Souhegan Lions Club donates bench to the community

Souhegan Lions Club member Claudette Parmenter was honored with a bench dedicated to her outside her home at Greenville Falls apartments. The bench is made of recycled plastic collected by the club. COURTESY PHOTO

By ASHLEY SAARI

Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

Published: 11-29-2024 8:16 AM

The Souhegan Lions Club is about to receive a third bench made of plastic from a recycling effort to reduce the amount of plastic bags and wrapping going into landfills.

The program, run by NexTrex, which uses recycled materials to create composite decking, helps community organizations turn collected plastic into a bench for their community. Organizations collect 1,000 pounds of plastic over the course of a year to qualify for a bench.

Lions Club member Marilynn Acker Ezell said when the Lions first started the program, they were attempting to gather 500 pounds over the course of six months for a bench – the challenge at the time. They struggled to meet the goal, and were gifted 100 pounds from the Milford Lions Club. Now, she said the program is so successful that it’s the Souhegan Lions that are donating to other fledgling collection programs.

During the current challenge, the club has collected more than 2,500 pounds. Members collect plastic bags from the community, with a collection bin at the Wilton Recycling Center and Mansfield Library in Temple, as well as collecting plastic wrapping and donations from Market Basket, Shaw’s and the Maple Station in Temple.

“When people catch onto the existence of this program, it starts showing up in large quantities,” Ezell said.

The club has already donated two benches to the community, one which has been placed at the Mascenic Regional High School, and the other at Greenville Falls. The Greenville Falls bench has been dedicated to Lions Club member Claudette Parmenter.

“She was a charter member of the Greenville Lioness Club. Now she’s a member of the Souhegan Lions Club. She has dedicated so much of her life to helping people in need. She has been an inspiration for many,” said Lions Club member and Zone Chair Brenda Salmonson. “She has been an inspiration for so many. She’s 91, and still shows up at every event, eager to help, and always with a smile on her face.”

Ezell said the Lions Club is anticipating a third bench to be delivered within the next few days, though they have not yet decided on a place to put it.

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