Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation

About

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The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation was founded in 1954 by the Louisville Downtown Lions Club and has been governed by the Lions of Kentucky since it's inception.  With nearly 350,000 Kentuckians who are uninsured and many more who are under-insured when it comes to vision, the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation's services are in need more than ever.  

We are committed to filling the gaps that exist for many Kentuckians by providing affordable access to vision services. 

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Our Mission

The Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation provides vision services through education, detection, prevention, treatment and empowerment. Through collaborative partnerships, we enable greater independence and increased quality of life for all Kentuckians while focusing on children and adults in financial need. 

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Our Vision

Building a better tomorrow by bringing individuals into a world of sight, independence and accomplishment.

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Our Motto

Your Vision is Our Mission. 

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Our Core Values 

In pursuing our mission and vision through vision services, we value and strive for greater integrity, respect, stewardship, leadership, diversity, collaboration and effectiveness. 

KLEF Programs & Services

KLEF is proud to have started our Kentucky KidSight program in 2004, which is part of the Lions Club International's KidSight USA Program. Through this program, Lions Clubs and volunteers throughout the Commonwealth organize and conduct vision screenings for children ages 6 months to 6 years old. The screenings are provided for FREE thanks to the support and volunteer efforts of Kentucky Lions Clubs, KLEF staff and other Program supporters. To conduct KidSight screenings, volunteers are trained to use a high-tech camera which takes an image of your child's eyes to detect eye disorders or vision problems in children who are too young to realize or communicate these problems. The Spot Vision Screener device screens for myopia (nearsightedness) that causes the eyes to focus incorrectly, making distant objects appear blurred; hyperopia (farsightedness) that causes difficulty seeing objects that are near; astigmatism, which is a condition where the cornea has an abnormal curve, causing out-of-focus vision; strabismus, which is when the eyes are not directed to an object simultaneously; anisometropia, which is a condition in which the two eyes have unequal refractive power (this can adversely affect the development of binocular vision in infants and children. The brain will often suppress the vision of the blurrier eye in a condition called Amblyopia, or lazy eye.); anisocoria, where there are differences in pupil sizes. The screening equipment used in our screenings have over a 95% accuracy rate and the results of the screenings are produced immediately. If the child's results recommend a complete eye exam, it is recommended to parents that they take their child to their preferred eye care provider for follow-up through a full examination.

Since the program’s inception, more than 211,000 children have been screened through the Kentucky KidSight Program!

In 2002, we purchased state-of-the-art vision screening equipment and a van to transport the equipment for our “Vision Van” program; in 2021, we purchased a second van to help extend the impact of our Vision Van Program. The Vision Van program helps to provide vital eye health and eye safety information to the population throughout the state. KLEF is pleased to provide the resources (van, equipment, supplies, training, consultation, supervision, etc.) for conducting FREE vision screenings through the Vision Van program for adults and children ages 7 and over. Volunteers are trained to use the equipment to conduct these free vision screenings. Since the Vision Van program’s inception, more than 190,000 people have received free vision screenings through our Vision Van Program! KLEF continues to stand ready to help Lions Clubs take a more active role in saving the sight of Kentuckians.

KLEF’s Patron Fund Program was created to help those Kentuckians with no insurance or limited insurance to obtain medically necessary eye surgeries. The guidelines to qualify to be considered to receive assistance from the Patron Program are: individual must be referred to the program by a Kentucky Lions Club member; an application must be completed and submitted to KLEF; the individual must verify medical need of the surgery by a doctor or other appropriate medical professional; and the individual must verify financial need. When KLEF receives a completed application, the information is sent to our Patron Committee to review and vote on approval. A written approval letter will be sent to the patient and the participating doctor’s office and surgery center. Payment will only be made to the participating doctor’s office, surgery center and anesthesiologist.  The program has provided financial assistance to over 100 people in the last five years, and many more since its inception. The Patron Program is funded 100% by donations directly to the Patron Fund.

The Holloran Trust Fund Program was established in 1967 and is a KLEF program that provides financial assistance to legally-blind individuals who reside in the Louisville Metro area and surrounding counties (Bullitt, Hardin, Jefferson, Oldham, Shelby and Spencer Counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd and Harrison Counties in Indiana). Requests for help will be considered by a committee of Lions Club members who have been selected to manage the Holloran Trust Fund under the direction of the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation. The guidelines to qualify to be considered to receive assistance from the Holloran Program are: individual must be legally-blind in both eyes; individual must be a resident of one of the counties listed above; an application must be completed and submitted to KLEF; along with completed application, the individual must provide verification of need and legal blindness, as well as documentation of monthly support (such as income statement, food stamp letter, disability letter, paycheck stub, etc.). Each applicant is notified via phone or mail of the committee's decision for their application. Individuals who are low-income, legally-blind and living in a qualifying county can apply for assistance with almost anything from the Holloran Fund, and the funds are dispersed to help at the discretion of the Holloran Committee members. In the past people have applied for Low Vision Equipment/Aids, household repair/appliances, installment of accessibility equipment, TARC tickets/transportation assistance, medical expenses, dental expenses, and the like. The program has provided assistance to over 400 people in the last five years, and thousands since its inception.

Many Kentucky Lions clubs offer assistance with purchasing glasses for those in need in their communities. The Lions Eyeglass Program is not directly affiliated with KLEF and KLEF has no input into the various programs at the club-level. But, KLEF staff help connect those who inquire about the Lions Eyeglass Program to the appropriate Club and Club contact so they can obtain the correct application to complete and submit for consideration by the Club.

KLEF does not have the authority or ability to approve or expedite the application process, but our staff help connect hundreds of individuals each year to the Lions Club that can potentially offer them assistance with eyeglasses.

KLEF also helps change lives of Kentuckians in another way, one pair at a time, by helping with the Lions Recycle for Sight program. Throughout the year, Lions, Leos and other volunteers collect used eyeglasses and deliver them to regional Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers (LERCs). LERC volunteers clean, sort by prescription strength and package the glasses. Recycled glasses are distributed to people in need in low- and middle-income communities where they will have the greatest impact. Each year, KLEF picks up and receives hundreds of pairs of donated eyeglasses, and we ensure that these glasses end up at LERCs for use by others.