Support from The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation Helps the Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation Provide Vision Services for its Clients
KAILUA-KONA — For clients of the Hawaii Island HIV/AIDS Foundation (HIHAF), a pair of eyeglasses or a vision exam can mean a world of difference in improving their quality of life.
While poor vision might not seem like a huge difference maker, it most certainly can be.
“Because if you can’t see, then you can’t leave your home,” said Teri Hollowell, HIHAF director of programs. “Then you get isolated, then you get depressed and then your life is bad.”
To help improve sight for a population prone to vision issues, the Lions Club of Kona members on Thursday handed a $10,000 check to HIHAF, an organization dedicated to providing and coordinating services for people with HIV/AIDS. The organization currently has about 275 clients islandwide — about 125 of them are in West Hawaii.
Hollowell said people with HIV can be more susceptible to eye problems, such as retinitis, and the disease can also accelerate the deterioration of vision over time...