- Q. I'd like to find out what your group has to offer but I don't want to feel obligated to become a member or to participate in your activities.
- A. There is absolutely no obligation to become involved. Make an appointment to come in to see our director and you decide whether or not you want to be involved. Some people come to us only once or as the need arises. Others participate in the many programs we have to offer. Still others get very involved and become volunteers for the group. The choice is yours.
- Q. Do I have to be totally blind to join this group?
- A. No. We serve individuals of any age and with any level of sight loss. In fact, many people come to us who have temporary vision problems, such as cataracts or eye injuries, and we are able to help them get through this difficult transition time.
- Q. Do I have to have a vision loss myself to be involved with the group?
- A. Not at all. You might have a family member, friend or co-worker with a sight loss that you are concerned about. You are welcome to come in and talk to us at any time about your concerns (it's always best to make an appointment, though). You might just think we're a terrific group and want to get involved by taking out a membership or by supporting our fundraiser or even by volunteering - all of these are great ways to become involved.
- Q. Do I have to be a member of your group to come to your monthly meetings?
- A. No, our meetings are open to the general public and our attitude is, the more the merrier! Generally, we meet on the second Thursday of each month. Check out our calendar on this web site for dates, locations and times. It is wise to check the location and time before attending as we occasionally change the meeting site.
- Q. What are your meetings like?
- A. We invite speakers to talk on issues important to our members to most of the meetings. Twice a year, we schedule support group meetings which do not involve a speaker and those attending are encouraged to discuss specific issues such as: "How is your family handling your sight loss?" and "Ways to ask for help." We also have special meetings in April and October which are of general public interest and special guest speakers are invited.
- Q. What are the fees for service?
- A. All of our services are without cost. We ask that new members pay dues ($6.00 per year) which entitles them to receive our newsletter, The Outlook, in whatever format is preferable for them - tape, large print or via e-mail. Dues also entitles our members to attend certain members only functions throughout the years and allows them voting privileges. However, payment of dues is not required to receive our services. Click here to go to our membership form.
- Q. If I give you my name and address, will I end up on a million mailing lists?
- A. Absolutely not. The Sight-Loss Support Group does not give out names and addresses of our members without permission and we never sell our mailing list. Even if another member asks for your phone number, we would ask your permission before giving it out.
- Q. I belong to a group that would be interested in hearing more about The Sight-Loss Support Group. What can you do for us?
- A. We have a fine panel of speakers and one or more of them can come and talk to your group about a wide range of topics from accessibility and mobility issues to technology for people with low vision. We can adapt to groups of any age level and have spoken to groups from pre-school to nursing home age. Our only requirement is transportation to your site since all of our speakers do have low vision and are unable to drive.
- Q. I have some spare time and would be interested in helping a group like yours. What can I do?
- A. The Sight-Loss Support Group provides many volunteer opportunities from reading onto tape in the comfort of your home to working with members one-on-one to helping us out in the office. We also need help with some of our special activities like the Sr. Expo, Festival Eyes and many more. Each of our volunteers is required to come into the office for a brief interview and sensitivity training. Call us to find out more. Click here for our volunteer form and volunteer opportunities
- Q. How is the Sight-Loss Support Group funded?
- A. The SLSG is funded in large part by the community through Centre County United Way, the Lions Clubs of Centre County and the Delta Gamma Fraternity as well as the Rotary, Kiwanis, Altrusa and a number of other local civic organizations. Our annual fundraiser provides approximately 1/3 of our annual income. The remainder of our income comes from membership and donations from our members and the public at large. Since this is approximately 1/3 of our income, membership and accompanying donations are critical to our financial well being.
These are just some of the questions that we are asked on a regular basis. If you have a question that we have not answered or if you want more details about the questions above, go back to our Home Page and click on our e-mail address. We promise to answer your questions promptly. You can also call us Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 814-238-0132. If you call outside of office hours, leave a message and we will get back to you.