How to Get a Free Eye Exam and Glasses

Image via Wikipedia     Do you need an eye exam and new glasses, but you just can't afford it?  During this economy hard times have hit many people, and if your job has dried up, then so did your insurance.  Many people try to put off dealing with health issues when they are struggling, but in the long run doing this can cost more.  Good vision is necessary for everyone in order to function in life.  Just simply not having glasses that you need can literally cause headaches.  Not only are eye exams important for determining visual acuity, but it is also necessary in diagnosis diseases related to the eyes, and it is an important tool for screening for diabetes and high blood pressure.  Well that is all good and fine, but if you can't afford it so what.  I can tell you how to get a free eye exam and glasses for you or your children in this post.

      VSP is a leader in eye care products and services and the company has provided  services to over 580,000 low-income uninsured children free of charge.  Sight for Students is a VSP charity that provides these services.  Click on the link to find out more information about their services.  Their Eyes of Hope Program offers refurbished eyeglasses worldwide.  They also operate 3 mobile units that tour the country and provide free eye exams to those in need.  You will need to look on their websites calender of  events to find out if they are in an area near you.  You will need to provide proof of eligibility in order to recieve these services.  They also partner with VSP doctors nationwide, and globally.  These services are for children and adults.
     Eye Care America is another place that you can go to see if you qualify for free eye care.  You qualify if you are 65 and older and have not recieved eyecare in 3 or more years.  If you have Medicare the doctors will waive co-payments.  Those without insurance will not be charged.  You will recieve a free eye exam and a years worth of free service related to any eye disease that is discovered during this exam.  Also those persons of any age that have a predetermined risk of developing glaucoma can recieve a free glaucoma exam if they are uninsured.  The doctor may provide treatment deemed necessary during this exam.  Eyeglasses are not provided.
     Vision USA is another organization that provides basic eye health and vision services free of charge to low-incomed unisured children and adults.  To be eligible you must be uninsured, be a U.S. citizen,  meet poverty quidelines, and have not been to a eye doctor in at least 2 years.  If you qualify you will be matched with a volunteer doctor and recieve eye care and glasses.  Contact lens are not available through this service.
     Discounted services are also available to everyone at America's Best.  You can get an eye exam and 2 pair of glasses for only $69.00.  Now that is a deal.  They offer regular priced exams for just $45.00.  They also have an Eyecare Club that if you join and pay $99.00, you get three years worth of eye exams at that cost.
     You can do a free vision test online at EyeExamOnline.  It is a quick and relatively easy exam to take.  You will need to be at least 1 meter or about 39 inches away from the computer screen to complete the test.  I did it and it was right on the money.  It detected my astigmatism and vision problems in both eyes.  This is a great test and it is free, so check it out today.
     The last thing that you can do is check the Sunday paper.  They usually have coupons for free or discounted services at many popular eye care providers.  They can afford to do this in order to make you a possible future customer, so what your newspapers.  Sometime you can get vouchers for discounts for Wal-mart vision care centers in the paper too.  If I left any out please drop me a comment and let me know.  We are all in this together.

Image via Wikipedia

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So the Bank Will Not Loan You Money to Finance Your Dream?

Image via Wikipedia     Do you have a business that could really grow, if you could just get your hands on the financing?  Or do you have a dream that you have always wanted to pursue, but you didn't have any rich relatives or friends that could put up the capital necessary to kick start your dream.  If you find the bank will not loan you money to finance your dream, then you are not alone.  Banks always have the power and prerogative to approve or deny the very crucial capital needed  by all of us from time to time.  With the dawn of a new age of economic decline, you and I are tapping into some very resourceful and innovated ways to acquire that much needed cash, and at the same time, we are taking some of that power back.  If you have a good idea, or are very talented, and have a solid business plan, there just may be a new way to accomplish this accrual of dinero!
     There are companies that created new ways to finance your dreams outside of the banking arena.  Some of this financing requires payback by rewards, by repayment, and some by a small stake in the company that you are creating.  Some that require a piece of the pie, also plan for an exit strategy after you have become established and successful.  Some are peer-to-peer lenders that can actually get you a better interest rate, and provide you with the option of just paying off debt instead of finance a company.  Some philanthropist provide micro-loans for small business which has yielded them a 98% pay back rate.  With a little searching, you can find many of these companies online.  Here a few sites that I have found that seem very lucrative for financing your dreams.
     One of the largest funding platform around these day is a company called Kickstarter.  On this site creative ideas can become a reality in a very short period of time.  This all-or-nothing platform can provide funding for writers, film-makers, singers, songwriters, actors, artist, designers, illustrators, curators, performers, explorers, and entrepreneurs to bring their dreams into reality.  Basically how this works is you create a starting page with a plan and a funding amount and a time limit to reach it up to 90 days.  It is an all or nothing concept in that if you do not meet your goal amount, then you get no money.  Those visiting the site pledge money for the cause, and if the goal is met, then the exchange of money goes through Amazon.  Those receiving the money usually grant rewards for so much donated.  An example of this would be if someone gets a record deal, then they may send those who donated a $1,000.00 a cd, and so forth!  The great thing about this site is that the money doesn't have to be paid back, and the the borrower owns the rights to their property or ideas.
     Another company that is making wave for computer geeks to finance their latest designs is Techstars.  This is an innovative site that not only will provide up to $18,000.00 in funding, but also 3 months of training in your choice of Boston, Seattle, and New York City.  They will provide all sorts of perks, as well as advice, mentoring, connections, legal service, hosting, and even a wonderful place to work.  They require a small stake in your company but it is worth it.  Out of the 600+ companies that apply only 10 are excepted into each program.  You are still eligible to apply for consideration until 11/21/2010.  So make your way to their site and check it out before the deadline is up!
     Then their is Y Combinator.  These guys will fund selected companies twice a year.  They average capital they supply is around $18,000.00 and they usually fund 30 or so companies.  They require you to relocate to Silicon Valley for 3 months training of intense training.  All they require for this love is 2-10% stock in your company.  They occasionally look outside of the technology world for companies to finance, so if you are serious check out their website for all details.
    There are still many other sites similar to the above mentioned.  You may also want to check out sites such as Prosper, Virgin Money, and Go 4 Funding.  Some of these are peer-to-peer lending, the latter is more for investors and business owners.  Happy searching and I hope you find a funding site today.

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Are You an Unemployed Senior Citizen Who Needs Work

Image by Getty Images via @daylife     Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could retire with a hefty savings put back for the golden years.  That was once part of the American dream, but due to the economic upheaval, for most, that is a dream of the past.  People live longer than they use to, and are healthier, and more active these days.  So if you are in the lower income bracket, and you are 55 or over, where do you turn to re-enter the work force.
     There is a program out there to reintegrate you back into the work force.  This program in known as the SCSEP.  SCSEP stands for the Senior Community Service Employment Program.  It is a program offered by Experience Works and is funded by Title V of the Older Americans Act, and by state and local grants.  It is available to senior citizens that are 55 or older, unemployed, and their total family income is not more than 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.
     What exactly does this program offer individuals?  Seniors are provided training, counseling, and job assignments in faith-based and community organization prior to returning to the workforce.  Those involved in this program may be placed at eligible agencies where they can receive around 20 hours per week at minimum wage, while learning new skill and improving existing skills.  Their are many benefits that can be obtained through this program.  So if you are a senior citizen and would like to get back into the job market, this is one program that deserves a second look.

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Adaptive Housing Grants for Veterans

Image via Wikipedia     If you are a veteran the US Department of Veteran Affairs has available a Special Adaptive Housing Program to remodel your home to make it accessible for you.  Veterans and service members who have service acquired disabilities may be qualified to receive a grant for construction ,or for the remodel of their existing residence to meet their special needs.  This grant is designed to provide a barrier-free living environment in order for the recipients to enjoy an independent lifestyle that they may not otherwise be capable of acquiring due to disability encumbered during their service.

     There are 2 grant facts sheet that provide
all the specifics of these grants.
1. Grant Fact Sheet A
2. Grant Fact Sheet B
     The VA website has all of the forms, phone numbers, and information available and easy
to locate.  The site is complete with videos of the possible construction and improvements.

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Need Some Costly Repairs to Your Home: Grants Are Available

Image via Wikipedia     Are you in the low-income bracket and struggling?  Trying to just keep food on the table, transportation, and a place to live can be a nightmare.  It is interesting that some Americans that never truly understood what actual struggling means have gotten a recent wakeup call during this economy.  You can truly work hard and still get nowhere.  It is frustrating isn't it.  You find many people that just don't care when your luck is down.  When it turns around, you should not forget these times.  They will make you a stronger and wiser person.  There is real help available.  I do not write these things just for the sake of filling space on this page.  You can get these repairs done.  If you truly need them they are available.  I have a family member that right now is in the mist of several crews coming in an evaluating the repairs on their home, to make the necessary repairs and make them energy efficient. 
     In their home there are quite a few repairs that need to be done.  They are probably not going to get them all, but I can tell you that they do have new central and heating unit installed, and that their home as had the necessary repairs to make it energy efficient.  They have went without heating and air for over 2 years now.  Yeah they had the window unit air conditioners that never cooled the home and only ran up the electric bill.  They burnt kerosine in the winter and cut wood to keep warm.  This is now one aspect of their complicated life that is over.  They are not lazy and work where they can, and this is those hard earn tax dollars finally coming back to real people that have paid into the system.  As the repairs continue, I will try to keep you updated.
     Here are some sites to get you going on the right path to recieve aid.  Use this link Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programs - CPD - HUD if you live inside the city, and use this link USDA Rural Development-RD Home  if you live outside the city.  You can get repairs on things such as heating and air, well and septic tank, and roof repair.  There are other service available, so make a list, write down everything that you can think of that doesn't work, and you will be prepared when they arrive to make their assessment.  I hope this helps some of you out there.  Keep your head up and hang in there.

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Free and Addictive Way to Give

Image via Wikipedia     I often write articles here on how to get things and services at a discount, or for free.  I hope someone has benefited from this site in one way or another.  However, it is better to give than to recieve.  At least, that is what my mom always told me.  Just the other day I  found a cool site that will enable you to donate food just by playing an addictive game.  It is such a win-win situation.  You got to try it.
     There is this site that has actually been around since 2007.  You can go to it and answer simple questions.  For every question that you answer correctly 10 grains of rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Programme by the website!  This is free to do.  You do not have to fill out any forms or register.  All that you have to do is answer the questions.  I just played and I got enough answers correct that the website donated 2400 grains today because of me.  The subject matter that the questions are picked from include English, Math, Algebra, Chemistry, Geography, Foreign Language, and identification of famous works of art.  The money to buy the rice is paid for by the advertisers.  For it, you get smarter.  It will jog your memory thats for sure.  Go to http://www.freerice.com/ and do something good today.  This is such a simple way to give, and I promise you, this will become an addictive pastime for you to improve your grammer.  Pakistan and Haiti need your help today so go online and play.

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Low Cost to Free Travel Ideas

Image via Wikipedia      Have you never been able to afford to travel?  Are you just out of high school and want to see the world before college?  Are there circumstances in your life that are bringing you down and you just want to get away?  There is a way to accomplish this without breaking the bank.  A colleague of mine once told me about this girl that he met while traveling in Peru.  Her name is Julie and she has practically travelled the world.  She has a new website, but is not up and running yet.  When it becomes available, I will provide a link.  She has worked her way from country to country staying in hostels and picking up odd jobs along the way.  She is a fascinating young lady.  If she can do it, so can you.

     One organization that will provide you with accommodations and meals in exchange for 5-7 hours of work a day is WWOOF.  You have to save up the money to get to your destination and back, but you can arrange your length of stay free of charge and see the country that you are in while you are there.  You can work locally in the US or internationally.  You can get there, work, site see, and line up another place to see nearby through CouchSurfing.  Go to their website a register, then you can start networking to find your next couch to lay your head on and for how long.  You can network couch to couch as you cross the countryside.
Volunteer through the UN website.  There are 140 countries that you can visit while doing something worthwhile.  They even provide insurance.  Just check their terms of service and sign up today.  You can also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and help build homes here and abroad.  Habitat for Humanity International runs the Global Village Work Trips program and has affiliates in over 90 countries.  Budget travel bloggers should check out Passports With Purpose where they can use their readership to help out a worth cause.  You can also do walking tours in throughout Europe at http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/about-us/work-us .  Some other places are, of course, the extremes, join the Army or the Peace Corp.

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