Cramer & Anderson Partner Jennifer Collins has joined the Newtown Lions Club.
Chartered in 1949, the club is known for its annual Classic Mustang Raffle and The Great Pootatuck Duck Race, two treasured local traditions that raise funds for the club’s efforts and programs.
The club also fulfills the Lions’ “We Serve” motto through a broad range of programs that are aligned with the Lions Club International focus on areas of need that include diabetes, vision, hunger, environment, and childhood cancer.
Ongoing local service projects include assisting elementary schools with fulfilling state-mandated vision screening requirements, collecting used eyeglasses, conducting a diabetes awareness program developed with Kevin’s Community Center, undertaking food drives for local food banks, providing blood drive staffing, participating in home repair projects with Homefront, and providing Orchard Hill Nature Preserve maintenance and Main Street summer flag maintenance.
Attorney Collins went through the club’s initiation process in early November, received training for the vision screening program, and participated in a screening event Nov. 10 at Trinity Day School in Newtown.
“I’m honored to be a Newtown Lions Club member, and very excited about assisting with the duck race and the Mustang car raffle, which together fund a lot of the local service projects,” Attorney Collins said. “The meetings are fun and social but also very informative. Already I’ve heard a presentation on community support resources available to residents of Newtown, and one by the Pootatuck Watershed Association about measures property owners can take to be responsible and help conserve the watershed.”
Attorney Collins, who has a long record of community service, much of it focused on nurturing young people, is particularly excited about assisting with the club’s Leos program for young leaders.
Leo stands for “Leadership, Experience, Opportunity,” and Leo club members “are devoted young people who realize the power of action,” the Lions website explains. “Together, Leos and Lions form a powerful partnership — one of mutual respect where Lions learn from the innovative insights of Leos, and where Leos gain access to the proven strategies of those who’ve successfully served the world for decades.”
Among the local agencies and efforts the Newtown club assists are the Sandy Hook Elementary Fund for those affected by the 2012 tragedy, Therapy Dogs, providing assistance for families affected by autism, Meals on Wheels, and many others.
During the pandemic, the club’s website notes, the Lions partnered with other agencies to deliver groceries, provide support to isolated seniors, and help local restaurants feed struggling families.
In another example of stepping in to fulfill a need, the website recounted this effort:
Recently a Newtown Lion realized the need for adaptive playground equipment to allow children in wheelchairs to play alongside other children. In just over a year, the Lions rallied residents and local businesses and joined forces with the Town of Newtown and Parks and Recreation to raise the needed $170,000. A grand Grand Opening on June 4, 2022, celebrated this great new Newtown feature at Dickinson Memorial Park.
In addition to its local service projects, working in conjunction with the Lions District, the Newtown club raises funds to support the Connecticut Eye Research Foundation, guide dogs for the blind, the Lions Low Vision Center, the Connecticut Lions Speech and Hearing Centers, and the Research Center for Macular Degeneration at Yale University, among others.
All adults are welcomed to work with the Newtown club on service projects, join the club for a meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday evenings of each month, or inquire about membership. See the website for more, and follow the Newtown club on Facebook for news and updates.
About Attorney Collins
Attorney Collins’ practice focuses on Personal Injury Law, Social Security Disability, and Workers’ Compensation.
She has achieved settlements exceeding $1 million in her two decades of representing injured or otherwise challenged clients seeking redress from unresponsive companies and government agencies.
After guiding her own firm as Managing Member of Collins & Associates, LLC in the Greater Danbury area, Attorney Collins joined Cramer & Anderson as a Partner in October 2016. She lives in Ridgefield with her family.
Attorney Collins may be reached by email at jcollins@322marketing.com and by phone at (203) 744-1234. See her website profile to learn more.
About Cramer & Anderson
Cramer & Anderson provides sophisticated legal services, close to home, with regional offices in New Milford, Washington Depot, Kent, Litchfield, Danbury, and Ridgefield. For more information, see the firm’s website or call the flagship office in New Milford at (860) 355-2631.