It’s so easy to forget the true meaning of the holiday season when we get caught up in the stress of shopping to find the perfect gift. Rather than rushing to the mall to find things your loved ones don’t really need, surprise them by giving the gift of sight!

A donation to Operation Eyesight is a thoughtful and meaningful gift. When you donate in someone else’s name, the recipient will receive a greeting card and a description of the important work the gift will support. To order today, visit www.operationeyesight.com/giftguide or call us toll-free at 1-800-585-8265.

Even better, become a monthly donor and invest in our work throughout the year! All year long, your support will help people like Emilia.

Emilia was an independent mother of eight living in Rangmaw, India. She kept busy with gardening and cooking, and she loved playing with her grandchildren. Unfortunately, she began to suffer from age-related cataract and she could no longer do these things.

“I was miserable,” Emilia said. “I felt like a huge burden on my family.”

This was not the life she wanted, but with no understanding of her condition and no financial resources to seek medical assistance, she helplessly assumed that

her vision would continue to worsen until the end of her life.

Everything changed with the arrival of a community health worker at her door.

The community health worker had been trained by Operation Eyesight to conduct door-to-door eye screenings. She assessed Emilia’s condition and referred her to our partner, Bansara Eye Care Hospital, for cataract surgery. Thanks to someone like YOU, Emilia received surgery for free. Her vision was restored, bringing hope to a family who had lost all hope.

Your generous gifts this holiday season will provide families like Emilia’s with a brighter future! We hope you’ll consider giving the gift of sight today.

And on behalf of all of us at Operation Eyesight, our warmest wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year!

The post This holiday season, give a gift that will change a life forever! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

For those of you who started preparing for the giving season way in advance, we thought about you too. There are some ideas here that would be great stocking stuffers for your loved ones.

But I’ve kept you in suspense long enough. Welcome to the solution to every Christmas shopper’s dilemma: Operation Eyesight’s Gift Guide. There’s a little something for everyone and every budget.

The holidays are usually an expensive season, but a gift from the heart doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket. You could provide the Gift of Sight in the name of a friend, family member or colleague with a $20 gift. Your gift will support our eyeglasses program, and could provide up to three people in Africa or in Asia with new prescription eyeglasses. Many children’s families in the countries we work in can’t afford the cost of an eye examination, let alone a pair of prescription eyeglasses. They then struggle in school and some even drop out because they can’t see the blackboard and fall behind in their studies. But your gift could bring their futures into focus!

Some of you might have a bigger budget, and I have just the thing for you. A $50 gift will help provide sight-restoring cataract surgery for someone who might otherwise go needlessly blind. Give this gift in the name of a loved one or friend, and help more women like Laxmi.

If you’re still undecided, you can give the Gift of Sight to those who need it most through our Greatest Needs program. With a gift of $60 or any other amount you choose, you can provide the best for the poorest in the name of a family member, friend, or colleague.

The best part is that these gifts are two in one. Each is both a beautiful message to a friend, family member or colleague, and a gift that helps Operation Eyesight work with local partners in Africa and Asia to transform the lives of children, families and communities by restoring their sight and giving them hope for a brighter future.

And that’s not all! Once you’ve selected your gifts online, you can choose to send your recipients eCards, either right away or at a future date and time. The eCards will include an overview of the work your gifts will support, and you’ll be able to add your own personalized messages, too!

And all this without the usual holiday fuss. No trudging through a crowded mall, no endless laps in the parking lot to snag a spot, and no fighting with that darn wrapping paper roll. Just a few clicks and you’ll be done your holiday shopping. And best of all, you can feel good knowing your gifts will have a lasting impact in the lives of those you’ve helped.

What are you waiting for? Check out our Gift Guide today and give the gift that gives twice!

Thank you for giving the Gift of Sight! We greatly appreciate your support this holiday season!

The post Holiday shopping jitters? We have the gift for you! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Happy spring, everyone! If you’re like me, your calendar for the next few months is filling up quickly with birthday celebrations, engagement parties, hockey wrap-up parties (for my grandkids) and, of course, spring cleaning, gardening and golfing. Whew!

On top of all that, you might be worrying about when you’re going to have time to go shopping for all those parties.

Well, stress no more! Operation Eyesight’s online Gift Guide makes gift giving easy!

Have you ever heard of a tribute gift? It’s when you make a charitable donation in the name of a friend or family member. It’s a unique way to celebrate a birthday, engagement or other occasion, and at the same time, help someone in need.

You can also give a tribute gift in memory of a friend or loved one, or you can ask your family and friends to make a tribute gift in your honour, rather than receive presents. No matter which option you choose, you’ll be giving others an incredible gift: the gift of sight!

When making a tribute gift, you can decide how much you’d like to donate, or you can select from one of our eight Gift Guide options. Here are some examples…

• A $15 tribute gift in the name of your child’s hockey coach will help provide medicine and surgery supplies to treat the causes of avoidable blindness.
• A $35 tribute gift in honour of a friend will help Operation Eyesight train health workers to identify eye health issues, make an initial diagnosis and refer patients for treatment.
• A $50 tribute gift in memory of a loved one will help provide sight-restoring cataract surgery for someone who otherwise might go needlessly blind.

To view all your gift options, please check out our Gift Guide. Once you’ve selected your gift, you can choose to send the recipient a beautiful print card in the mail or have an eCard delivered to the person’s inbox immediately. You can even add a personal message to the card.

If you have any questions, or if you prefer to order your gifts over the phone, please call us toll-free at 1-800-585-8265.

Thank you so much for your support! With every tribute gift you make, you’ll touch the lives of two or more people… For All The World To See!

The post Gifts for every occasion! appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

It’s hard to believe, but there are only 12 sleeps left until Christmas! For some of you, the thought of having less than two weeks to prepare might have you panicking a little bit. How on earth are you going to get all of your shopping done in time?

For others, the thought of having to wait almost another two weeks before Christmas might seem unbearable. Why won’t the 25th just get here already so you can give everyone their presents? You’re too excited!

How you’re feeling at this point will vary, depending on your holiday shopping style. What type of holiday shopper are you?

• Are you a Careful Cathy, who plans your gift list months in advance?
• An Impulsive Irene, who buys gifts months in advance, then tucks them away and can’t remember where you put them? (I’ll admit, this is me sometimes.)
• A Fast-and-Easy Fred, who picks up gift cards at the last moment at the local convenience store? (We all know someone like this!)
• Or are you a Smart Sammy, who orders the most meaningful gift of all – the gift of sight – through Operation Eyesight’s Gift Guide?

Smart Sammy knows that these gifts are two gifts in one. Each is both a beautiful message to a friend, family member or colleague, and a gift that helps Operation Eyesight work with local partners in Africa and Southeast Asia to transform the lives of children, families and communities in developing countries.

Smart Sammy knows that once she’s selected her gifts online, she can choose to send her recipients eCards, either right away or at future date and time. The eCards will include an overview of the work her gifts will support, and she’ll be able to add her own personalized messages, too/

No trudging through a crowded mall, no chopping endless laps to try to find parking, and no fighting with that darn wrapping paper roll. Just a few clicks and Smart Sammy will be done her holiday shopping. And best of all, she knows that her gifts will have a lasting impact in the lives of those less fortunate than her.

What are you waiting for? Check out our Gift Guide today and give the gift that gives twice!

Thank you for giving the gift of sight! We greatly appreciate your support this holiday season!

The post What kind of holiday shopper are you? appeared first on Operation Eyesight.