Raising
Our Roots
Genealogy
Raising Our Roots is about reclaiming history, identity, and belonging. Through DNA testing, historical records, and genealogy workshops, we help families trace their lineage and reconnect with their ancestors.
Too many families have been disconnected from their roots. This initiative makes reconnection accessible, affordable, and empowering. It restores identity, heals generational disconnection, and ensures our family histories are preserved and passed forward. Genealogy is about more than discovering the past or building a family tree—it’s about giving future generations knowledge, pride, and a deeper sense of who they are, where they came from, and who they can be.
Heritage & Cultural Celebrations
Heritage is who we are. Culture is where we’re from.
This initiative preserves the traditions, practices, and stories that give our communities their unique identity. From food and music to art, storytelling, and festivals, we celebrate the richness of our roots and pass that pride on to future generations. By sharing our heritage and culture, we build understanding, foster acceptance, and create a community that sees beyond borders—helping us all grow as true global citizens.
Education
&
Career Development
Empowering through Education
Education at Empowered Voices is about access and opportunity. We provide adult education workshops in computer literacy, financial literacy, and mentorship, along with college readiness support such as FAFSA application guidance and scholarship research. These resources ensure that students and adults alike have the foundation they need to pursue higher learning with confidence.
Workforce Readiness & Beyond
Our Career Development programs turn knowledge into action. From résumé writing and interview preparation to career counseling and small business entrepreneurship training, we give individuals the tools to advance in today’s workforce. With mentorship and practical support, Career Development empowers members to step into meaningful careers and create lasting impact.
Nourish the Valley
Nourish the Valley is a hands-on initiative that supports families and seniors by reducing food insecurity while promoting long-term self-sufficiency. Through this program, Empowered Voices distributes food boxes to families in need, assists with registration for support programs such as Meals on Wheels, and provides practical education to help households stretch their food budgets and make healthier choices.
Nourish the Valley also teaches participants how to navigate grocery stores to find the best values and nutritious options, plan weekly meals that fit their lifestyle and budget, and build confidence in food preparation and household planning. The program further encourages youth engagement by teaching high school students how to plan and prepare one family dinner each week, helping them develop life skills, responsibility, and confidence while helping to support their families.
By combining immediate food support with education and skill-building, Nourish the Valley helps ensure families not only have access to nourishment today but also gain the tools they need to thrive tomorrow.
Veterans
Our Veterans initiative supports active-duty service members, veterans, and their families by helping them successfully transition into civilian life while ensuring they have access to the resources and benefits they have earned through their service. Empowered Voices provides guidance and assistance with navigating and applying for Veterans benefits, connecting participants with healthcare, housing, financial, and educational support services.
The program also focuses on workforce and education opportunities by helping veterans identify career pathways, access training and certification programs, and prepare for employment through resume building, skill development, and job placement support. In addition, the Veterans Program works to reduce barriers by connecting veterans and their families to essential resources such as food assistance, community support services, and family wellness programs.
By combining practical assistance, education, and community connection, the Veterans Program honors the sacrifice of those who have served while empowering them to build stable, successful, and fulfilling civilian lives.
SAFE
Support & Accessibility for
Freedom & Ease
SAFE ensures women, seniors, veterans, disabled individuals, and low-income families have access to the resources they need to live with dignity and independence. While many of these services are provided by trusted partners, SAFE serves as the bridge that connects families to food relief, home accessibility, and critical repairs.
Through partnerships with organizations that provide mobility ramps, safety modifications, and critical home repairs, SAFE helps households remain safe, stable, and independent.
Tails of Hope
Animal Health
Our Animal Health initiatives focus on both caring for pets and creating pathways for diverse voices in veterinary and animal care fields. Through partnerships with shelters, veterinarians, and local organizations, we provide access to low-cost vaccinations, spay/neuter services, and wellness checks. At the same time, we encourage youth and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in veterinary medicine, animal rescue, and shelter management — building a healthier future for animals and a more inclusive workforce.
Adoption Support
Adoption Support helps pets find safe, loving homes while reducing overcrowding in shelters. We sponsor adoption days, provide education for new pet owners, and partner with community organizations to increase awareness about responsible pet care.
By supporting families through the adoption process, we strengthen the bond between people and animals — creating lasting connections that improve well-being on both sides.
Environmental
Stewardship
Park & Waterway Clean-Ups
We believe healthy communities start with clean, safe public spaces. Our Environmental Stewardship initiatives organize and support clean-up projects in local parks, neighborhoods, and waterways. By protecting the environment around us, we ensure that families, children, and future generations can enjoy safe spaces for recreation, health, and community life.
Gardening & Education
Gardening is more than planting — it’s about sustainability, health, and connection. Through gardening workshops, community garden plots, and intergenerational learning programs, we teach families how to grow food, herbs, and pollinator-friendly plants.
Gardening helps with mental health, herbs aid healing, and growing food helps to sustain us. These practices build healthy habits, strengthen well-being, and inspire families to work together in creating a cleaner, healthier future.
Seeing Beyond
the Border
Glasses to africa
Seeing Beyond the Border begins with the gift of sight. Through partnerships with the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (LERC) and Lions Clubs both in the U.S. and abroad, we collect, sort, and ship eyeglasses to underserved communities in West Africa and beyond.
Even a modest number of glasses can transform lives — helping children succeed in school, parents return to work, and families regain dignity and independence.
Restoring sight is the first step in opening doors to education, opportunity, and global connection.
Passport to Possibility
Seeing Beyond the Border is about more than vision care — it’s about creating global citizens. Our Passport to Possibility initiative encourages Lions, Leos, and families to obtain passports and begin seeing themselves as part of a broader world.
By taking this first step, we prepare our community to embrace cultures, perspectives, and opportunities beyond our own borders. This initiative lays the foundation for future projects that will connect service here at home to impact across the globe.
