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About Us

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Mission 

Our Mission is to assist Visually Impaired Persons (VIP’s) by providing vision screening, eyeglasses, surgery, prosthetics, equipment and training; as well as recreational activities to improve their life experiences.  
We accomplish this by partnering with the RI Lions Clubs, other Sight-Assistance agencies and private individuals to service all RI communities.

Objectives

Our Objectives include continuing the following programs:
  •  Vision Pre-screenings at schools, health fairs, clinics and local businesses using vision screening cameras and other traditional equipment.
  • Collecting Used Eyeglass that are screened and recycled for use at eye clinics in third world countries.
  • Providing Vision-assisting equipment such as computer hardware, software and other reading devices.
  • Sponsoring a Summer and Winter overnight camp for visually impaired children.
  • Organizing a Fishing Tournament for the adult VIP’s of RI which includes sending 3 RI VIP’s and their Guides to the National VIP Fishing Tournament in North Carolina
  • Developing an Indoor & Outdoor Rowing program for the adult VIP’s of RI.
  • Identifying and Developing other Visual Assistance programs as the needs are identified.
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History

This section needs to be updated

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Since 2008 we have sponsored a VIP Fishing Tournament for adult Visually Impaired Persons and their guides on the Frances Fishing Fleet in Point Judith, RI that really gives the participants some great fish stories to talk about. This event has grown immensely in popularity, with the top three winners attending the National event in North Carolina. 
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Starting in 2015 the Foundation committed our support to the Veteran's Rowing and Kayaking Association, which works with visually impaired and disabled veterans, utilizing a rowing and fitness plan to promote a healthy lifestyle in these individuals. The program starts with indoor training in the winter and transitions to outdoor rowing in the spring. Read...http://www.veteransrowing.com/
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One of the Foundation's proudest contributions to sight conservation has been the purchase of six PO2 monitors which prevent premature blindness by carefully monitoring the intake of oxygen by premature infants at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence.
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In 2001, RILSF was awarded a CORE 4 LCIF Grant to implement a statewide, pre-school children's vision screening program utilizing photo screening. This 3-year program was known as the Lions 4 Sight program, and was our largest-scale endeavor, with a goal to provide 10000 screenings per year. The goal was accomplished with the assistance of Rhode Island Lions clubs Saving Sight RI and Brown University. Learn more about our vision screening program
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