 |
Sue Shire, ABO-AC, HFOAA, MBCO, Vision of Hope Chairperson, describes some of the projects from the Opticians Association of America’s Vision of Hope Foundation (VOH). All opticians and students are invited to join us in the many opportunities within the Vision of Hope.
Due to the generosity of donors, the Opticians Association of America’s Vision of Hope Foundation has given out over $45,000 in grants since 2012. Despite the recent reduced activity due to COVID, the Vision of Hope Foundation continues to support and encourage opticians and students to get involved in a mission abroad. For those interested, visit the website oaavoh.org to apply for a mission grant. The missions committee reviews all grant requests.
The Vision of Hope Foundation is challenging all State Associations to host their own home mission. State Associations can find all the necessary tools on the oaavoh.org website to assist in setting you up for a successful mission. To date, State Association missions have taken place in South Carolina, two in Michigan, one in Florida, and one in Washington.
South Carolina Association of Opticians participated in a local mission where they performed 54 eye examinations and dispensed 51 pairs of glasses. Ronnie Harbert, President of the South Carolina Association of Opticians, commented,” The best part of the project was seeing the faces of the patients when they received glasses”.
The Opticians Association of Michigan saw 50 patients who took advantage of the eye screening and glasses.
 |
The Vision of Hope Foundation challenges opticians to look within their own States to find opportunities to help people in need to improve their lives through better vision.
The Vision of Hope Foundation has student scholarships available to second-year opticianry students attending an accredited school. Please go to oaavoh.org to download the application and review the requirements.
The Vision of Hope Foundation also supports The Optical Heritage Museum in Southbridge, Massachusetts. The museum houses and displays the OAA’s expansive antique frame collection and a collection of antique textbooks and optical magazines.
Our fundraising committee is working hard to raise funding for these projects. At the OAA’s 2022 Leadership Conference, the Vision of Hope Foundation raised over $11,000 through a silent auction, private donations, and contributions from State Associations. In addition, Modern Optical, a long-time program supporter, presented a check for $7066.71.
Coming Soon is Running for Vision—the virtual race fundraiser for Vision of Hope Foundation. The details are being finalized for this event. Stay tuned for further information!!
 |
