LIONS OF MICHIGAN SERVICE FOUNDATION INC

The Lions of Michigan Foundation helps financially struggling Michigan residents whose options for affordable medical treatment are limited. Primarily, we provide vision, hearing and emergency services aimed at helping Michigan residents maintain their independence, excel in school and prosper in life. Our slogan is "Partners in Service" which both describes our close relationship with our Michigan Lions Clubs and auxiliaries and our philosophy on making a difference in the lives of disadvantaged people in our state. It is our belief that by combining resources and working together with other charities, businesses and foundations, we can better address the issues that face our state, and we can confidently confront the challenges that lie ahead.

Through our KidSight Program, we aim to identify and help restore normal vision to children suffering from undiagnosed vision disorders that affect their ability to perform in school and develop on pace with their classmates. Our hi-tech mobile vision screeners are programmed to quickly and accurately identify vision disorders such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), anisometropia (unequal refraction power), astigmatism (optical defect), anisocoria (unequal pupil size) and strabismus (gaze deviations) through non-invasive testing.

When identified early, 95% of vision problems can be corrected, however when vision problems are not detected early, a child’s vision can deteriorate, and vision loss can be irreversible. Over time, treatment options diminish, and the cost of treatment increases substantially.

Through our Hearing Screening Program, our objective is to identify and treat hearing problems before they impede a child’s learning and development and negatively impact a child or adult’s quality of life. Research shows that 15% of children and over 30% of older adults suffer from hearing loss that harmfully affects their daily lives. Untreated hearing loss will interfere with a child’s ability to learn and may cause behavioral issues that will disrupt their academic success and social development, and among older adults, untreated hearing loss is the third highest disabling condition after arthritis and hypertension.

Through our Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Program, we help low-income people with hearing loss maintain self-sufficiency through the provision of affordable hearing aids and audiology services. One in every ten people in our state suffers from hearing loss, which can only be treated with amplification, and without financial help, many people in Michigan cannot afford hearing aids.

Our strong partnerships with hearing aid manufacturers, including GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Prairie Labs, Starkey and Unitron, audiology groups and hearing specialists and other charities enable us to provide our hearing-impaired clients with all types of digital hearing aids for about twenty percent of the average market cost. Collaboration allows us to keep program costs down and help many more Michigan residents without jeopardizing service quality.

Through our Emergency Individual Assistance Program, we help uninsured and underinsured people who suffer from severe vision and hearing disorders that can only be corrected through surgical intervention or costly medical procedures. Our service agreements and partnerships with ophthalmology groups and medical service providers throughout Michigan ensure that program resources are used efficiently and effectively and that clients receive exceptional care at affordable costs. Funding is determined based on the overall financial and medical needs of the applicant.

Through our Emergency Military Family and Veterans Relief Program, we help current and former military members and their families with financial emergencies. Funding is determined through an application process, and it is based on the financial needs of the applicant.

Through our Emergency Disaster Relief Program, we help people and families affected by natural disasters, including severe storms, flooding, fires and tornados. Funding is determined by the number of individuals and families affected by the disaster and the overall amount of losses incurred.

Through Donor Advised Funds, we partner with individuals, families, businesses and other non-profit organizations to provide charitable services that are important to the fund’s primary donor or donors. All contributions are tax-deductible; and we are responsible for sending receipts to the donors, disbursing funds at the donor’s request, and reporting information to the IRS and other government agencies.