our vests on, or picking up donated eyeglasses from providers around town, that’s fundraising—but it’s also education. We want people to know who we are and what we do.”
How to Get Involved
While Lions Clubs have a formal membership process—an invitation, an application, and a vote—the first step is simple: show up.
“It starts with relationships,” Bob says. “Come volunteer with us. Help at an event. Sit in on a meeting. You’ll see what we’re about, and we’ll get to know you. That’s how sustainable service happens—through real, lasting connections.”
The New Bern Lions Club meets at Moore’s BBQ on the first and third Thursday of each month, starting with a meal at 6:00 p.m. The public is always welcome.
From there, some people choose to become members. Others prefer to volunteer occasionally or support the club financially. All forms of participation matter.
“If you want to invest in your community,” Bob says, “this is one way to do it. There’s a place for you here.”
For Bob, who is an account manager for Atlantic Coast Landscaping by day and serves as a Lion whenever and wherever he’s needed, the message is straightforward.
“There is so much need in the world,” he says. “But there is also so much kindness. When you bring people together who want to serve, you see what’s possible.”
In New Bern, the Lions Club is proof of that possibility—neighbors helping neighbors, one pair of glasses, one disaster relief kit, one act of kindness at a time.
How to Donate
For those who wish to support the New Bern Lions Club financially, there are several simple options:
• Online giving:
Donations can be made securely at:
https://www.clover.com/pay-widgets/85973421-d09c-411f-b6a6-e0c2fb98b1ef
• By email:
Write to newbernlionsclub@gmail.com to ask about giving options or sponsoring an event.
• In person:
Look for Lions Club volunteers around town—collecting used eyeglasses from providers, standing outside Piggly Wiggly, or serving at community events. If you see the Lions logo, you’ve found them.
Every contribution—large or small—helps provide vision screenings, eye exams, glasses, and emergency assistance for neighbors across New Bern and surrounding communities.
To learn more, get involved, or ask for assistance, you can reach the New Bern Lions Club at: https://facebook.com/NewBernLionsClub, newbernlionsclub@gmail.com or 252.229.5099.