By: Hannah Earnhardt, Director of Development, North Carolina Lions, Inc.

For many of us, we don’t think twice about opening ours eyes in the morning and greeting the day; however, individuals with blindness or visual impairments do not have the luxury of saying “hello” to the day with sight. North Carolina Lions, Inc. (NCLI) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit dedicated to serving the blind and visually impaired in North Carolina.

Services such as Camp Dogwood for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the free Mobile Screening Unit, Support and Mobility Canes, Clinical Eye Research, and more, assist over 13,000 individuals within our local communities and across the state each year. We at NCLI work with local Lions Clubs and community members to ensure the best quality of service is offered to these individuals.

“It is difficult to explain just how much spending that week on the lake each summer means to me and others,” says Dawn Hudson, a VIP (visually impaired person) who attends Camp Dogwood each summer. “It is wonderful to be part of a group for an entire week with individuals who share the same issues, struggles, and barriers as I do,” she continues. “I am not a minority at Camp Dogwood, and the camp is structured to meet my needs. I feel safe while I am there and gain an overwhelming sense of independence. North Carolina Lions and Camp Dogwood give us the opportunity to enjoy one week each year to leave all our problems behind and just have fun.”

You may not have lost your vision or suffer from a visual impairment, but you probably know someone who has and the effect it can have on their lives. If you were given the opportunity to make life just a little bit easier for someone, would you make a difference? By supporting North Carolina Lions, Inc., as donor or volunteer, “you support fellowship for the blind and empower them to succeed. When blind people come together, they discover blindness is a challenge to overcome, not a disability … you are part of this process of empowerment.” (Wanda, VIP and Camper).

Please visit us at www.nclionsinc.org or venture out to our offices located at our Camp for the Blind on 56 acres of lakefront property in Sherrills Ford to learn more. Your support does more than you know—it creates life-changing memories for countless individuals in North Carolina.