I sympathize. The year really has flown by, and GivingTuesday is only two weeks away! Many of our supporters have already made donations, and we can’t thank you enough.

By now, you may know that four out of five cases of blindness or low vision are treatable or even preventable. Many of the people we help simply need a pair of prescription eyeglasses to improve their vision – and their chances for a better life.

So put yourself in their shoes: what if you couldn’t afford to buy eyeglasses — or even pay for an eye exam? What if you didn’t have access to quality eye care at all?

Sadly, that’s the reality for many children, women and men in developing countries. They suffer from “low vision,” which means their eyesight is so limited that they see only dim shapes. They are virtually blind – yet their families are so poor that they can’t afford to visit an eye hospital or pay for eyeglasses. (And that’s assuming eye care services are even available where they live!)

It’s very sad, isn’t it? But take heart – many of the people we help simply need a pair of prescription eyeglasses to improve their vision – and their chances for a better life.

And here’s the best news of all: For only $20, you can provide up to three people with life-changing prescription eyeglasses! Your generous donation can bring three people’s worlds into focus! By raising $25,000, we can help up to 3,750 see their futures in focus!

It’s true! Prescriptions vary in cost somewhat, but in general, we can provide new, custom-fitted eyeglasses for up to three people for only $20.

Please donate to our GivingTuesday page today – and help us give thousands of children, women and men a chance to see a brighter future. They simply won’t have one without you!

The post You can’t buy happiness… but you can provide eyeglasses! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

On November 29, a month ago today, we kicked off the holiday giving season with GivingTuesday! It’s a special day dedicated to giving back around the world, and we’re proud to have made it an annual event for Operation Eyesight.

To help us reach our $15,000 goal (which we surpassed!), Calgary donors joined us for our second annual “Strikes for Sight” bowling tournament, and many others showed their support by making a donation online, planning their own fundraising event, or helping us spread the word to their family and friends. Thank you all for making GivingTuesday 2016 a huge success!

Together we raised over $20,000 for our cataract surgery programs! (We’ve had a couple donations come in since our last update, and we’ve been notified that more donations are on their way!)

Just imagine – that’s more than 400 children, women and men who will receive sight-restoring cataract surgery through one of partner hospitals. People will now be able to see the world around them again, or see the faces of their loved ones for the very first time. And it’s all because of YOU!

You may remember that in 2015, together we raised over $10,000 for our school screening programs in Kenya, and in 2014 we raised more than $7,000 for our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Programs in India. Each year gets better and better – and it’s all because of generous donors like you! Thank you!

Do you have a fundraising idea for GivingTuesday 2017? Let us know! And don’t forget to mark your calendars for November 28, 2017.

The post GivingTuesday 2016: Hundreds of lives changed! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Every $50 donation will fund one sight-restoring cataract surgery for a patient in India or Africa. This means that if we reach our goal, our hospital partners will be able to provide cataract surgeries for 300 people who might otherwise go needlessly blind. Your support will help more children like Dorcas, more women like Shakila and more men like Bunu-Nye.

Many of our donors have already shown their support by making a donation online, planning their own fundraising event, or helping us spread the word to their family and friends. Our Calgary supporters will also be joining us tonight for our second annual “Strikes for Sight” bowling tournament. Thank you all for your support!

We’re proud to have made GivingTuesday an annual event for Operation Eyesight. You may remember that in 2015, together we raised over $11,000 for our school screening programs in Kenya, and in 2014 we raised more than $7,400 for our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Programs in India. Each year gets better and better – and it’s all thanks to generous donors like you!

Now, let’s see what we can do together on GivingTuesday 2016! I hope you’ll consider making a donation and/or sharing our fundraising page with your friends and family. Please, help us reach our goal today so together we can change lives tomorrow – For All The World To See!

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for photos and updates from today’s activities. And thank you again for your support!

The post Give sight on GivingTuesday! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

You may remember that last year, we raised enough money on GivingTuesday to set five villages in India free of avoidable blindness. This year, our goal is to raise $10,000 for our school eye screening programs in Kenya’s Narok District.

With these funds, we can screen over 7,000 students and ensure that those found with low vision receive the prescription eyeglasses or other treatment they need. With your support, we can help more students like Paul and Mercy, providing them with the most important tool they need to succeed: good eyesight.

There are many ways that you can help us reach our fundraising goal this GivingTuesday. You can make a donation, plan your own fundraising event or help us spread the word about the issue of avoidable blindness. And if you live in Calgary, you can also register a team for our Strikes for Sight bowling tournament.

For more information visit operationeyesightindia.org/givingtuesday or contact our office toll-free at 1-800-585-8265.

Again, we’d like to thank everyone who made last year’s GivingTuesday project a huge success. We hope we can count on our friends and supporters again this year.

We know that, together, we can do great things – for all the world to see!

The post Get ready for GivingTuesday 2015! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.