Our Mission at The Lighthouse in Tyler, TX is to Empower Blind Americans through rehabilitation, education, training and employment.
Did You Know?
Did you know that 80,000,000 Americans have potentially blinding eye diseases? That 3,400,000 Americans are either blind or visually impaired? And that an additional 1,600,000 Americans have age related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of permanent impairment of reading or close up vision among people aged 65 years and older?
The causes of blindness are many, but projections for the coming years indicate the number of blind and visually impaired people will triple as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes and other major causes of blindness take their toll. Age related macular degeneration commonly occurs in people who in many cases had no prior symptoms. Blindness can strike anyone at anytime, anywhere. It can strike you. The results of vision loss are traumatic, both physically and emotionally. Our Rehabilitative Services division has the resources and the commitment to help people transition from and independent sighted life style to an independent blind lifestyle.
Reference: Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov.
To understand the different types of low vision, view this Vision Loss Poster.
Saving Sight Program a Success- Needs Funding
Saving Sight, a partnership between The Lighthouse and PATH funding no cost eye exams and eyeglasses for qualified Smith county residents is low on funding. Of the $26,373 raised for the 2012 program $16,600 has been spent in the first four months helping the 332 applicants who qualified for eye exams and eye glasses. That leaves a balance of only $9,773 for the next 8 months.
“Quite frankly, the demand for the services of Saving Sight has been far greater than we ever imagined. We knew there was a need, but to be in the position of running out of funding with 8 months to go before the next fund raiser was something we never expected,” said Lighthouse CEO David Huffman.
Based on the current client demand the program is underfunded around $33,000 for the next 8 months which is equal to about 650 eye exams or eye glasses. A $50 donation pays for the cost of an eye exam, the first line of defense against treatable eye diseases that can cause blindness. A $50 donation can buy a pair of single lens or lined bifocals.
Click here to make a secure on-line tax deductible donation to Saving Sight via Pay Pal.
Or, send your check to:
Saving Sight
The Lighthouse
500 N. Bois d’ Arc
Tyler, TX 75702
Serving 46 counties in East Texas, The Lighthouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization empowering blind Americans through rehabilitation, education, training and employment.
