Radio host Delilah (l) accepts a check for $100,000 from Eyes of Faith founders Jim and Amy Schneider. The money was raised to help support building a community-sustaining clinic in Ghana.

Independent eyewear company, Eyes of Faith, is spearheading an effort to build a community-sustaining clinic in Ghana, West Africa, collecting more than $100,000 for the project in only three months. Eyes of Faith Optical surprised radio personality Delilah with the check during the OptiCon General Session at Vision Expo East 2023 in New York City on Friday. Delilah, the most-listened to woman on U.S. radio, is the founder of Point Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides essential support services to disadvantaged children in the U.S. and West Africa.

“The hardest part was keeping the secret from Delilah until the end of her talk at the OptiCon General Session,” Eyes of Faith co-founder Jim Schneider said. “Now, we just thank God that so many organizations and individuals are helping us bring vision to thousands of people at Point Hope Village.”

Eyes of Faith has a long-standing partnership with Delilah and Point Hope, having contributed to the construction of five homes for orphans in Ghana, West Africa. Point Hope advocates for children in foster care throughout the U.S.to ensure they have the essentials to live a healthy life.

The organization presented the $100,000 to Delilah, with Schneider recalling the collaborative efforts of so many organizations to raise the money. The $50,000 in funds were collected by Eyes of Faith and matched from other organizations including OneSight and the American Board of Opticianry & National Contact Lens Examiners private donations to raise an additional $50,000.

Delilah told the OptiCon audience, “I am so grateful. I have been to Africa 33 times over the last 20 years and the first time I went there, I was talking with mothers and grandmothers who had just survived a brutal civil war. They said how they needed water because their kids were dying from lack of water. I told them I would come back with water,” adding that the community then reached out for a clinic to help care for local children.

“We spent 15 years buying land, and we were able to open the building last year. The goal is to care for the whole child.”

She said prior to the clinic, the organization had to rely on used glasses from the Lions Club to fulfill the vision needs of children, taking more than 20,000 pairs down over the years. With the donation, children will be able to have a comprehensive eye exam and receive a new pair of glasses if needed.

For more information, visit pointhope.org and eofoptical.com.