KEF is also dedicated to addressing these illnesses at an early age to ensure children are not burdened with the stress of vision problems. They run a school-based screening program for children ages six to 10. The program includes free eye exams to identify refractive errors and other eye conditions, free eyeglasses, referrals to KEF for students in need of further treatment and education on avoidable blindness and personal hygiene.

KEF has an optical workshop that provides a range of prescriptions for school children and paying individuals with URE. Between 2008 and 2016, KEF performed 17,118 refraction assessments and distributed 12,402 spectacles. Last year, 80% of patients who received cataract surgery had good outcomes, so Lions are hoping to expand on that success to serve more people in Pakistan.

The LCIF grant will enable Lions to purchase the equipment necessary to conduct eye exams and treat cataracts, URE and DR. This includes a new argon laser since KEF’s current one has not been functional for the last three years and will allow staff to reinstate laser treatments for DR patients. With this investment in equipment, Lions will ensure tens of thousands of people across the country never suffer from vision loss.

My club, the Edison Visionary Lions, knows the power of community. Throughout our home base in Edison, New Jersey, we work hard to foster deep roots with our neighbors and believe in the power of service—especially when it comes to helping others in need.

Over the last year, our club has been a proud participant of the Engage to Change pilot co-sponsorship initiative available across the United States. This experience has been unlike any other we’ve done together as a club. Through this initiative, we’ve had the unique opportunity to welcome not one, but two refugee families into our community.

Working with these families has been a life-changing experience for us all. Originally from Afghanistan, the parents and their children—ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers—have experienced immense tumult and uncertainty. Now that they’re settled here in their new homes, our club came together to make their experience as welcoming and positive as we could.

Being a Lion is special. For lots of reasons. The lives we touch through service change lives for the better, including our own. Here are five of the top reasons we love being a Lion.

We have fun.
Service isn’t just meaningful. It’s fun. It’s a way to build friendships through our clubs and make new connections inside our communities. We laugh. We bond. We serve. And we do it all with a smile and a grateful heart, making memories along the way to last us a lifetime.