|
Miami Lighthouse Board of Directors Approves New Mission
Statement The Miami Lighthouse
Board of Directors voted unanimously at its December 12th meeting to adopt
a new mission statement as recommended by the Board Planning and Program
Development Committee. Director Dr. Charles Pappas presented to the Board
the following mission statement:
Mission Statement
To provide vision rehabilitation
and eye health services
that promote confidence and independence, as well as to
educate professionals,
and conduct research in related fields.
“Our new mission statement reflects our
broadening mission,” said Board Chairman William Roy, Ph.D. “Promoting eye
wellness should lead to fewer people affected by vision impairment.
Ensuring a steady supply of highly trained professionals and encouraging
new ways to provide vision rehabilitation will improve the vision
rehabilitation experience for present and future clients. This is exactly
what our founders had in mind.”
Miami Lighthouse
Receives 2008 Healthy Vision Award From The National Eye Institute
Miami Lighthouse for
the Blind and Visually Impaired is one of fifty institutions in the U.S.
to receive the 2008 Healthy Vision Community Award from the National Eye
Institute (NEI). The award recognizes the achievements of Miami Lighthouse
in the field of providing essential vision care to school-age children,
and includes a check for $10,000 that will support ongoing efforts to
ensure that children in Miami-Dade County receive complete vision care.
NEI, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, is a government
agency established by Congress in 1968 to protect and prolong the vision
of the American people.
The award, which
will support the efforts of the Heiken Children’s Vision Program at Miami
Lighthouse, is earmarked for research and public outreach that helps
prevent and treat visual impairment in children. Miami Lighthouse will
make presentations to Miami-Dade County School staff, parents,
parent-teacher associations (PTA) and community referral agencies to raise
awareness of the Children’s Vision Program. New program literature in
English, Spanish and Creole will inform teachers and parents about the
importance of early vision care to education, and encourage participation
in the Children’s Vision Program.
“We are delighted to
be working with NEI,” said Miami Lighthouse CEO Virginia A. Jacko. “The
aims of the Healthy Vision initiative are a perfect fit with the goals of
Miami Lighthouse and its Children’s Vision Program, as we expand our
mission to include eye health and education.”
Miami Lighthouse
acquired the Heiken Children’s Vision Program in July 2007. Through a
cooperative agreement with Miami-Dade County Schools, the mobile
optometric unit has provided free vision care and eyeglasses to thousands
of economically disadvantaged schoolchildren who failed state-mandated
vision screenings. According to CEO Virginia Jacko, a second optometric
unit is being mobilized to expand free eye care service to more
financially disadvantaged children in both Dade and Monroe Counties.
The Heiken Advisory
Committee was established by the Miami Lighthouse President and CEO to
maintain relationships with community groups such as Miami-Dade County
Public Schools, Health Connect Teams, foundations that have supported the
Heiken Program, the optometric community and pediatric ophthalmologists.
These stakeholders have provided expertise and support to ensure its
continuing success.
The Dade County
Optometric Association established the Heiken Children’s Vision Fund in
1992. “The merging of nonprofits to make better use of resources is an
emerging trend,” said Dr. Steven Marcus, President of the Health
Foundation of South Florida. “By consolidating Heiken with Miami
Lighthouse, a larger agency with similar interests, all of the resources
for overhead can go directly to client service.”
The Miami Lighthouse
Children’s Vision Program is funded by The Children’s Trust, The Batchelor
Foundation, Health Foundation of South Florida, Public Health Trust,
Florida Optometric Association Charities, Blank Family Foundation, Dr.
John T. Macdonald Foundation, Peacock Foundation, Junior League of Miami,
Shepard Broad Foundation, Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, Dade Community
Foundation, Kennedy Family Foundation, Geiger Charity Foundation, D.
Richard Mead Charitable Foundation, and others. The eyeglasses, free to
the students, are provided by Florida’s Vision Quest, Inc.
Miami Lighthouse Hosts Third
Annual “Share the Vision” Event
 Friends
of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind gathered November 13th at LaGorce
Country Club for a “Share the Vision” luncheon, raising nearly $500,000.
Donors and friends enthusiastically greeted the Board of Directors’ vision
for a Center of Excellence in Low Vision and Vision Rehabilitation.
Clients also shared heartwarming, touching testimonials. Entertainment was
provided by Lighthouse musicians, including Heidys Hernandez, blind from
birth, who sang a selection from their latest album, “A Better Chance.”
CDs are available at (305) 856-9100. The event was underwritten by
Bessemer Trust and Health Ease.
|
To purchase CD
please call
305-856-9100
To purchase CD's
please click Here
|
