The Farmville Lions Club serves the people of Prince Edward and Cumberland counties. One of our main roles is to help people of need hear effectively by helping them get hearing aids. We also support hearing conservation training and collect used hearing aids.

Hearing loss and deafness are serious disabilities. The United States population is around 322.7 million people, of which about 50 million people and 1.5 million children have hearing loss. Children with hearing loss often experience delayed development of speech, language and cognitive skills. In adults, hearing loss and deafness often make it difficult to obtain, perform and keep employment. Both children and adults may suffer from social stigmatization and isolation because of hearing loss.   

The Farmville Lions Club formed a partnership with Longwood’s Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, professor of Communications Sciences and Disorders and the director of Longwood Speech, Hearing and Learning Services (SHLS), and Dr. Mani Aguilar, SHLS clinical audiologist, to ensure the best possible service is provided for hearing problems.

In 2010, hearing conservation was presented to fourth-graders of Prince Edward County Public Schools through this partnership.

The presentation teaches fourth-graders about parts of the ear, facts about sound, how sound travels, what sounds are too loud, what sounds are safe and how to protect their hearing.

The yearly presentation has been so successful that we will also be presenting it to fourth-graders at Cumberland Elementary School this year.

The major benefit of our partnership is helping persons of need receive new hearing aids. Upon request from Social Services or STEPS, an immediate response is initiated by the Lions to interview and qualify the person for hearing evaluation and/or hearing aids.

A qualified person receives a letter from the Lions directing them to schedule an appointment with the audiologist and states the Lions will pay for the evaluation and hearing aid(s), if required.

The person is required to pay only a small token amount — whatever they can afford toward the hearing aid(s).

This allows the person to derive a physical sense of ownership of the aid(s) and lets the Lions assist more people.   

The Farmville Lions are extremely proud of the important role they continue to play in this vital mission and in promoting and financially assisting with charitable programs that serve our community and the world community.

For additional information, contact Farmville Lions Club Hearing Chairperson Tom McBride at (434) 223-7382 or tmcbride@embarqmail.com.

Our motto is “We serve.”

Tom McBride is the Farmville Lions Club Hearing Program chairperson. His email is tmcbride@embarqmail.com.