You could say the Westerville Lions Club keeps a close eye on the well-being of the city’s residents.
Though the club’s community service endeavors are many, eye care for those in need is one of the guiding principles of its parent organization, and the club works hard to provide those opportunities locally.
The club helps provide screenings and eyeglasses for those who cannot afford them, offering free eye exams and $50 dollar vouchers for eyeglasses through LensCrafters for those in need. Recipients must live in the Westerville City School District.
Whether they are adults referred by the Westerville Area Resource Ministry or children recommended by school nurses, each potential recipient must participate in a short interview to qualify. Steve Miller, member of the Lions Club, says that individuals seeking help are also welcome.
“They will be asked to write a letter explaining their situation as well as submit a copy of their W-2 or SSA-1099,” Miller says. “A phone interview is conducted to make sure they qualify.”
Those who qualify are referred to the office of Dr. John Parrish, a Westerville optometrist and Lions Club member, for a screening and the eyeglass voucher.
Parrish has been at his Uptown office for almost 40 years. After he graduated from The Ohio State University, he converted a historic 1880s building and has practiced optometry there ever since. Today, with the help of Parrish and the Lions Club, as many as two dozen area residents receive proper vision care each year.
Additional club efforts to provide eye care include free glaucoma screenings at community events and the collection and delivery of used eyeglasses to underdeveloped countries.
“The Westerville Lions Club also provides financial support for programs to help the visually impaired to other organizations such as Westerville Public Library to purchase Braille books for the blind, and Pilot Dogs to provide guide dogs to the blind or severely visually impaired,” says Miller.
Aamna Aziz is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
