“I’m Victoria and I’m a 17-year-old Chinese Canadian currently living in Toronto. In the fall I hope to study illustration. Meantime, I have a part-time job as an art instructor. As soon as I started working, I made the decision to donate a third of my paycheque to a charity of my choice.

I found a website listing the most accountable international charities, and Operation Eyesight was on that list.

I think eyesight is the most important thing to me as an artist. To think there are people living in poverty who suffer with avoidable sight loss makes me realize how important my sight is. Because of this, I want to give others the same privilege. Donating to cure blindness can last someone their whole life.

I wanted to get a job so that I could decide where to donate my money. Donating $100 was a lot to me, but it felt like the right thing to do. I asked myself, what was I going to do with $100 anyway? By donating to Operation Eyesight, I can give people sight-saving eye surgeries, so they can see for the rest of their lives. 

After donating, I felt like I was part of something bigger and beyond myself. I didn’t feel entitled to the money, and letting it go to a cause felt good.

I encourage others to donate to charities and organizations as well, because donating is such a good feeling. Especially if it’s for a cause you stand behind.”

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Victoria! We’re so grateful for your support.

Tell us your story! How and why do you support Operation Eyesight? Call us toll-free at 1-800-585-8265 or email us at info@operationeyesightindia.org. We’d love to hear from you!

The post This young artist is giving the precious gift of sight and changing lives! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Our longtime donor Gwen is proud to tell you she did just that! After Gwen and her husband John sold their condo in 2009, she contacted Operation Eyesight to set up an annuity gift. Annuity gifts are set up through a life insurance policy that accumulates cash value. As you pay your premiums each month, your policy accumulates a cash value that grows over time.

The couple transferred a lump sum to Operation Eyesight in exchange for fixed, guaranteed payments for the rest of their lives.

 “Many people don’t know about annuities, but these regular monthly payments really help us,” Gwen says. “At the end of our lives, if there’s any money left, it returns to Operation Eyesight.”

That’s just one of the ways Gwen has been supporting Operation Eyesight for over 50 years! She remembers meeting our founder, Art Jenkyns, and the doctor who inspired him, Dr. Ben Gullison, many years ago. She also went to India on a group tour in 2000, when she saw some of our work – and actually witnessed the miracle of the gift of sight!

“We went to rural areas, where people walked for miles and miles to get to an eye camp. I remember watching the cataract surgeries, and then going back the next day and helping remove the bandages so patients could see again,” she says. “I always say, ‘Thank you Lord, for the beauty my eyes behold.’”

Gwen is a longtime volunteer in her community of Delta, BC, where she’s worked at the children’s hospital, a hospice and at a crisis intervention centre, among other places. When asked what motivates her giving, Gwen says, “I feel a special affinity to help children and the aged. I just want to bring a little bit of joy to their lives.”

The post How can you make your charitable gifts last a lifetime? appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

You can find their wonderful story on the CBC’s website here, but we think Carol is newsworthy for another reason – she’s one of our longtime loyal donors! She recently sent us a donation with this lovely note attached:

“I am grateful for my sight. I always enjoyed seeing pictures shown by Dr. Ben [Gullison, who inspired Art Jenkyns to found Operation Eyesight] on his ‘Magic Lantern’ when he was on furlough from India. He planted the seeds some 50 years ago.”

Just as Carol is grateful for her sight, so are we grateful for her! Her generosity is worth celebrating. “It’s been a privilege to help restore sight to those who had been so unfortunate as to be blind,” she wrote to us.

Donors like Carol are bringing hope and light to many people around the world. Thank you, Carol! We hope we’re planting the seeds of many, many generous donors like you.

Happy Valentine’s Day to Carol and George and all of the other sweethearts out there! Why not celebrate the occasion by sending a beautiful Operation Eyesight eCard to your loved ones? Thanks for your support!

The post Seeds for a long-time donor planted 50 years ago appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

When Margaret Baxter passed away in Edmonton, AB in May 2015, she left a generous gift to Operation Eyesight. A longtime supporter, Margaret had dealt with eye problems all her life, so she appreciated the work our organization does to give people the gift of sight. Having been a nurse in Calgary for many years, and having nursed at refugee camps, she also understood the universal need for quality health care.

Her executor and longtime friend Jane Stollery knew Margaret all her life. Jane describes Margaret as a “very strong-willed person, very successful and clear on what she wanted.”

In Margaret’s original will, most of her estate was left to relatives, with smaller amounts to charity. When she updated it many years later, Jane says Margaret was surprised to learn that she was under no obligation to leave large gifts to family members. When asked by her lawyer what she really wanted to do, Margaret chose to increase the size of bequests to those charities close to her heart.

Jane says her friend’s legacies were “a way of making Margaret’s dreams come true. She would be truly delighted that her gifts were making the world a better place.”

We’re so grateful to Margaret for honouring us with her final gift. She will indeed transform the lives of children, women and men around the world!

You, too, can leave a lasting legacy of hope. Designating a gift to Operation Eyesight in your will is your opportunity to give the gift of sight and make a difference, for generations to come. For more information, visit our webpage or contact Susan at 1-800-585-8265 or DeikeS@operationeyesightindia.org.

The post Making dreams come true: A Calgary nurse’s final gift appeared first on Operation Eyesight.