First Featured Charity

The first reputable charity I have chosen to discuss is called Unite For Sight and was founded by Jennifer Staple. They are a global nonprofit organization that has provided eye care to 600,000 people in North America, Africa and Asia. Their goal is to reduce the number of people living with unnecessary blindness. No administration costs are funded by your donations, so 100% goes towards their international eye care programs, which I think is absolutely wonderful! All charities should operate this way.

Here are some interesting facts that you may not have known:

• 80% of all blindness is preventable. (I had no idea this was the case)
  

• 36 million people worldwide are needlessly blind. Patients go from being completely blind to having their sight entirely restored by a 15 minute operation.
  

• 60-80% of children who become blind die within 1-2 years.
  

• Blindness in the developing world has a significant effect on families, employment, income, and on the education of children within the family.
  

• Instead of attending school, children within a family are frequently assigned to the role of the caregiver of blind adults.
  

• Those who are blind in Africa have a 4X higher mortality rate.
  

You can help this organization by donating money, donating eye equipment, donating eyeglasses, volunteering your time or starting a chapter. Please visit their website at www.uniteforsight.org. They seem to be doing a great job at helping people in need. I commend them.