Become a Community Partner

Back in 2007, Olympia Host Lions Karen Sell and Jan Weatherly wrote a grant request to the National Institutes of Health for Low Vision Awareness. Through that grant, the Olympia Host Lions received $10,000. According to grant mandates, the money was to be spent on increasing awareness that people living with low vision did not have to live “in the dark”. 

The Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, several local support groups, and Lion Carl Corbin, who lived with macular degeneration, provided direction for the Lions’ work. Some of the outreach actions funded by the grant included: 

• Establishing a phone line for people to call for vision resource assistance. This phone line – the Lions EyeLine - is still in use by Olympia Host Lions today.
• Three large community-wide events with vendors and speakers hosted by Senior Services of South Sound
• Visits to each eye health care provider in the Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater area with flyers placed in stands for their lobby area
• Dinner meetings for vision care providers to exchange information about what was available to assist people living with low vision
• Print ad, radio ads and a huge bus wrap advertising the EyeLine.

When the grant ended, Lion Carl led the effort to open the storefront Lion’s Low Vision Resource Center, originally named after him. Lions sought out donated equipment that could be loaned to people needing assistance. Referrals came from eye health professionals and Margie Courier, a contractor working from the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, who was blind herself. 

When Carl moved to Seattle, Margie took over running the LVRC with the assistance of her husband Timm – and both Margie and Timm became Lions. The Couriers played an instrumental role in helping low vision individuals until Margie’s death in 2018. 

Today,  Lions of Olympia Host Lions Club run the Lions Low Vision Resource Center and continue to honor Lion Carl Corbin for his far reaching work. Low vision specialist Dr. Mary Ferris, OD, FAOO,  assists with staff training and consults on equipment questions.

The Low Vision Resource Center (LVRC) was originally located near the Transit Station in Lacey, then moved to 2103 Harrison Avenue NW in space generously provided by The Rants Group.  Effective February 1, 2022, the Center moved to 2600 Martin Way E.  

In 2020, Olympia Host Lions Club under the presidency of Michael Petty formalized the importance of the Low Vision Resource Center by registering it with Lions Clubs International as a Legacy Lions Project.  The center serves clients from the Canadian Border to the Oregon border and from the mountains out to the Pacific Ocean.

The LVRC is run by the Olympia Host Lions Club, and guided by the club board of directors. 

Administration and staffing is provided at no cost to the Center by volunteer Lions and friends.

Funding for the LVRC comes in part from the Olympia Host Lions Club Foundation, a 501c3 charitable tax organization.

Foundation Board of Directors for 2023/24 includes:

• President James Reddick
• Vice President Michael Petty
• Secretary Andy Stepelton
• Treasurer Andrew Beattie
• Director Karen Sell