Keene Lions Eyesight & Hearing

Our Mission

It is the objective of the Keene Lions Eyesight and Hearing Committee to provide people who cannot afford appropriate eye care in the region it serves with prompt and courteous financial assistance in obtaining eyeglasses, hearing aids, and cataracts surgery. The committee works in cooperation with area daycare, pre-schools, and other schools to provide eyesight screenings to all students. The towns served by the Keene Club are Keene, Swanzey, Gilsum, Marlow, Nelson, Sullivan, and Surry.

Our Vision

We envision a community where eyesight wellness check-ups are available to as many school-age children as possible and where assistance is available for individuals needing financial help to acquire glasses and hearing aids.

Our Future

What began many years ago as an effort by the Keene Lions Club to take action that would provide improved service to those in the blind, visually, and hearing-impaired community who lacked the financial means to secure adequate medical attention for their vision and hearing needs; continues to grow.

Over the past, the Lions have established strong partnerships with local eye care practitioners. These partnerships are cherished by the club.  The next step is to expand hearing assistance and establish comparable partnerships with local hearing providers. 

Operation Kidsight

KidSight is a FREE vision health-screening program sponsored by the Keene Lions in cooperation with local schools and day-care centers. Its effectiveness is recognized nationally and specifically by local eye doctors and pedestrians.  

Studies show that up to eighty percent of a child's learning comes through a child’s eyes, and about one out of twenty children has an undetected vision problem. The purpose of this program is to provide the parents with an awareness of the problem so that they can have their child assessed by a professional eye care provider. Any family which needs financial assistance can check with their local Lions Club; many clubs provide needs-based eye care assistance.  

KidSight screening is conducted with a high-tech, handheld auto-refraction device, “the Spot Vision Screener.”

All children are encouraged to participate in the screening with their classmates even if they are already seeing an eye doctor 

How to Apply for Assistance

If you need eyesight assistance, please use the following link to download an application and follow the directions on the application.

If you need hearing assistance, please use the following link to download an application and follow the directions on the application.

 

Our Record

  • Number of Children receiving Eye Wellness Check-ups each year:

    • 3,000

  •  Number of individuals receiving assistance in acquiring glasses: 

    • 50

  •  Number of individuals receiving assistance in acquiring hearing aids: 

    • 2

    • This program was revitalized in 2022.

Our History

Since 1937 the Keene Lions have been working to help the members of our community in many different areas, one being eyesight assistance.

Prior to 2012, the Keene Lions responded to requests for financial assistance from eye care professionals or school nurses when a child needed glasses. Over time partnerships were established with Keene Eye Care, The Vision Center, EyeWorks, Dartmouth Hitchcock/ Keene, and Darien Eyewear. These practices work with the Keene Lions in meeting the needs of the members of the community in need of glasses.   

In 2012 Keene Lions initiated the KidSight screening. The Spot Screeners, the latest technology was acquired, as the fastest and most accurate eyesight screening ever available in the schools. Other area Lions clubs participate, and KidSight has grown to be a statewide program. Cheshire Medical Center pediatricians and all the area eye doctors support the program. In 2012, 400 students were screened at 16 locations. While, in 2022, 3,000 students were screened in 47 locations. This was accomplished during the pandemic by creative school nurses and team members.

Work continues to expand the eyesight program while initiating a program in partnership with the New Hampshire Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation to assist community members who need hearing aids.

Our Goals 

To ensure the committee’s continued effectiveness in accomplishing its mission, the Board of Directors has adopted a plan to guide Keene Lions Eyesight and Hearing Committee into the future. That plan centers around four goals:

  • Diversify, enrich, and expand committee member recruitment and involvement.

  • Complete a comprehensive review of and recommendation of the Club’s Eyesight and Hearing Committee’s programs and services.

  • Review and determine the best method of delivering services to the towns in the Keene Clubs catchment area.

  • Establish an effective method to recognize the effort that the committee members contribute to supporting the continued success of the program.