Started in 1949, the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation has dedicated itself to serving the community by providing vision and hearing services through education, detection, prevention and treatment through the many services the organization is set to provide.
Last Saturday, volunteers washed, cleaned and sorted through eyeglasses which will be distributed to those who suffer vision impairment, locally and internationally. “Through the [Eyeglass Recycling Program], we have been able to distribute over 50,000 eyeglasses not only in Georgia, but in places such as Peru, Haiti and Romania,” said Volunteer Coordinator Laura Griffin. “We really depend on our volunteers not just for sorting and cleaning, but our doctors also volunteer their time for our patients in need.”
Additionally, volunteers also take part in the Vision and Hearing Screening Program, which teaches about prevention and raises awareness of diseases and proper care. “I go out to teach about the importance of vision and hearing because it’s a simple measure that can really make a difference in someone’s life,” said volunteer Adrian Harris, who was also helped by the foundation when he was a teenager.
The organization provides eye exams and surgeries to those who are not able to afford the exams and prescribed eye care. Along with mobile clinics, the organization has set up its first permanent clinic at the headquarters in Chamblee. Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation served more than 5,000 people in 2010 which included surgeries, clinic visits and supplying hearing aids in all 159 counties of Georgia.
With more people needing services in the past three years, the need for volunteers has risen. “We always need a group of volunteers and doctors to be part of our organization,” said Griffin. “Vision care is often ignored, but with our volunteers and programs, we can give people their independence.”
To volunteer with the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, visit www.lionslighthouse.org
In other news: On Mother's Day, May 8, Two Men And A Truck collected more than 65,000 items to give as gifts to women living in domestic violence and homeless shelters as a part of the trucking company's Movers for Moms initiative. Locally, the company partnered with Atlanta Heights Charter School, Schreiner Academy, Tutor Time, WTSH-FM South 107 and 94.9 The Bull to give to local domestic and homeless shelters making it a special Mother's Day for thousands of women.
CAPTION
Laura Griffin (left), Sonia Gladd, Jean Kennedy, Adrian Harris, Karthik Raguraman, Giri Uppalapati and Ramani Nakkina volunteered last Saturday at the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation in Chamblee washing, cleaning and sorting eyeglasses through the Eyeglass Recycling Program. The program has provided over 50,000 eyeglasses locally and internationally. Devika Rao, doing.goodajc@gmail.com
About the Author
