A volunteer initiative is helping students across Renfrew County get early vision assessments that could improve their success in the classroom.
The Killaloe and Area Lions Club launched a school-based Vision Screening Program in 2024, modelled after similar efforts by Ottawa-area Lions who have offered screenings for about a decade. Volunteers visit schools with specialized equipment to identify children who may need glasses but haven’t been diagnosed.
The tools cost roughly $9,000, money the Lions raised through community events, including last year’s Tour de BeaverTails bike rally.
Eight other Lions Clubs in Renfrew County have now joined the effort, with a goal of reaching every public and Catholic elementary school by June 1, 2026.
So far, volunteers have visited 11 schools and screened 1,595 students, with about a quarter referred to an optometrist. “It’s incredibly rewarding to support the schools and kids,” Homer said. “Teachers and principals have been very positive.”
Killaloe Public School principal Jude Kelley says the screenings are an important tool for student success. Ensuring every child gets checked, she said, “means no student slips through the cracks.” Kelley calls the program “overwhelmingly positive,” praising the volunteers’ commitment and professionalism.
Lions Clubs expand vision checks across county’s elementary schools
(Richard Evans)
