Yes I Can Blog

#45 Do You Volunteer?
Friday, January 31, 2025 by Deb Vellines

2,076,847 VOLUNTEERS

122,603 BLIND & LOW-VISION

150+ COUNTRIES

180+ LANGUAGES

Be My Eyes has over two million volunteers, so no need to be afraid of too many phone calls. This app is available in over 150 countries and in 180 languages. Your phone won’t ring in the middle of the night. The calls for help are directed to volunteers in the same time zone as the one seeking help. And the same language.

The help it offers to those with low vision explains Be My Eyes incredible growth. The wonderful feelings of helping those with low vision also explains the growth.

My husband gets more phone calls than I do. He gets maybe one call every two months. With the last call, the woman wanted a red sweater from a pile of sweaters. She pointed her phone at the pile and lifted each one until she showed the red one she wanted to wear.

My niece, Kaitlyn, called the low vision support group in her town and asked if they had any available volunteer opportunities to help someone with low vision. They put her in touch with a woman who wanted help reading her mail. The two women get along very well. The one with low vision appreciates the visits and help.

Kaitlyn feels the visits give her life lots of purpose outside of being a mom. The lady she visits reminds her of her grandmother (my mother). This week they plan on working with the calendar, making a new one, one that the lady with low vision can read.

It’s a win-win situation for Kaitlyn to use her eyes to help someone who is losing her vision. And it started with a phone call. “Do you have someone in your group who could use some help?”

*****

Readers, do you do any volunteer work? Even though legally blind, Millie volunteered (#9) She enjoyed her volunteer days, and like Kaitlyn, felt those days gave her life extra purpose and brought joy to others.

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