What We're Thankful For

As 2007 rolls to a close and I reflect on this year—it's joys and challenges—the overriding theme is gratefulness and thanksgiving. These are just a few of the things we're thankful for at the Northern Plains Eye Foundation. 

We're thankful for good vision.  Here in the United States we are fortunate to have outstanding eye care overall.  Even those who deal with difficult eye diseases/conditions have access to many resources.  In our recent celebration of World Sight Day (see current Winter newsletter), we see that the rest of the world is not as fortunate.  Still we have a ways to go in improving Children's Sight (this year's theme).  We are hoping that our efforts to emphasize education about eye health and safety will make a difference (see article on Children's Sight Symposium in our current Winter newsletter).

We're thankful for outstanding eye care and eye care professionals.  To show our gratefulness, the Foundation decided to create our own Eye Care Professionals Appreciation Day.  We honored local optometrists and ophthalmologists with giant cookies with an eye chart design.  Can you decipher our message to them?

We're thankful for a dedicated Board of Directors and steadfast staff.  Our Board has been hard at work revising policies, and visioning our future in a recent Strategic Planning Retreat at KBarS in Keystone.  And our small but mighty staff (only 2.4 full-time positions shared between 4 of us), has made amazing progress in furthering our mission and implementing new programs. 

We're thankful for you!  Our benefactors, our supporters, our dedicated eye care professionals across five states… Thanks for your participation in the mission and programs of the Northern Plains Eye Foundation.  During this season of giving, please keep us in mind.  Just for fun, with a donation of any size, we will send you a special pair of Angel Glasses for viewing the Christmas lights.  You truly are "an angel to us".  Special blessings to you all this Christmas and throughout 2008.