Giving The Gift Of Sight: Youth Foundation & Eye Design Team Up

Daytona Beach, FL - The Volusia Sheriff’s Youth Foundation (VSYF) and Eye Design Eyewear are joining forces to give underprivileged kids in the county the gift of eyesight, and you can help too. Their new program, known as Eye Design For Kids, is tailored to giving students enrolled in a Volusia County Title 1 school a free eye screening and a new pair of eyeglasses. Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood spoke to News Daytona Beach about the program and said some students go through school without having their eyesight problems addressed, a trend that he wasn’t aware of until recently. "Some families don’t even know that their child has a sight problem," said Chitwood. According to the program, individuals can donate the minimum contribution of $25, which will provide a student in need with a pair of eyeglasses from Eye Design. Individuals can also donate $75, which will give a student a comprehensive eye exam on top of a brand new pair of glasses. "Eye Design is really carrying the bulk of this endeavor," added Chitwood. "(They’re) really the one that came forward with this idea several months back. They said ‘what do you think about this? Do you think people would be interested in this?’ And I said ‘how could you not be?’" At the moment, the program’s coordinators have not decided how they will distribute glasses. Sheriff Chitwood said that the program could go from school to school to work with the selected students, but they are waiting to see what kind of funds come in first. Donations can be made one of two ways: online through the VSYF website, or over the phone at 386-270-0226.