Mission: Founded in 1936, the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington® (POB) is the largest local prevention of blindness agency in the United States, dedicated to the improvement and preservation of sight by providing services, education, advocacy and innovation.
Target demographics: Low-income children in the Washington, DC metropolitan area between 3- to 21-years-oldSchool-aged children Homeless and indigent Adults at risk for eye diseasesAdults with eye diseases in need of support groupsAll ages to prevent blindness
Geographic areas served: Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland; Northern Virginia; and the District of Columbia
Programs: POB screens more than 8,000 children annually for vision loss and strabismus, and thousands of adults for glaucoma. The organization provides thousands of low-income and homeless community members with eyeglasses each year, and helps those with low vision retain their independence through personalized rehabilitation programs at its Low Vision Learning Centers in Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA. POB sponsors the Aging Eye Network, Macular Degeneration Network, and Stargardt’s Network, which provide free public programs and support groups.
I have known about and been involved with the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (P.O.B.) for more than 30 years. It is a very well run philanthropic organization with a low overhead and where most of the donated money goes to the benefit of the community. Aside form its greatly recognized role in early detection of glaucoma and of eye diseases in school and pre-school children, the P.O.B. supports research in Ophthalmology and low vision rehabilitation to bring citizens with low vision back to the work force and bring the smile back to their face.
I have participated in Prevention of Blindness society activities for many years and also serve on their board of trustees. They are an extremely well managed and forward leaning charity in the D.C. Area. They are constantly strategizing how to better serve the underserved population in the D.C. Area and provide them with much needed identification and treatment of medical issues related to lessening vision or loss of sight.
