Category: News

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) is pleased to announce that Lois Schoenbrun, CAE (Ret.), FAAO, has been appointed Interim Executive Director, effective April 11, 2022.

Ms. Schoenbrun formerly served as Executive Director of the American Academy of Optometry and the American Academy of Optometry Foundation from 1996 to 2019. Ms. Schoenbrun’s tenure at the Academy saw substantial growth in membership, annual meeting attendance, and assets, as well as significantly enhanced standing within the optometric community. She is now president of Schoenbrun Consulting, LLC, providing fund-raising, strategic planning, governance, and executive coaching services to such other clients as the Sport and Social Industry Association, the World Council of Optometry, and the World Optometry Foundation.

“We are delighted to have Ms. Schoenbrun’s experience and knowledge of the profession during this time of critical need for global eye and vision care services. She brings many years of proven organizational and leadership skills, and the interpersonal skills needed to represent OGS well to our global partners,” said Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon, Board Chair for the US and President, CooperVision Specialty Eye Care.

More than 1.1 billion people need help to see. Communities around the world suffer from unnecessary blindness or vision impairment simply because they don’t have access to eye exams and appropriate glasses. With the support of the optometry industry, optometry professionals, patients, and donors, Optometry Giving Sight funds programs to deliver desperately needed vision care, train local eye care professionals, and develop sustainable infrastructure in developing countries.

OGS expects to launch a search for a new Executive Director in 2022.

Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) is pleased to announce that for 2021 it has awarded over $800,000 in grant funding for eye care projects around the world for communities in need.

In a joint statement from Juan Carlos Aragon OD, Chair of the U.S. board, and Susan Cooper OD, Chair of the Canadian board, “We are delighted that we were able to designate funds for 26 projects in over 21 different countries, including the United States and Canada, during our Spring and Fall funding cycles. We want to thank all our donors for their incredible support this year.”

Anne Marie Hand, Executive Director at Optometry Giving Sight, stated, “Our donors truly make a difference in the lives of thousands of people every year and we are so grateful for their support. All the projects we funded represent our dedication to the three pillars of OGS:

• Train community members to become eye care professionals
• Establish and support schools of optometry and vision centers
• Deliver eye care services to communities in need ”

Starting in 2022, and in subsequent years, OGS will move from two funding cycles per year to one, which will occur each summer. More information will be available early in 2022 on our funding page.

The following table provides the names of all our implementing partners who received a  grant in 2021.

Your donations to Optometry Giving Sight helped fund Canadian Vision Care’s support for eye care in Manila, Philippines. Their partnership with the SPECS Eye Train Clinic provides eye care out of two creatively converted railway cars.

In the month of March 2021 alone, the clinic was able to help 195 walk-in patients and provided 145 free eyeglasses. As well, the clinic serves local orphanages and schools. COVID is causing some challenges but they are getting as much work done as they can.

Dr. Eustaquio who works at the clinic said, “I know, even though we can’t see their smile behind the facemask, their heart is full of gratitude to the SPECS Foundation, Canadian Vision Care and Optometry Giving Sight for helping them to have better eyesight through providing them with free eyeglasses.”

The Eye Train Clinic also provides clinical experience to Central Manila University optometry students. In the future, there are plans to build a small Eye Centre side-by-side with the clinic to serve as a training centre for graduating optometry students.

Because of funding from Optometry Giving Sight, the Eye Train Clinic has benefited by receiving new lens kits, trial frames and an autorefractor helping them to continue providing quality vision care to those in need.

Thank you for giving sight and opportunity to people around the world!

Over 1,000 Eyecare Professionals Participate in Charitable Giving Initiative.

Eyes On Dry Eye, held April 23-24, 2021, was pleased to choose Optometry Giving Sight as the charity of choice for the event. The charity was spotlighted in the Virtual Conference Bag, and attendees were invited to click a button for which Eyes On Dry Eye would donate $1 in their name. At the end of the event, Eyes On Dry Eye donated $1,500 to Optometry Giving Sight on behalf of the event attendees, and $500 each to Sjogren’s foundation, Dry Eye foundation, and VOSH International on behalf of the participants of the Dry Eye Game Show.

Eyes On Dry Eye was created with the intent to equip optometrists and other eyecare professionals with free continuing education, live talks with leading experts in dry eye diagnosis and management, virtual vendor booths, raffle prizes, and a hefty dose of the fun and inspiration Eyes On event attendees have come to expect. Founded by Damon Dierker, OD, FAAO and Ahmad Fahmy, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO in 2020, the event was first held as Everything Dry Eye.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Optometry Giving Sight for this event,” says Matt Geller, OD and co-Founder of Eyes On Eyecare, the parent company of Eyes On Dry Eye. “It’s a truly great organization doing tremendous work on an initiative that as optometrists we’re all passionate about: restoring vision and providing eye care.”

Eyes On Eyecare will continue to hold virtual events for the eyecare community, including events focused on disease states such as dry eye, glaucoma, and others, as well as the optometry conference Eyes On 2022. The organization plans to continue with charitable giving initiatives like this one, that keep event attendees engaged and raise awareness about visionary organizations in the eyecare industry.

“Even if attendees don’t donate themselves—though we hope they will—we’re looking forward to getting them involved in the donation process,” says Dr. Geller. “Our events are built around the experience, and we want to make sure there’s something for everyone wherever they look.”

Click here to make a donation to Optometry Giving Sight.

Optometry Giving Sight is pleased to announce that it has formed a new board of directors. The fund-raising organization operates in Canada and in the United States, with two separate boards, with the same directors for both.

The U.S. Board is chaired by Dr. Juan Carlos Aragón, who has been active with Optometry Giving Sight as a board and committee member for over 10 years. The Canadian Board is chaired by Dr. Susan Cooper, also involved with OGS over the past decade.

The seven members of the OGS Board includes:

• Juan Carlos Aragón OD – Chair, U.S., President, CooperVision Specialty Eye Care
• Susan Cooper OD – Chair, Canada, Former President and Managing Director, World Council of Optometry
• Donna Mikulecky – Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Vision Source
• Millicent Knight OD – Senior Vice President, Customer Development, Essilor of America
• John Flanagan PhD, FCOptom – Dean, Berkeley School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley and President, Association of School and Colleges of Optometry
• Paul Karpecki OD – Medical Director at Keplr Vision and Director of Cornea Services, Kentucky Eye Institute
• Luigi Bilotto OD – International Eye Health Advisor, École d’optométrie de l’Université de Montréal

In a joint statement, Drs. Aragón and Cooper said “We are delighted with our new board and grateful to all of our board members for their commitment to helping grow Optometry Giving Sight. It is a strong group that will help take the organization to a higher level.”

OGS’ Executive Director, Anne Marie Hand, states that, “The Optometry Giving Sight team and I are very excited to welcome our new board and to work with them in the years ahead to further our mission of bringing eye care to those who are in need.”