The Aberdeen Lions have supported the efforts of the EyeCare WeCare Foundation since it's beginning. The foundation’s President and Founder is a past President, a past Zone Chairman, a Melvin Jones Fellow and recipient of the International President's Award, Dr. Jim Weyrich. He has traveled to the Philippines several times a year to provide free vision examinations, free cataract surgeries, free eyeglasses and free eye medications for the underprivileged.

The Philippines consists of 7,632 islands. Dr. Jim realized from the very start that if he built a clinic on any of those islands, only a limited amount of people would benefit.  He decided that a mobile vision clinic would be the answer. He made about 25 appearances using a power point presentation to various organizations in 2007 and were successful in getting funding for a mobile clinic.  Since then they have conducted 17 different medical vision missions in the Philippines and a total of 25,262 indigents have been served to date.  All beneficiaries received a free eye examination, over 30,000 have received free eyeglasses, 660 have received cataract surgery and thousands have received free eye medication.

Two of the medical missions have been sponsored by Lions Club International Foundation, and one mission by an individual Lions Club, the San Diego Premier Lions.  Lions Zone 19-3 has made EyeCare WeCare a zone project for the past 9 years.  Lions Zone 19-3 includes the Aberdeen Lions, Central Park Lions, Clearwater/Kalaloch Lions, Hoquiam Lions and the Ocean Shores Lions; they have funded the foundations each and every year.  There have been many other Lions Clubs in Lions District 19G that have also been yearly contributors.

The recycled eyeglasses that the indigents receive from the foundation are acquired by many of the Aberdeen Lions members, people in the Grays Harbor community, Kiwanis SOS (Save Old Spectacles) program, NW LERC (Northwest Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Center) and the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation.

The foundation is living up to its motto which is “Delivering Gods Ultimate Vision Plan to the Poor”

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    Dr. Jim with 72 year old lady that walked unassisted for the very first time!

Mobil Vision Clinic makes a dramatic backdrop for a group photo of the volunteers.

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