It’s hard to believe, but there are only 12 sleeps left until Christmas! For some of you, the thought of having less than two weeks to prepare might have you panicking a little bit. How on earth are you going to get all of your shopping done in time?

For others, the thought of having to wait almost another two weeks before Christmas might seem unbearable. Why won’t the 25th just get here already so you can give everyone their presents? You’re too excited!

How you’re feeling at this point will vary, depending on your holiday shopping style. What type of holiday shopper are you?

• Are you a Careful Cathy, who plans your gift list months in advance?
• An Impulsive Irene, who buys gifts months in advance, then tucks them away and can’t remember where you put them? (I’ll admit, this is me sometimes.)
• A Fast-and-Easy Fred, who picks up gift cards at the last moment at the local convenience store? (We all know someone like this!)
• Or are you a Smart Sammy, who orders the most meaningful gift of all – the gift of sight – through Operation Eyesight’s Gift Guide?

Smart Sammy knows that these gifts are two gifts in one. Each is both a beautiful message to a friend, family member or colleague, and a gift that helps Operation Eyesight work with local partners in Africa and Southeast Asia to transform the lives of children, families and communities in developing countries.

Smart Sammy knows that once she’s selected her gifts online, she can choose to send her recipients eCards, either right away or at future date and time. The eCards will include an overview of the work her gifts will support, and she’ll be able to add her own personalized messages, too/

No trudging through a crowded mall, no chopping endless laps to try to find parking, and no fighting with that darn wrapping paper roll. Just a few clicks and Smart Sammy will be done her holiday shopping. And best of all, she knows that her gifts will have a lasting impact in the lives of those less fortunate than her.

What are you waiting for? Check out our Gift Guide today and give the gift that gives twice!

Thank you for giving the gift of sight! We greatly appreciate your support this holiday season!

The post What kind of holiday shopper are you? appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Isn’t it great to be around children as the holiday season approaches? I just love watching my grandkids’ eyes light up as they make their lists (and check them more than twice!), dreaming of brightly decorated trees and candy canes. Their excitement is contagious!

But I know there are countless children who don’t wish for toys and treats. They simply want to be able to see.

Four-year-old Livia from Kenya used to feel this way. She was born with a severe refractive error, meaning she has very poor eyesight. She also has a squint in one eye that further blurs her vision. Although her parents knew their daughter had problems seeing, they didn’t realize the urgency of her condition until she went to preschool this year.

Livia’s teacher quickly recognized the tiny girl was having trouble seeing the chalkboard. Her poor vision was not only preventing her from learning to read and print – it affected all her daily activities in class, and she even had problems playing with her friends.

Thankfully, Livia’s mother heard about our nearby partner, Kapsabet Eye Clinic. Thanks to our generous donors, this clinic provides free eye care to families who cannot afford it. After Livia’s eyes were assessed, she received brand new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses to help her see better.

Today, with her beloved eyeglasses firmly in place, she is a cheerful, active child who is excited to be in school. When Livia gets older, she’ll be sent to a hospital for surgery to help correct her squint. But already her mother is so much more optimistic for her little girl’s future, thanks to people like you!

This Christmas, you can help more people like Livia. Every $20 you give will purchase new, prescription eyeglasses for up to three people. Such a simple gift! Such a huge impact!

Instead of searching forever for parking and trudging through an overcrowded mall, you can simply purchase your holiday gifts online at operationeyesightindia.org/giftguide. Not only will you find a meaningful gift your friends and family will appreciate — you’ll help someone see. It’s two gifts in one!

With each order, your friend or loved one receives an Operation Eyesight greeting card and a gift tag that describes the work your gift will support. The tag can even be attached to another small gift, like a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine, if you choose.

This Christmas, please give generously from our Gift Guide. Every gift you send takes us one step closer to a world free of avoidable blindness. Every gift you give will give twice!

On behalf of all of us at Operation Eyesight, thank you for your support this holiday season!

The post Give the gift that gives twice appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Fourteen-year-old Grace Asempah and her mother, Mercy, live in the small town of Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana. Grace attends St. Mary’s School in the same town.

Grace used to struggle in school every day. Her teachers became concerned with her poor academic performance, and, after learning of Grace’s failing grades, even Mercy began to think that her daughter was unintelligent. She considered pulling Grace out of school so she could learn a trade instead. Little did she know that Grace was actually having trouble in school because she couldn’t see to read her assignments.

Thankfully, an outreach team from Watborg Eye Services conducted an eye screening program at St. Mary’s School. Through an eye examination, they discovered that Grace had uncorrected refractive error. Simply put, she needed eyeglasses.

Grace admitted that she was having difficulty seeing the backboard and that she would sometimes ask friends to read for her before she could complete her assignments. Mercy was relieved to hear that her daughter’s academic performance could be improved after all; she just needed a pair of eyeglasses to correct her vision.

Thanks to Operation Eyesight’s donors, Grace received a pair of brand new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses. Now, rather than struggle to read her assignments, Grace is busy making up for her past grades. She continues to go to school and has a bright future ahead of her!

This holiday season, you can team up at the office or as a family to sponsor a school eye screening for $250. School screenings help to ensure that eye conditions are caught and treated as early as possible. And for just $20, you can provide students with prescription eyeglasses. These gits are a wonderful investment in the future of Arica and India! Visit our Gift Guide to learn more.

The post No more failing eyesight or failing grades appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Thankfully, there’s another less-stressful, less time-consuming option: Operation Eyesight’s Gift Guide.

Stay warm and dry at home, but still get the perfect gifts for everyone on your shopping list, including those hard-to-buy for people. You know, the ones who seem to have everything!

This year, give a virtual gift that will bring a smile to their faces AND help restore sight to someone in India or Africa! Two gifts in one!

Each gift will be sent to the recipient as a beautiful holiday card, along with a gift tag that describes the work you are supporting. If you order your gift online, you can also choose to send a customized holiday eCard.

• Perfect for a parent or grandparent: $50 will purchase a life-changing cataract surgery for a blind person in Africa or India. You can give the gift of sight today!
• Perfect for a friend or business associate: $35 will contribute to primary eye care training for teachers, midwives, health workers and others in the local community. Help provide eye care to those who would otherwise go unreached!
• Perfect for a couple: $100 will help bring water to a desperately dry community in Africa.
• Perfect for a teacher or colleague: $20 will bring people’s worlds into focus with the gift of new, custom-fitted prescription eyeglasses.
• Perfect for a Secret Santa, stocking or hostess gift: $15 will provide eye surgery supplies required to perform one cataract or trachoma surgery and restore one person’s sight.

And you can choose from many other options! Visit operationeyesightindia.org/giftguide or call toll-free 1-800-585-8265. To ensure delivery, place your order two weeks prior to the date you wish the gift to arrive.

The post Give a gift that touches two lives! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.