02/02/2026
We at the Florida KidSight Foundation are proud of our work providing free vision screenings to children from birth through age 6 years since 2010.
However, our mission to save the vision of as many children as possible is at risk due to a lack of funding. Our program is almost entirely volunteer-run. We need your help to continue our work. The bare basics of what our organization needs to provide can be executed for approximately $10k yearly. More funding than that enables financial assistance for parents in need to meet their child's eye care needs. Our remaining funding will only provide about 4 months of service, after which the program will most likely be closed down.
What do we do? Florida KidSight is a vision-screening program where Lions Club volunteers throughout the state organize and conduct vision screening sessions in local communities. The results are sent to the Program Director for processing and mailing a referral to any children who require follow-up with a medical professional. We are available to help parents find specialists in their area who specialize in serving children. We also help parents with financial needs find funding or provide funding if we have the means. This voluntary program is open to children one through six years old. You can learn more about us through our website at https://www.floridakidsight.com/sponsor-us/.
Why do we do this? The first few years of a child’s life are critical in the development of good vision. Preschoolers should have their vision checked for issues such as misaligned eyes and problems that are correctable with eyeglasses. These problems are not always evident by simply looking at a child. Young children often compensate for vision problems so well that parents, teachers, and pediatricians are unaware of a problem. By the time a child is old enough to be in primary grades, many of these common vision-robbing conditions can no longer be effectively treated. Amblyopia can develop when an undetected vision problem goes untreated during a child’s formative years. If not treated, it can lead to poor academic performance (80% of a child’s learning comes through his/her visual system), low self-esteem, limited social and sports involvement, and behavioral problems (7 out of 10 juvenile delinquents have an undiagnosed vision problem). One in twenty children is estimated to have some degree of amblyopia. Fortunately, visual improvement is possible if problems that cause amblyopia are detected and treated early, typically prior to age six. Doctors treat amblyopia with glasses, patching, exercises, or surgery. Sadly, many children with amblyopia are not identified because of a lack of good screening programs. The KidSight program is a proven method of screening and referring children for problems that cause amblyopia.
Past fundraising campaigns and donations from various supporters have enabled us to provide this service for over 15 years, but those avenues have not been as fruitful over the past 5 years. Facing our current situation, for the sake of saving the vision of children, we have decided it’s time to broaden our fundraising reach. As a nonprofit organization, we completely rely on community support. None of our efforts would be possible without the help of donors, volunteers, and supportive community members like you.
We will be offering recognition (including a company logo) on our website through a tiered system of sponsorship levels. All donations are valued and necessary for the work we do in our communities. You can find the tiered sponsor information below.
Would you please consider sponsoring us so we can continue our mission of providing much-needed vision screening for young children?
If you’d like to make a gift, please visit our donation page here: https://www.floridakidsight.com/donate, or you can mail a check to Florida KidSight Foundation at 7120 NW 11th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605. Be sure to email your company information and logo for our sponsor donation page.
Any support is greatly appreciated. We’re just excited to continue our work! Thank you for being a part of our community and our story.
*Please help us share this post!
Please consider sponsoring our program. In return, we will add your company information and logo to our website for up to a year, and you will get to brag about how you have helped save the vision of children!
