ABOUT
EMPOWERING OTHERS
A community of Lions and community partners united by one purpose: lifting up the people of DC, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia through hands-on, heart-led service.
BORN FROM A DESIRE TO DO MORE
Empowering Others grew out of a simple conviction: that the communities of Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia deserve more than occasional charity events. They deserve a sustained, organized, and passionate community of people committed to making real change.
Rooted in the Lions tradition of service — one of the world's largest and most respected civic organizations — we carry that legacy forward with a modern, open-door approach. We honor the values that have guided Lions for over a century while making our community accessible to anyone who wants to serve.
We are not just a club. We are a movement of neighbors who believe that empowering others is the most powerful thing any of us can do.
Empowering Others is an empowering service provided by Shield of Hope — an organization dedicated to protecting, uplifting, and restoring hope in communities that need it most. Our work here in the DC-Maryland-Delaware-Virginia region is a direct expression of that broader mission.
VISIT SHIELDOFHOPE.ORGROOTED IN THE LIONS TRADITION
Lions Clubs International has served communities for over 100 years, with 1.4 million members in 50,000 clubs worldwide. We carry that tradition of excellence into our region, while opening our doors to all who want to serve.
Learn about Lions InternationalOUR CORE VALUES
Compassion First
Every action we take is rooted in genuine care for the people we serve. We show up not because it looks good, but because it is right.
Radical Inclusion
Anyone who agrees to our Code of Conduct and Ethics is welcome here — regardless of background, faith, political affiliation, or experience.
Integrity in Service
We hold ourselves to a high standard of honesty, accountability, and transparency in everything we do.
Community First
Our decisions are guided by what is best for the communities we serve — not by what is easiest or most convenient for us.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE
We do not screen by political affiliation, religious belief, race, gender, age, or background. The only requirement to join our community is a genuine desire to serve others and a commitment to our Code of Conduct and Ethics — a plain-language, modern standard of how we treat one another and the people we serve.
Our Code is inspired by the Lions Code of Ethics, updated into accessible, modern language that reflects the values of our time. It is a living document — one we hold ourselves to every day.