2nd Vice District Governor Lion Ed Gibbons handles our Sight Conservation Committee. He recently had an unusual request for help:
Dear Mr. Gibbons:
Thank you for considering this request for exam services and glasses for our son, who needs them for reading, which is part of his LD (learning disability). A local social service’s provides eye exams only for diabetic patients, but they can provide us with glasses if we have a current Rx for them. We need the exam for our son. My husband graduated cum laude from the local university in May. He is actively seeking employment, while he studies for his licensing exam in his profession. We are surviving on the last of the student loan and monies liquidated on his 401K. I’m in an endless loop with government assistance. Tenn Care says (last year) we had too much (due to the loans for exorbitant tuition fees and owning our modest home and old cars outright), and referred us to Cover Kids. Cover Kids said we didn’t make enough! So here we are: in a holding pattern, dwindling resources while we wait my husband’s employment. While our situation is temporary, thanks be to God, we are none the less still in need. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading and reviewing our application.
Sincerely,
Name withheld by request
Ed was able to approve the application and a few days later received a thank-you:
Dear Mr. Gibbons:
Thank you so much for approving our son’s eye exam AND glasses in just 2 days. We are overjoyed! Words fail to adequately convey what a relief it is to have your organization’s assistance during this financially difficult transitional time for our family. Having never been in these kinds of situations prior to Pharmacy School, it has been very humbling and personally eye opening as to the realities of the hardships faced daily by the poor, the working poor, and the less common, temporarily poor student families, like ourselves. As I’m sure the Lord knew it would, it has heightened our compassion for the economically marginalized in our great nation and our desire to serve them upon eventual employment.
Once again, thank you for serving our family in this capacity. The Johnson City Lions Club has lifted one of many burdens off of our shoulders. We are grateful and thankful that because of you, our son will have the needed glasses to help him overcome his reading challenges and ease his learning disabilities.
May the Lord continue to bless you and this much needed service organization,
Gratefully, Joyfully and Thankfully,
Name withheld
We do not always serve the obvious candidates. We serve those in need.
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