HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

In Honduras, there was a woman who mended clothing for a living.  When she became very farsighted, she kept her granddaughter home from school so she could thread the needles.   There are also many other people in impoverished areas who lose their jobs because they are unable to read, or unable to do the close up work that a factory job, sewing job, or artisan trade requires.

I just discovered a cause that helps return these people back to employment, and I have never written about them before.  PRVAIL (Partners in Restoring Vision and Improving Lives) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which sources sunglasses and reading glasses.  Missionary efforts and agencies serving the poor in other countries, as well as the United States are supplied with them for a nominal fee.  The sunglasses are not for vanity, they help prevent cataracts and ptyergi, especially people that work outside in tropical areas.  In the last five years, 650,000 glasses have been distributed.

Travel costs are covered because they work with programs already in existence.   Donations go right towards sourcing reading glasses and putting them on the faces of people that need them.  This is a great cause, and goes far to help people help themselves in a very important way.  They often find that they can retain their jobs, support their family, and also feel more in touch with their world by being able to see things clearly.

If vision is an important cause of yours because you suffer from an eye condition yourself and it is close to your heart, it might be a cause that is worth taking up for you.

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