Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington

POB, the largest local prevention of blindness agency in the United States, is dedicated to the improvement and preservation of sight by providing services, education, advocacy and innovation.

How do you help people in my community?

Since POB serves the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties of Maryland, and northern Virginia, all of its services help people in the local community. POB offers low-cost/free glasses to those not able to afford glasses as well as free glasses to school children through partnered clinics with Georgetown University’s KIDS Mobile Clinic.  This program provides free vision screenings with examinations by an ophthalmologist and free eyeglasses to children who fail the screenings.

POB also reaches out as a support network with more than 10 share groups and lectures each month focusing on topics such as adjusting your lifestyle to low vision, macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and more. These share groups help create a sense of “community” among a population facing new challenges in everyday life.

Why do you need my support?

For the past 73 years, the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (POB) has counted on the support of the community to help fulfill its mission. POB needs your support because more and more people become uninsured every year. In addition, the cost of providing health care continues to rise while government funding of health care for the uninsured declines.
Many people that POB’s sight-saving programs assist are uninsured or underinsured, and do not receive annual physicals and eye exams. POB often provides their only vision assistance.

With the current state of the economy, we also recognize that many families who may have been able to afford health care in the past have fallen on difficult times and may not be able to afford the appropriate health care for their children. While POB provides free vision screenings to children, the direct cost for the screening and follow-up is $15 per child. Your small contribution would help cover the direct cost of vision screening and follow-up for at least one of the 7,500 children screened each year.

More than 8,000 people also seek services from POB’s eyeglasses clinic each year. POB has waived its $35 eyeglasses fee for children under the age of 21, and also waives the fee on a case-by-case basis for adults needing financial assistance.

POB is also expanding its services—it looks at the need of those in “our community” and finds ways to fill in for services that are missing.  Visit www.youreyes.org for updates on new programs that community support helps to make possible.

How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?

For every dollar that you donate to POB, $.87 is used to make its programs happen. POB only spends 12.6% on administration and less than 1% on fundraising.  POB finds ways to make the most out of every dollar contributed to serve “our community.” Furthermore, a large and active volunteer board comprised of prominent community leaders and dignitaries oversees POB’s budget and programs.  We are audited yearly by a local independent CPA firm.

Can I Volunteer? How?

The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (POB) has a variety of volunteer opportunities that provide a way for you to utilize your skills and experience while making a difference in the community. POB actively recruits volunteers to help in the administrative office and resale shops, at health fairs by distributing information or performing glaucoma screenings, assisting at major fundraising events, and more. Retirees, adults and teens are welcome! To volunteer, please send your available times and jobs you would be interested in helping with to volunteer@youreyes.org or call (202) 234-1010.