Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation

Program 1: Grant program to assist visually impaired individuals with their educational pursuits to improve their ability to better acclimate and function independently. Grant amount for tuition and equipment related to the educational pursuit. Individuals are eligible for up to three years of funding if the individual submits an explanation of how the funds were used for each year. Grant distribution: year one, $3,000; year two, $2,000; and year three, $1,000. 25 recipients in fiscal year ended June 30, 2022.

Program 3: Annual donation to assist with the operating expenses at the Lions Eye Clinic. In 2021-22 the clinic served 1,729 unique patients with a total of 4,419 visits/appointments.

Program 2: In 2021, VLEIF made a plan to expand and begin a clinic in another part of the District. The VLEIF Expansion Task Force contacted the Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg, VA. VLEIF proposed to provide the required equipment to have an eye clinic as part of the Moss Free Clinic. The eye clinic opened in September 2022.

Program 4: The Foundation has partnered with Prevention of Blindness of Metropolitan Washington for the improvement of low vision services and to provide easier public access to such services. The partnership provides thousands of low income and homeless community members with eyeglasses each year and helps those with low vision retain independence through personalized rehabilitation programs.

Program 5: The Dr. Richard A. Falls Research Grant from the Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation seeks to support research, which will contribute to the wider field of knowledge on eye disease with the goal of improving vision and eye health. Grant funding is for one year. Research application due October 25. Grant may range from $500 to $40,000. Medical students, residents, and fellows may apply. An attending physician must be co-investigator on the application. At the end of the one-year cycle, investigators are asked to submit a summary, detailing the progress of the research study, and in what way the grant funding contributed to the completion of the project. It is the expectation that the proposed research will be conducted according to the ethical standards and IRB obligations of the primary investigators affiliated institution.

Program 6: Assist the clubs on an as needed basis in their quest to help the vision impaired. In 2021, these contributions included six donations for a total of $6,000: for a family with 4 visually impaired ($4,000); and 2 others ($1,000 each) from different Lions Clubs. The six individuals helped through Club assistance were no longer eligible for the Joe Lipomi Scholarship.

Program 7: 2 Lions of Virginia Foundation humanitarian awards.