Mar. 152015The 2015 Naples Winter Wine Festival Obtains $1 Million Grant for the “Now You See It” NCEF Children’s Vision Initiative
Approximately 20,000 children in Collier County will be screened each year
with comprehensive vision exams
Amidst a very lively and festive 2015 Naples Winter Wine Festival Live Auction, the “Now You See It…” Lot N° 62 (dedicated to addressing the eye care needs of underprivileged children in Collier County) garnered $1,000,000 in donations.
What’s more impressive is that the “Now You See It” Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF) Children’s Vision Initiative will also receive a $1 million grant over the next three years thanks to the generous support of those who raised their paddles during the 2015 Naples Winter Wine Festival’s Live Auction.
Now in its second year, the initiative will continue to focus on reaching ALL underserved children in schools and several early childhood centers and community-based organizations in impoverished areas of Collier County.
“Now You See It” is one of several results of studies commissioned by the NCEF in 2005 and 2010 to identify gaps in basic services for Collier County’s underserved and underprivileged children. Furthermore, research regarding vision care identifies the following alarming findings
• Vision deficits are more conclusive predictors of academic failure than race or socioeconomic status
• One out of four children has a vision problem
• 80% of what we learn is through the visual processing of information
• 90% of children who need eyeglasses do not have them
• The earlier students are identified and treated for vision problems, the better their (?) academic outcomes
This initiative ensures children in Collier County’s Title I schools and high-need early childhood centers receive vision screenings by eye professionals, and when medically appropriate, children will also receive full eye exams and two pairs of eyeglasses – one for home and one for school.
Thanks to this initiative, Collier County is the first and only county in Florida to have a dedicated Vision Care Bus for conducting eye examinations and dispensing prescription eyeglasses.
Due to generous funding, the NCEF Children’s Vision Initiative will continue to treat tens of thousands of children who are struggling to learn and achieve.
