Volunteer Opportunities

[canaanlilli]

Alright, here is my conundrum.
One of the reasons I did enjoy working for The Big Blue Dragon (lux) was my ability to help my local community and go on international missions to provide eye care to the disadvantaged. Since I left the company and have worked in private practices I have not had those same opportunities.

Partnering Providers(doctors) are invited to apply to go on the missions, but at this time optical professionals are not. They are looking at ways to include us, but that still seems a way off.

Now I could join Lions Club, but none of them in my area will return my phone calls. And neither will VOSCH.
My practice does what it can to give discounts to those who need help, but we are a fairly new practice and cannot afford to give stuff away yet.

I loved my mission trip to El Salvador with LC, and would do it many times over.
Any ideas on who or how I can become more involved again?

[Laurie]

There are lots of orgs that you can volunteer with...one of my grads came into our program shortly after starting an eye ministry, he travels with teams to Haiti and Cuba primarily, with full clinics/surgery centers staffed with volunteer drs and opticians.

His org is called 'Living in Faith', his name is Russ Montgomery...

Here's the link:

http://www.livinginfaith.net/about

: )

Laurie

[Fezz]

Isn't there something closer to home or in your community that could use help?

Mission trips are all well and good, but I am always sad when I read about them. I always wonder why we can't help out more here in our own country.

[canaanlilli]

That's my point fezz, Lux does both communities and abroad. VSP does some community stuff.

I've looked here locally for other organizations to work with, the Lions and VOSCH were my two first steps, but like I said, they don't want to talk to me for some reason.

Local charities are looking for free services, which means I have to refer them to LC in most cases.

I'll check out the link above. Looks like it might fit my personal beliefs as well.

[uncut]

School vision screening......ask a Manitoba optician or their organization as to how they set it up. From what I understand it is well received!

[uncut]

What ever you do....make sure that the local optical providers are involved. I ofter wonder about the impact charititable work abroad messes up the loacal economy..In other words, free eyeglasses flooding a region does nothing but harm to the local providers. A good example of that is Costal Contacts give-aways!!!!!

[lensmama]

Give the Lions another try. I applied online and it took a couple of months for them to get back to me.

[canaanlilli]

What ever you do....make sure that the local optical providers are involved. I ofter wonder about the impact charititable work abroad messes up the loacal economy..In other words, free eyeglasses flooding a region does nothing but harm to the local providers. A good example of that is Costal Contacts give-aways!!!!!

That was one of the great things about lux's program. They involved the local dr's as much as they could. Problem being most of the people we saw, couldn't afford to go to their local practioner.

On the school screening portion. Here in KC, there are a couple of programs that administer those, and they have doctors already working with them. Already checked with them and they say they have all the practice partners they need. Great suggestion though!

I'll keep trying the Lions, if for no other reason I know where they go, and who they partner with, plus I really do admire the organization. I have ever since I was a little girl attending church in their basement.

:D

[NavyChief]

Here's an easy way to help.
Transitions created ''Little Janie'' to help increase awareness of the potential damaging social effects vision problems may have on children. By viewing and sharing this video, you can help us provide support to children like ''Little Janie.'' For every registered view of the video, $0.50* will be donated by the Healthy Sight For Life Fund to organizations that help increase the awareness of eye health.
*The maximum contribution to the charity will be in the amount of USD 10,000.

Click on this link and view the video:
http://www.healthysightforlifefund.c...er_complete-0/

[Judy Canty]

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/find-a-club.php

Find a club using this locator. It should tell you when and where the club meets. Just show up, I'm sure they'd love to have you there.

[Jubilee]

My understanding is that a lot of the Lions clubs are looking for new members. However, with an older volunteer base, sometimes they aren't as savvy on all communication fronts (at least this is what i am told locally)

Have you tried Prevent Blindness? They do a lot of community outreach, vision screenings, etc.

[eyechick1969]

You really should check out RAMUSA.org I'm volunteering with them next weekend in VA.

[opticalcathy]

We just did this VisionWalking- which you can do in your own area
http://theopticalvisionsite.com/mark...ing-blindness/

We also received a report from a volunteer in India for Unite For Sight
http://opticalvisionresources.com/un...l-orissa-india

There is also Infantsee and most state groups have a outreach program.

YOu can try ORBIS who just came back from Mongolia
http://opticalvisionresources.com/or...-from-mongolia

There is always Giving Site www.givingsight.org

Here is an opportunity to Volunteer and Stay in Jamaica at Sandals
http://opticalvisionresources.com/vo...tay-at-sandals


Free Eye Exams

Giving Sight (www.givingsight.org) is a Optometric charity that sends optometrists to underdeveloped countries, Provides eye exams and eyewear so they can get jobs and help to become contributing members of society.
Fight For Sight -Since 1946, Fight for Sight supports and inspireseye and vision research by providing funding to scientists. Facebook
Laugh For Sight (Facebook)
New Eyes For the Needy
The Lions Club International (www.lionsclub.org) Eyeglass donations collects, cleans, repairs and sends reused eyeglasses to those in need. Donations centers exist internationally as well as online.
Lion’s Club International Foundation – Prevents blindness and restores sight through the SightFirst Program, and a number of other sight initiatives.
Optometry Cares: Optometry Cares—The American Optometric Association Foundation administers the American Optometric Association’s public health programs, including VISION USA and InfantSEE®. Goal: Expand eye health and vision care access to everyone in the U.S.
Orbis International (www.orbis.org) runs the Flying Eye Hospital. Doctors donate time and fly to needy areas to give eye exams and care to needy people globally.
Prevent Blindness America- The oldest volunteer organization, promotes eye health
Restoring Vision- RestoringVision.org provides new reading glasses and sunglasses to groups going to developing countries
The Seeing Eye- The Seeing Eye, Inc. is the oldest existing dog guide school in the world
The Center For The Partially Sighted -www.low-vision.org
The Scojo Foundation (www.scojofoundation.com) is designed to help reading glasses be more accessible in developing countries by training locals in basic optometry skills so they can assess their local need and sell eyewear at a low cost in their community.
Think About Your Eyes
Unite for Sight – Has Provided eye care services to over 1 Million people worldwide, including more than 36,000 sight-restoring surgeries.
Visioncare For Homeless People
Vision Health International- VHI is a U.S.-based, non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the delivery of free vision-care services and sight-restoring surgery to the medically underserved populations in Latin America.
Vision Outreach
Vision Spring - www.visionspring.org) which uses a micro-lending model involving poor people selling new readers out of a back-pack to other poor people in the developing world (thus providing both jobs and vision concurrently).
Vision 2020 member organizations – The Vision 2020 website lists 111 international organizations that are committed to eliminating avoidable blindness. The list includes links to contact the individual organization to learn more about how you can help.
Vosh International-The primary mission of VOSH/International is to facilitate the provision and the sustainability of vision care worldwide for people who can neither afford nor obtain such care
Florida

Florida's Vision Quest
MORE Health www.morehealthinc.org
Vision Health International
Canada

SEVA Canada – (I mentioned SEVA Canada in a recent post, and will be donating all my earnings from Amazon this month to SEVA Canada.) They help communities in 7 countries and regions develop their own capacity to deliver affordable eye care services. SEVA has a Gift of Sight catalog that lets you specify where your money goes.
Australia

The Fred Hollows Foundation (www.hollows.org.au) believes that indigenous Australians deserve the same health care and life expectancy as other Australians, and they run a vision program helping the needlessly blind of the outback.
United Kingdom

The Vision Charity Vision Charity raises funds for the benefit of Blind & Visually Impaired children.
Eyecare Trust
Eye Health Alliance
VisionAid Overseas

[libellule]

I have been on the Jamaica trip...it is in Partnership with VOSH Northwest but anyone can go. Opticians are greatly needed, particularly on week 1 in Montego Bay.

As for VOSH...VOSH Northwest does a ton of local outreach. We help with several Project Homeless events in the greater Seattle area every year. Perhaps your local VOSH chapter does something similar. Check the VOSH International website for links to area chapters.

If you have a State Association you could check to see if they have information as well.

[libellule]

The Jamaica mission is organized through Great Shape Inc. www.gsjamaica.org

[GOS_Queen]

Thanks for posting that link about the "vision walk" ...

[canaanlilli]

WOW! I've been out of work since May so I haven't been checking in lately. I love how the post died until a couple of days ago and now there are all sorts of great leads. I will definitely check them out. While looking for a job. sigh.

[walleye]

Our local Lions club is desperate for members as are many others. Go onto the Lions.org web site and look for a local club and just show up as a previous thread suggested. Our club helped around 25 low income people last year with eye exams and glasses. The Lions main mission is preventing blindness world wide.
Also go onto vosh.org and go onto the message board. There you can find mission trips to volunteer for to almost anywhere in the world.
Best of luck

[gatorbait]

Thank you all for the information. I have been trying to volunteer my time and there isn't too much in Florida. My wife and I both love outreaching with mission trips and I never thought to help in my optical background and now we feel it is time.

Thank you all so much for the help and time saving.