Woodstock Lions Club Honors More Than 120 City Employees With Appreciation Breakfast During Georgia Cities Week

For the people who fill potholes, process permits, staff parks, and keep Woodstock running behind the scenes, Tuesday morning brought a rare and simple gesture: someone made them breakfast.

The Woodstock Lions Club treated more than 120 City of Woodstock employees to a free appreciation breakfast on April 22 as part of Georgia Cities Week, the annual statewide celebration that puts a spotlight on the municipal workers who keep Georgia's cities functioning day to day. Lion Paul D. Smith coordinated the event alongside Coty Thigpen, Woodstock's deputy city manager.

The club made a point of reaching every city employee, not just those who could show up in person. Members delivered breakfast directly to two Woodstock fire stations so firefighters on duty could share in the recognition, a detail that speaks to the Lions' longstanding philosophy that service means showing up where people are, not just where it's convenient.

Mayor Michael Caldwell attended the breakfast and thanked both the city employees for their work and the Lions Club for organizing the event. His presence underscored the occasion's theme: this year's Georgia Cities Week carries the banner "Shaping the Future," a call for communities across Georgia to recognize the people and institutions that make city life possible.

The breakfast was funded through the Woodstock Lions Club Foundation, with food donations from five local and national businesses, Starbucks, Burger King, McDonald's, Bojangles and Truitt's Chick-fil-A, along with Costco, whose name appeared among the sponsors listed on signage at the event. Smith credited those donations as essential to pulling the morning together.

The Woodstock Lions Club has been a fixture in Cherokee County since its founding on Oct. 24, 1961, a date displayed proudly on the club's banner at the event. With 24 members and a motto of "We Serve," the club focuses on identifying and addressing needs within the Woodstock community. It meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:45 p.m. at The Tavern at Towne Lake.

That 63-year history connects Woodstock's chapter to a global network. Lions Clubs International, the parent organization, is the world's largest membership-based service organization, with 1.4 million members across more than 49,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographic areas. Founded in 1917, the organization centers its mission on improving health and well-being and strengthening local communities, work that, on a Tuesday morning in Woodstock, looked like a table full of hot food and a room full of people who felt seen.

Residents interested in joining or learning more about the Woodstock Lions Club can reach the organization by email at WoodstockLionsClub@Gmail.com or by phone at (770) 906-2958.