Enhancing Vision at El Centro College: A Collaborative Success

The Dallas Founder Lions Club, in partnership with the Collin Athena Alliance Lions Club and El Centro College’s Sister-to-Sister (S2S) organization, launched an initiative to provide free vision care to students and staff at El Centro College. This debut program, held on October 14 and 15, 2024, from 9 AM to 12 PM, marked an important step in ensuring accessible eye care for the El Centro community.

Located at the downtown campus’s main entrance rotunda, theclinic capped participation at 50 individuals, with 42 attendees receiving prescriptions for eyeglasses. These prescriptions, issued by Dr. Toni Schutte, will be fulfilled within 2-3 weeks.

Funding and Support
This event was made possible through the collaboration and generosity of several key contributors. The Dallas Founder Lions Club charities fund covered the costs of the mobile clinic and doctor, while the S2S program provided funding for the eyeglasses. This partnership demonstrates the power of
community organizations working together to meet critical needs.

A Team Effort
A special thank-you goes to the dedicated volunteers whomade this event a success:
Lions Maggie Lopez, Matthew Williams, Ani MacKay, Carol Donovan, Jeff Strater, Jean Ball, Cheri Ball-Meza, PDG Keith Murray, PDG Darla Wisdom, Vitaly Lunev, and Tatyana Bringle. We were joined by El Centro staff Blanca Rodriguez and Crystal Huerta,who helped the program on both days. Lion Rollin, who played a vital role on the second day by transporting the Neil Roach Mobile Eye Clinic from Waxahachie and operating the refractometer.

The Neil Roach Mobile Eye Clinic
This state-of-the-art mobile clinic is equipped to providecomplete eye exams and vision correction services. It extends care to children and adults in the Dallas area who may not have access to essential vision care resources. By utilizing this innovative vehicle, the program ensures that
barriers to vision care are addressed head-on.

Looking Ahead
The success of this debut program has set a strong foundation for future initiatives. With overwhelming positive feedback, the Dallas Founder Lions Club and its partners hope to continue this program, expanding its reach and impact within the community.

Join the Movement
If you’re inspired by the work of the Dallas Founder Lions Club and its mission to serve, we invite you to get involved. Together, we can continue changing lives, one community at a time. Learn more about our club here.