FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Prevent Blindness
Whitney Anderson
Phone: (800) 301-2020 ext. 105
E-mail:[email protected]
Prevent Blindness Receives $7,500 Grant from the Roush Memorial Fund of Akron Community Foundation
Project to Provide Vision Services to Disadvantaged Populations in Summit County
AKRON, OH (Jan. 4, 2018) – The Northeast Ohio Chapter of Prevent Blindness (PBO) received a $7,500 grant from the Roush Memorial Fund of Akron Community Foundation to deliver its Vision Care Outreach (VCO) Program in Summit County.
The goal of PBO’s VCO Program is to reduce the incidence of unnecessary vision loss and impairment by providing access to our voluntary system of comprehensive vision care services, vision screenings and education to medically challenged children, youth, families, and uninsured adults. To qualify, 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.
“Prevent Blindness is pleased and honored to be granted funding by the Roush Memorial Fund of Akron Community Foundation,” said Sherry Williams, President and CEO of the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness. “We are grateful for this continued partnership that helps us connect those in greatest need to vision services that save sight for a lifetime.”
Blindness and vision impairment affect one’s ability to drive, read, work, learn, stay active in the community, and take care of household tasks. Declines in these abilities can lead to social isolation, depression and increased risk of falls and injuries that, unfortunately, can create an emotional and economic toll on individuals and families.
PBO will partner with area schools, child care centers, senior 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 failing the vision assessment will be connected with the VCO Program to receive further eye care and eyewear at no cost.
Please contact PBO at 800-301-2020 to find the VCO provider nearest to you or 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.