Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation (VLEIF) awards scholarships each year to sight impaired individuals.  The scholarships provide financial aid for training or education.  Fairfax Lions Club is happy to sponsor individuals deserving of a scholarship. 

Help pass the word – to teachers, eye care professionals, neighbors, etc… this financial aid is available for sight impaired individuals (that is, not someone whose vision is correctible by glasses, but someone with more limiting circumstances.)

Find the application at: Scholarships. Applicants have a better chance of being successful if they are sponsored by a Lions Club.

If you are interested, contact Fairfax Lions Club by email to info@fairfaxlions.org, or leave a phone message at 703-879-5795.

Congratulations to Lions Karen and Harry Parker for their sustained support of the Lions Project for Canine Companions – which provides assistance dogs with NO charge for the dog.

Thanks to Chairman Jeffrey C McKay, for these reminders…

Use this link for early voting locations: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/early-voting

VA is the first state to implement a free COVID-19 exposure notification app. The app is called COVIDWISE; it was developed in a partnership between VA Department of Health, Google, and Apple.  COVIDWISE allows your smart phone to anonymously notify others if you have tested positive for COVID-19, and notifies you if you’ve likely been exposed to the virus based on anonymous reports from other app users.

The goal is to reduce risk for your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues.  But, it only works if most people use it. Here’s how you can:

1. Visit the App Store or Google Play Store and download COVIDWISE
2. Share information about COVIDWISE with friends, colleagues, and family
3. Post & share your support on social media

The “Center for Voter Information” recently (early August 2020) mailed absentee ballot applications to many Fairfax County residents. That “Center” is an independent organization unaffiliated with the City of Fairfax or Fairfax County. 

The form they sent is a valid form to request a by-mail ballot in VA.

But the return mail envelope they sent (pre-addressed, no postage req’d envelope) may have an INCORRECT ADDRESS where voters should mail their application.

It may be better for voters to apply for absentee ballots on-line at: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation

At the above web page, you can Register to vote, update your current VA voter registration, apply to vote absentee by mail, or view your polling place/election district/absentee ballot status/voting history.

The DEADLINE to apply for Absentee Ballot by mail is Oct 23, 2020. APPLY NOW, AVOID THE RUSH.

 During this virus shutdown period, about the only recurring service activity we still have in process is our eyeglass recycling. We collect donated eyeglasses, provide them to a Lions Recycling Center where they are processed and provided to mission teams to dispense around the world. 

But, even that is curtailed.  The new Lions recycling center for performing the actual processing of the eyeglasses remains closed to volunteer workers.

Our club still picks-up donated eyeglasses (and the occasional hearing aids) from our collection boxes around the community, and delivers them to the recycling center.  

At some point, the center will open and we can again show-up to offer our services to characterize eyeglasses for sorting, boxing, and delivery by medical mission teams.

Our most recent report from the Club’s Eyeglass Recycling Committee states, for the past year (July 2019 – June 2020) we collected 10,138 pair of donated eyeglasses, and delivered them to the recycling center.