Company Profile
Lions Vision Services
Company Overview
Lions Vision Services (LVS) was created by the Lions Clubs of South Carolina in 1969 and exists today to empower the under-served blind and visually impaired in South Carolina to live safe, meaningful, and fulfilling lives. LVS offers a range of programs and services to low-income South Carolina residents who apply for need-based financial assistance with obtaining eye exams, eyeglasses, affordable eye surgeries, and vision technology. Free vision screenings are provided to promote early detection and correction of vision impairments. Each spring the organization hosts a Blind Fishing event and manages quarterly meetings of the Palmetto Vision Alliance.
Company History
Since 1922 South Carolinians have been coming together to serve the Palmetto State through Lions Clubs, first in Columbia, Spartanburg, Orangeburg, Anderson, and Greenville, then in communities statewide. In 1925 their focus became vision and hearing services following Helen Keller’s challenge to be “Knights of the Blind” in the crusade against darkness at the International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio. For the next 43 years Lions continued to help the blind and visually impaired in South Carolina and advocate for them at a time when public perception and prejudices viewed them as incapable, but there was a need to do more.
In 1968 exploratory committees began researching how a statewide charitable organization for the Lions of South Carolina could be formed. Alone, individual clubs identified extraordinary needs in their communities, and together they realized the potential for a greater impact statewide than what a single club could achieve on their own.
At the State Convention in Myrtle Beach in 1969 the South Carolina Lions Sight Conservation Association (SCLSCA) was created to advance the cause of service to the blind and visually impaired throughout the state. That organization is known as Lions Vision Services today and boasts over half a century of impactful service to the blind and visually impaired throughout South Carolina.
Experts estimate that without effective intervention, the blind and visually impaired population is expected to double in the next decade. Access to healthcare remains a major barrier for hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians. Blindness and vision loss continue to impose a more than $2 billion economic burden on South Carolinians annually. Eyecare is now directly linked to our quality of life, mental health, and overall health and well being.
The continued resolve and creativity of Lions Vision Services will be paramount to creating a vibrant and sustainable future for the State of South Carolina where preventable blindness is eliminated, the blind and visually impaired have the resources necessary to live fulfilling lives, and public perception recognizes the potential and dignity of every blind and visually impaired person.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Lions Vision Services (LVS) was chartered by the Lions Clubs of SC in 1969 to meet the growing demand for services to blind and visually impaired persons in under-served communities. Programs came to include vision screenings in 1974, eye surgeries in 1976, eyeglass collection and recycling in 1981, vision technology in 2018, the Palmetto Vision Alliance in 2020, eyeglass provision in 2021, and a blind fishing tournament in 2022. LVS maintains a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid.
Benefits
LVS seeks to maintain a competitive and unique benefits package to support our employees, including: 12 paid holidays per year; separate paid sick leave and bereavement, including allowances for mental health needs; separate paid maternity and paternity leave; and a professional development plan and budget (including funding for dues in a local Lions Club, Together SC, AFP, SC Planned Giving Council, and/or CFRE support).