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About Us

Picture of a spot camera

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 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
  • Organizing a golf training and entertainment program  for the adult VIP’s of RI
  • Organizing a bi-annual golf tournament at Top Golf in Cranston, RI
  • Identifying and Developing other Visual Assistance programs as the needs are identified.
Camp Mauchatea campers

History

​​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 10,000 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.

The program for vision screening in RI schools continues; across RI about 29,000 school students are screened every year. 
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​Since 2008 we have sponsored a VIP Fishing Tournament for adult Visually Impaired Persons and their guides on one of the boats of 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 and continues being held every year. 

In 2024 a pilot program for teaching golf to visually impaired persons was started at Top Golf in Cranston, RI. The pilot program has become a full fledged program with classes held regularly. To support this program, a golf tournament was organized and, given its success, the golf tournament will become a bi-annual event.
 

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