WELLSVILLE — When the Belfast Lions Club’s former president Edward Eicher’s sight was suddenly compromised he didn’t know where to go to get help dealing with everyday living difficulties.

After a while, the Wellsville resident found his way to the Allegany County Association for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (ACABVH) and the help he needed to deal with navigating around his home, cooking, reading and even walking the dog. Today, he sits on that organization’s board of directors and has made it his mission to make its services more well known to the people in the four-county area it reaches.

Part of Eicher’s campaign took place Thursday when he presented, on behalf of the Belfast Lions Club, a $4,000 check to ACABVH. He explained that the funds were the result of a four-month-long raffle organized by Belfast Lions president Josh Hazelton.

“He organized and ran it by himself,” Eicher said of the event, which not only ended up in a $4,000 donation but also awarded $4,000 in prize money to the participants. The Lions Club raffle came to an end in May.

“It was very successful, and Josh (Hazleton) deserves all the credit for it,” Eicher said.

ACABVH director Janette Thomas; Joanne Green, financial and client services specialist; and Diana Pease, board president, accepted the donation from the Lions Thursday.

Thomas said the funds will be used to purchase more equipment to help the blind or visually handicapped and to provide more client services.

“We have a variety of appliances available in the office, including handheld magnifiers, talking clocks and watches, cooking aids and electronics magnifiers that attach to the computer to increase the size, and self-standing magnifiers that increase the size of print media and to help with reading,” she said.

Clients can purchase or borrow many of the items, such as lighted, handheld, pocket size, magnifiers that can be used in low-light situations to read menus.

The organization also sponsors a low-vision clinic on the first Monday of each month when Dr. John Lundquist from the New York Center for the Visually Impaired in West Seneca sees and advises clients. His services are by appointment only. Any New York state resident who is legally blind may be eligible for services provided by the New York State Commission for the Blind.

The Allegany County Legislature contributes $20,000 annually to ACABVH, which helps to keep the doors open and pay workers. The office, located on Jefferson Street (near the American Legion) is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as by appointment at other times by calling (585) 593-2023.

Eicher’s goal is to make sure the blind or visually handicapped people in the area are aware of the services offered locally and which can be free of charge.

“The organization makes living with impaired vision easier in multiple ways,” he said. “This is the only organization of its kind in the counties around Allegany and more people need to be aware of what is available here.”

ACABVH sponsors an Awareness Fair yearly at the American Legion, where people with low vision can see the many aids that are now available to help them navigate their lives.

Pennsylvania residents may also be seen in the Wellsville office for services.