PBO Receives $6,000 Grant From Andrew Jergens

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information:

Prevent Blindness

Whitney Anderson

Phone: (800) 301-2020 ext. 105

E-mail:[email protected]

                                       Prevent Blindness Receives $6,000 Grant From The Andrew Jergens Foundation

            Project To Prevent Unnecessary Vision Loss Among Disadvantaged Children and Youth In The Greater Cincinnati Area

CINCINNATI, OH (Dec. 7, 2017) – The Southwest Ohio Chapter of Prevent Blindness (PBO) received a $6,000 grant to deliver its Star Pupils Program in Hamilton, Brown, Butler, Clermont and Warren counties in Southwest Ohio.

PBO’s Star Pupils Program puts focus on “little eyes with big futures” and removes the barrier of poor vision for children and youth, increasing academic and life success.  Star Pupils reduces the incidence of unnecessary vision loss and impairment for medically disadvantaged children, youth and their families.  The program facilitates a large network of certified vision screeners who provide standardized vision screening to low-income children and youth to increase access to professional eye care.  These disadvantaged children and youth are at the highest risk for vision loss.

“Prevent Blindness is pleased and honored to be granted funding by The Andrew Jergens Foundation,” said Sherry Williams, President and CEO of the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness. “Star Pupils is focused on helping children enter school “ready to learn”.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, one out of every four school-aged children has a vision problem.  Parents with children who do not have health coverage are seven times more likely to delay or not obtain medical treatment for their children than parents whose children are covered.  Often times, these parents are forced to send their children to school without the adequate vision to properly see the visuals that teachers rely on to educate their students.  These students’ education is hindered due to the family’s lack of financial resources.

PBO will partner with area schools, daycare centers, social service organizations and healthcare facilities to provide their staff and volunteers with vision assessment training and tools to identify people in need of vision care.  Those children and youth failing the vision assessment will be connected with PBO’s voluntary, comprehensive vision care system to receive further eye care and eyewear at no cost.  To qualify for free eye care, program participants must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and have no access to vision services through Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance.

Please contact PBO at 800-301-2020 to find the Star Pupils provider nearest to you or if you would like to attend a training to become a volunteer vision screener.

About Prevent Blindness

Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate, founded in 1957, is Ohio’s leading volunteer nonprofit public health organization dedicated to prevent blindness and preserve sight. We serve all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 1,000,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. Prevent Blindness Ohio is an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, the country’s second-oldest national voluntary health organization. For more information or to make a contribution, call 800-301-2020.  Or, visit us on the web at www.pbohio.org or facebook.com/pbohio.