Picture a small farming family from rural Maharashtra, clutching a diagnosis that changes everything. The medical battle ahead is daunting enough, but travelling to Mumbai for specialized treatment feels even more overwhelming—expensive tests, unfamiliar hospitals, nowhere to sleep, and meals they cannot afford.
For countless families facing this reality, hope often withers before treatment even begins. Cancer patients from small towns and villages find themselves fighting not just the disease, but the crushing weight of accessing quality healthcare in distant urban centers.
Offering solace in these challenging times is the Bombay Churchgate Lions Club, District 3231-A1. Their partnership with Shiv Kalyan Kendra in Sion, Mumbai, provides families with essential support—free accommodation, nutritious meals, and transportation for hospital visits.
Within these walls, 200 patients find refuge, each accompanied by up to two family members. Four meals a day—rich with milk, fresh fruits, and protein—feed approximately 1,000 people. Lions from District 3231-A1 actively sponsor meals and medicines, and members of the Churchgate Lions Club regularly sponsor meals to mark birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or in memory of their loved ones.
During the Lions Year 2024-25, Lions Clubs of Bombay Churchgate, Marine Drive, and Millennials, jointly donated a van for collecting rotis from various centres managed by different clubs of the district. Transportation challenges are also addressed with four dedicated ambulances ensuring patients can attend their critical appointments.
On June 9, 2025, Bombay Churchgate Lions Club installed solar panels at the centre through CSR funding from Affinity Global Advertising Pvt. Ltd., further reducing operational costs to maximize resources available for patient care.
Recognizing that healing extends beyond physical treatment, the District Chairperson for yoga and meditation regularly conducts sessions, addressing patients’ mental health needs and anxiety.