In Focus
By Mallory Arnold
The Pride of Tri-Village The Lions Club prowls the community with endless volunteerism
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ince the pandemic began, many things in our lives have come to a halt. We’ve all walked a little more cautiously, lived a little more carefully and have found ourselves with a lot more free time. For people like Jane Jarrow, Jo Lippold and the entire Tri-Village Lions Club, though, there was no pause in their work giving back to the community. Jane Jarrow first came to Tri-Village Magazine simply gushing about Jo Lippold, an 89-year-old Lion and one of the quietest influences in the community. The story goes like this: Lippold and her daughter attended the annual volunteer fair at the Upper Arlington Public Library five years ago, where the Tri-Village Lions Club was handing out information regarding its volunteer work. An hour and a half later, after Lippold and her daughter had left the fair, Lippold got in her own car and drove right back over. “She marched up to me at the table and said, ‘Tell me about the Lions Club,’” Jarrow says. “That Jo is a feisty one.” Lippold likes to keep busy. Her husband passed away when she was 62, her children and grandchildren are now grown. She trained as a nurse 30 years ago and eventually took a job as a line cook at Figlio for 11 years until her family suggested she quit. Now, she’s one of the Lions’ fiercest and most steadfast volunteers. “This is an amazing woman,” Jarrow says. “She has no desire to be in charge, she just wants to work. She wants to come to projects and help in any way she can.”
Heart of a lion November of 2019, the Lions Club hosted the founder of the Turban Project in a meeting. The non-profit makes headwear and masks for those undergoing chemotherapy and was seeking volunteers. Jarrow knew Lippold would be perfect for
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The TV Lions Club has stayed busy throughout the pandemic. November/December 2020 • www.trivillagemagazine.com