Grantee submission by: Bill Jones, President and CEO
How did the funding or non-monetary support you received from the Foundation impact your organization and/or the community?
The Foundation funded a partnership between the United Way of Wyoming Valley and The Wright Center for Community Heath to create See to Succeed, a school-based vision clinic. In its first full year of operation, 402 students from three Wyoming Valley school districts received an eye exam and glasses.
Share a quote or anecdotal story from a client or employee of your organization that illustrates the impact of your work.
See to Succeed has been able to serve approximately 20 students in a normal day of operation. The clinic rotates from school building to school building and then repeats the cycle until all the children who need an exam are served. When the clinic came back to the Heights Elementary School in the Wilkes-Barre School District, a third grade girl who already received her glasses came up to our program coordinator and said, “I love my new glass!” The program coordinator responded by saying, “Tell me why you love your new glasses.” The little girl said, “Because now I do not have to hold onto the wall to walk down the hallway anymore.” WOW!
What do you most want the community to know about your work and/or what excites you most about the future of your organization?
Low-income children struggle in school for lots of reasons. Some of these reasons could be eliminated with a small investment of funding. The United Way of Wyoming Valley is effectively using the charitable support we receive from our donors and changing lives and creating pathways for better futures.