First City Lions Club Donates Grief Bags to Bemidji Area Schools

When a Bemidji elementary student faces a death in the family or another significant loss, their school's social worker now has a concrete, hand-sewn resource to offer: a "Grief Bag" assembled and stocked by members of the First City Lions Club.

The club recently donated 25 of the bags to Bemidji Area Schools. Every elementary school social worker in the district will have one available to give to primary-age children experiencing significant loss in their lives. Club members both sew the bags and purchase the contents of each one, making the project a fully member-driven effort from assembly to delivery.

The program traces back to Lion Mary Lou Milender, who proposed Grief Bags as the club's Signature Lions Project in February 2016. A club release described the designation: "A Lions Club Signature Project is a high-visibility, impactful and often annual community service activity that defines a local club's identity." The release continued: "These projects focus on core causes like hunger, vision, hearing, environment or youth, tailored to local needs."

The First City Lions Club has served Bemidji since its founding in 1999, with members focused on supporting the visually impaired and residents in need throughout the community. By placing the grief bags with elementary social workers specifically, the club positioned the resource with the school staff most likely to know when a child needs one and to deliver it directly.