When local children cannot see well enough in school, they might be asked not to return to school until they have glasses. In many cases, this is a financial impossibility, depriving children of education and a brighter future. Enter the Lions Club, which runs an eye clinic at Patronato Pro Ninos every Thursday morning to check young and older eyes and find them the glasses they need at little or no cost.
Come to Rotary Tuesday, July 18, at 12:30 p.m. to hear Lions Club President Victor Guzman share more information about the Lions Club’s work to bring a world of sight to San Miguel. The meeting will be at Hotel Mision, Salida a Queretaro 1, free and in English.
“We are particularly dedicated to providing the children with the glasses they need,” said Lions President Victor Guzman. “We see 20-30 clients each week, which makes it very difficult to keep up with the costs of rent and lenses. Other than these two items and the cost of our comptroller reporting to Hacienda, there are no overhead costs as all the work is done by volunteers,” he continued.
“These volunteers and other generous souls are the ones who provide the money to keep up with the costs as no money is received from the Lions Club International. Of course, we would welcome any contributions of money or glasses as well as time from those who would like to volunteer once a week to provide this very important service to the Mexicans who have so warmly welcomed us into their country, their city, and their hearts,” concluded Guzman.
The Lions club also offers diabetes testing free of charge. Diabetes often can impact vision, so if diabetes is suspected, the test is done and referrals are made for those who need medical treatment. Lions also provides education about nutrition for those who need it.
In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions International convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, challenging them to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.”
The mission of the Lion’s Club is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding.
Rotary is where neighbors, friends and problem solvers share ideas, join leaders and take action to create lasting change. For more information, contact President Fred Collins at [email protected] and see RotarySMAMidday.org.
