Envisioning better vision and eye health for all

When Ruddy Insurance Group was looking to get more involved with their community in Ohio, they considered a variety of local charities. They wanted to ensure they found a charity with a major impact on the community for people of all ages. And when they discovered one of their insureds had founded a charity called Sight for All United, it was kismet: they knew that they’d found the nonprofit they wanted to support.

Eye care for anyone in need

Sight for All United was created by Karen Segesto and Sergul Erzurum. They wanted to ensure that uninsured and underinsured people – from schoolchildren to the elderly – were able to receive the vision services they needed. In addition to educating the community about eye health, Sight for All United developed an in-school vision van program that provides eye exams and eyeglasses made to prescription on-site.

In some cases, the nonprofit provides advanced levels of eye care. When needed, Sight for All United helps provide access for more in-depth treatments, including a variety of eye-related procedures and even eye surgeries for those who are unable to afford these kinds of procedures on their own.

“Although money in the form of an agency donation goes a long way, there is nothing more impactful and personally fulfilling than volunteering my time or our agency’s resources.”

—Shawn Ruddy, agency principal at Ruddy Insurance Group

Volunteering and providing support

Team members of Ruddy Insurance Group volunteered for Sight for All United when the national Remote Area Clinic came to Youngstown, Ohio. They showed up bright and early to help with the influx of patients and assisted in having them fill out paperwork, as well as escorting them to the correct place for their eye exams.

That day alone, hundreds of people throughout the community were provided the eye care they needed at no cost to them. “Although money in the form of an agency donation goes a long way, there is nothing more impactful and personally fulfilling than volunteering my time or our agency’s resources,” said Agency Principal Shawn Ruddy.

That being said, the agency also contributes roughly $5,000 to $8,000 per year to Sight for All United through cash donations and auction items for their annual fundraising gala, and the agency sponsors their golf fundraiser each year. They provide additional support online by raising awareness and promoting fundraising events on the agency’s social media pages.

“We want everyone to enjoy life with clear sight.”

—Dr. Sergul Erzurum, co-founder of Sight for All United

A vision of the future

Sight for All United has plans to continue expanding their reach to help more people in their community. One of the services that a Make More Happen contribution would help with would be their Community Telehealth Vision Van. This vehicle – which would travel throughout the region – will be filled with state-of-the-art equipment that can provide advanced computer images, which can be shared with doctors to expedite diagnosis and care. With this kind of equipment, they can identify early diabetic eye disease, new onset macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and more.

“We frequently pose the question to potential donors: ‘What would life be like if you couldn’t see clearly?’” said charity co-founder Dr. Sergul Erzurum. “Would you miss the beauty of the world? Would it affect your ability to learn or enjoy time with friends? We want everyone to enjoy life with clear sight.”

Help Ruddy Insurance Group win $10,000 for Sight for All United by clicking the vote button. Get them an extra vote by cheering them on in the comments below.