Community Update (5/15/25)

Also of Interest

Supporting Vision at ANV and Beyond

For several years, ANV has collected surplus eyeglasses from our members and volunteers; we donate these to our local Lions Club, a non-profit organization that protects and improves peoples’ vision in resource-poor settings, primarily through the gift of eyeglasses. Since October, ANV also hosts a monthly Low-Vision Group in our office space; it is a source of camaraderie and resource-sharing among our members who have blindness, macular degeneration, glaucoma and more.

In May, the Lions hosted two ANV representatives for an afternoon in the Lions’ eyeglass sorting and reading center, which for the past year has been located in the Mason District Police Station of Fairfax County. Susan Wallace, ANV member/volunteer and facilitator of ANV’s Low Vision Group, and Jeanne Radday, ANV Member Services Director, spent two hours watching and speaking with the Lions volunteers who receive, process and distribute thousands of donated eyeglasses each year.

Donated eyeglasses make their way from community collection boxes to the sorting center by mail and in-person errands. Volunteers in the sorting center receive the eyeglasses, count them, and send a thank-you postcard; during the counting process, eyeglasses that are extremely scratched/damaged are put aside for another organization that restores/recycles frames. Each retained pair is then hand-washed and dried.

Next, volunteers specially trained in its use employ a lensometer to read the prescription of each pair of eyeglasses; they write the prescription on a clear plastic sleeve, slip the eyeglasses into this sleeve, seal the sleeve and place it in a bin. So many bins! There’s a bin for each level of vision correction. As the bins fill up, eyeglasses with the same prescription strength are taken from the bin, batched and placed in a cardboard box – 50 eyeglasses per box.

When requests arrive from mission groups and others working in the field in resource-poor settings both domestically and abroad, Lions volunteers note the number and prescription strength being ordered, then retrieve and mail the prepared box(es) of batched eyeglasses.

In resource-poor settings served by the Lions, the gift of prescription and reader eyeglasses is often the key to economic independence, improved quality of life and better health outcomes: with corrected vision, the faces of loved ones come into focus, the writing on chalkboards in crowded classrooms is now seen from the back row, home defects are caught and repaired in time, plants and animals are monitored more successfully. With corrected vision, road signage and hazards come into focus for truck and other drivers, and sharp edges of heavy machinery are seen in time by those working in industry. In communities where seniors find purpose in producing and passing on traditional crafts such as needlepoint and wood carving, the gift of reading glasses allows them to take on this meaningful role even in the setting of age-related vision changes.

Non-prescription sunglasses are also life-changing, as they protect against eye damage (such as pinguecula and cataract) that can result from environmental hazards such as sun, wind and dust. People living in certain resource-poor settings are especially vulnerable to these conditions, and the possibility of developing blindness as a result, since early detection and treatment are often out of reach; the gift of non-prescription sunglasses offers the possibility of prevention.

ANV is grateful to our local Lions Club, a 100%-volunteer non-profit organization. We will continue to collect glasses for them, both in our office and at our holiday party in December. Please consider donating your surplus eyeglasses to this very worthy cause!

Super Senior Taxi Discount Program

Sometimes, ANV volunteers are not able to provide a ride. In those instances, please be aware of the Arlington Super Senior Taxi (SST) discount program, a subsidized transportation program for Arlington County residents 70 years of age and over. It is a program that allows seniors to purchase a $20 book of vouchers for half price, at $10. Information regarding the Super Senior Taxi is available online. You will need to complete an application and send it back to:  Arlington County AAA, DHS, Super Seniors Taxi, 2100 Washington Blvd., 4th Floor, Arlington VA  22204. For more information, you can call 703-228-1700.

Aging Matters Radio and TV

Aging Matters radio is a weekly podcast, hosted by Cheryl Beversdorf, and features interviews with experts on topics impacting the lives of older adults, their care partners, and families. Every Tuesday at 3 pm, a new Aging Matters broadcast is posted  on Apple, Spotify and RedCircle podcast sites. Aging Matters TV Show offers interviews with aging experts, including demonstrations of aging related subjects. Stories of Life programs feature interviews with older adults who have made a difference in their communities.

Free Classical Music – FMMC

The Friday Morning Music Club (FMMC) invites everyone to live classical music concerts the first and second Fridays of the month at Saint George’s Church, 915 N. Oakland St., one block from Virginia Square Metro Station. You can see the musical program here. The one-hour concerts start at noon. Free, no ticket required.

Complimentary membership in Arlington’s 55+ Program is available as an ANV membership benefit. If you haven’t yet opted-in and would like to do so, contact our Member Services Director at 703-509-8057. 55+ Program offerings are posted in the quarterly catalogue available online.

ANV Events are posted on our online calendar so you can always easily find the Zoom link for any scheduled event.