Americans Helping Americans® in partnerships with two local eye care providers in Northeast Tennessee has provided eye glasses to 82 patients since July 2011. Patients are referred to the program through Of One Accord’s food pantries and free clinic.

Shelia is a 57 year-old African-American women who moved from Florida to Tennessee two years ago when her roommate and friend retired and decided to move back home to Mt. Carmel in the Appalachian Mountains of Northeast Tennessee. She decided to move to Tennessee with her friend since they had been friends for quite a while.

However, after relocating to Tennessee, she was unable to find a job due to layoffs that were occurring all across the nation at that time. Many of the jobs she applied for required transportation. She has a car, however, she could not obtain a Tennessee driver’s license because she failed the vision portion of the test. Clinic staff eventually learned of her dilemma and scheduled an eye exam for her. During the exam, it was discovered that her prescription had drastically changed, and she had severe night vision problems. Thanks to your support she was able to get a new pair of glasses through the AHA-funded eye glass program. We are very pleased that she not only passed her driver’s license test but has secured a job at a local Waffle House.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT IMPORTANT PROGRAMS LIKE THESE HELPING OUR NATION’S LESS FORTUNATE