LIONS EYE SIGHT AND HEARING

The foundation is a humanitarian organization dedicated to serve our Lions clubs, Idaho communities and the world as an outstanding quality provider of sight and hearing assistance.

The Idaho-Eastern Oregon Lions sight and hearing Foundation was established in 1969 by Multiple District 39E Lions to encourage and promote sight and hearing conservation projects for the citizens of southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Primary services of the foundation include the Idaho Lions eye Bank, the Lions Mobile Screening unit, diabetes Awareness, the Lions Hearing Aid Assistance, the Lions Personal Assistance fund, and the eye glass recycling. The foundation is not supported by the state or federal government and must have fundraisers like the Idaho Edition of MONOPOLY game fundraiser, Hit the Jackpot golf tournament, Memorial/honorarium gift, and the Parade of Checks to continue services.

Idaho Lions Eye Bank
The foundation operates one of the leading eye banks in the US. The Idaho Lions Eye Bank obtains, medically evaluates, and distributes corneal eye tissue from individuals who donate their eyes when they pass away. The Idaho Lions Eye Bank places tissue for transplant throughout Idaho, The US and the world. Approximately 300 sight restoring corneal transplants were made possible by the eye bank Sight and Hearing foundation and caring Idahoans so far in 2006.

Diabetes Awareness
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death. it affects almost every part of the body, can lead to blindness, heart disease, and costs the US 132 billion dollars a year. The foundation and Lions clubs support all efforts to combat and provide education on diabetes to prevent the effects of this disease and prevent blindness.

Lions Hearing Aid Bank
Hearing aids are loaned to the individual until the person can afford to purchase their own.

Lion Personal Assistance Program
The foundation provides assistance to individuals in need of vision and hearing care who cannot afford treatment. Assistance is given for eyeglasses, hearing aids, and eye and ear surgeries. In 2005 the Personal assistance program provided $90,000.00 in assistance for cataract surgeries, corneal transplants, diabetic retinopathy, YAG laser and cochlear implants. The foundation requires that an individual in need work with the local Lions Club for services upon approval of assistance.

Eyeglass Recycling
Glasses are donated by individuals and picked up for sorting by Lions Clubs and foundation members. The glasses are made available to the needy in other nations. The foundation and Multile District 39 Lions clubs process and ships approximately 65,000 pairs of donated glasses yearly.

Leader Dogs for the Blind
Leader Dog for the Blind trains dogs and the recipients that are blind or visually impaired on how to work with each other.

Lions club International Special Olympics Opening Eyes Program
Lions Clubs in Multiple District 39 has participated in this Lion Club International Program at the last Special Olympics events held in Boise for 2004, 2005, 2006. It will again be held in Boise 2007 July 7. the Idaho Lions clubs will also begin preparation for the World Special Olympics to be held in Boise 2009. Through this initiative, Special Olympic athletes receive the eye health services they need. Lion’s club volunteers perform sight screening. The final results will allow the Special Olympian athletes to be better athletes and more productive community members. Special Olympics are now partnering to expand the Special Olympics vision health program through a grant from Lions Club International Foundation and Lions Clubs International. Working together will bring proper eye care screening to more Special Olympics athletes in Idaho and around the globe, and will also open the world's eyes to the reality that people with mental retardation deserve the same quality vision care to which every person is entitled.

Lions Club International Habitat for Humanity Partnership
Lions Club International and Habitat for Humanity have partnered since 1999 to work together to build homes for people with disabilities. Since 1999, a total of 776 homes have been built. There have been several habitat for Humanity projects throughout the state of Idaho that Lions have been involved with. One of the requirements from the Lions Club International Foundation for the grant is the applicant for the house had to have a disability. 50% of the funding for the house came from Habitat for Humanity; Lions clubs provided 25% and the Lions Club district contributing 25%.

Hope House
Hope House for children provides a home for emotionally impaired, developmentally disabled, children who come from dysfunctional families or physically disabled children between the ages of six and eighteen. Most of the children come from the western part of the US but occasionally from other areas of the US. In 2004, Hope House moved from its Nampa location to its current location in Marsing. Multiple District 39 helped with fundraisers for the move and helped to acquire a $75,000.00 grant from the Lions Club International to build a school at the new location.

Pediatric digital Retinal Camera
The sight and Hearing foundation teamed up with Saint Luke's Hospital in Boise to provide a Pediatric digital Camera which is very effective in finding sight problems and preventing blindness in premature babies and young children. The total cost of the camera was $54,628.00. The Sight and Hearing Foundation is in the beginning states of buying a second Pediatric digital Camera for the eastern part of the state of Idaho.

Why is the foundation important to Idahoans
The Idaho Lions eye Bank, part of the Idaho/Eastern Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation has provided more than 4100 sight restoring corneas for transplant since 1969

Over 1000 eyes have been provided for eye research.

100% of the cornea transplant needs in Idaho have been met since 1996 through our Idaho Lions Eye Bank when the Idaho corneal transplant waiting list was eliminated.

About the Monopoly Game Fundraiser
One of the current projects is bestowing a Permanent Gift of Sight for the state of Idaho by providing a permanent location for our Idaho Lions eye Bank and Foundation. the Idaho Edition of the Monopoly game covers a full spectrum of what Idaho is: the state symbols, historic and scenic places, universities, agriculture, and industries. The Game Board was created with both sponsored and non-sponsored game spaces. the sponsored game board spaces reflect a cross section of Idaho. The sponsored game board spaces were placed in a silent auction with the highest donors on the Boardwalk and Park Place properties. Many corporations, businesses, tourist attractions, and resorts helped sponsor the game. The chance and community Chest cards text have been customized to reflect Idaho/Eastern Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing foundation's words of wisdom, penalties, prizes and praises. In addition, the Chance cards and spaces have the Lions Clubs International Fundraiser logo. The community Chest cards and spaces have the logo of the Idaho/Eastern Oregon Sight and Hearing Foundation.

The Non-Sponsored Game Spaces
The dark purple properties are dedicated to historic people. Miners and fur trappers were chosen as the first non native Idahoans that led to the settlement.
The light blue spaces are dedicated to our state symbols.
The railroad properties are the four larger universities.

Cost of the games will be $35.95 plus shipping and handling.

Other Information
This last year the Eyesight and Hearing Foundation has collected approximately 22,000 pair of glasses. They refurbished nineteen hearing aids which were loaned to hearing impaired Idaho children.

The new Sight and Hearing Eye Bank building is located at 70 North Latah in Boise.

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Idaho Lions Eye Bank Statistical Report for July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006

Thanks Lion Doc Z!