“Blind Faith” Leads to Sight for the Blind

CEO Amanda Childress and Board Member Jermaine Ofori on Good Morning Texas

Yesterday I had the pleasure of
meeting Amanda Childress and Jermaine Ofori, CEO and board member of Grace
for Impact. Amanda is local to Dallas, but Jermaine flew in from the East Coast
to appear live on the Good Morning Texas broadcast, alongside his friend and
co-laborer. I was backstage with the two. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of
preparing to be interviewed, their passion for what they do at Grace for
Impact was still the most prevalent energy in the room. They were humble
and grateful for the opportunity to share their vision with the Good Morning
Texas viewers.

Grace for Impact is a non-profit, 501c3, international development organization that focuses on access to high quality healthcare and education, in some of the poorest countries of the world where the need is greatest. They served over 76,000 beneficiaries in 2018; stretching every dollar they receive, with only a 5% operational overhead. One of their areas of expertise is restoring sight to the “needlessly blind”, a term I learned yesterday. It means that not having access to proper medical resources often times leads to people being blind, when 80% of all blindness worldwide is reversible and treatable.

Grace for Impact is collaborating with hundreds of world-class surgeons, ophthalmologists, and other medical professionals to restore sight to 1,000 people, in 2019! In an effort to raise money for this noble endeavor, they are hosting a charity event they’ve entitled, “A Night for Sight”. Amanda and Jermaine both beamed as they spoke about A Night for Sight. It will be their biggest event of the year and the first of its kind. Not your average charity gala; A Night for Sight will be a night of exotic flavors and music, a silent auction, and immersive experiences that demonstrate the life changing power of restoring sight. Lady Jade of K104 will be hosting the event and the prestigious Bandan Koro African Drum & Dance Ensemble will grace the stage!

CEO, Amanda Childress, has 17
years’ experience in the field of international development, and has been with
Grace for Impact for two and a half years. When asking Amanda why Grace for
Impact is hosting the event, she explained how competitive the non-profit
industry is. “You have to fight for every dollar, and the money only trickles
in.” She said, with heartfelt concern. She also expressed her deep
gratitude for their corporate sponsor, Axxess, who pays nearly all the
operational expenses for Grace for Impact. Jermaine praised how efficiently
Amanda gets everything done. He expressly called her a “wizard” (smile).

I asked Jermaine why he was
involved in Grace for Impact, living so far away. He answered, “I wanted to
do something more and be a part of something that was bigger than me and more
meaningful.” Jermaine is a health professional and Fellow of the American
College of Healthcare Executives, who lives in Delaware with his wife and two
children. I wondered how he manages to find the time to serve Grace for Impact
so faithfully. To that he answered, “You just have to make it a part of your
everyday life and get your family involved.” He demonstrated this principle
by bringing his children to an event in Dallas this past Spring and his wife
will be here with him to attend the A Night for Sight charity event.

A Night for Sight will take place at the Eisemann Center, located in Richardson, TX, on Saturday, September 28, beginning at 5:30pm. Tickets are going fast! If you want to enjoy a great evening out and help make a difference in the lives of thousands of people, please get your tickets today. A general admission ticket will cover half the cost of restoring sight to one person. A VIP ticket will cover the entire cost of restoring sight to one person. 100% of the proceeds of the event will be dedicated to the sight-restoring campaign. A Night for Sight promises to be a life-changing and rewarding experience for everyone. I’ve learned from Amanda and Jermaine that life has a way, of making a way, when you prioritize what’s important. Because of them, and all the people who support Grace for Impact, applying this principle: The blind faith to do something unheard of, has led to sight for the blind for thousands of people – and counting…

TEXT ‘SIGHT’ to 444999 for immediate mobile
access! Or, see links below for more details. Grace for Impact sight
is also looking for volunteers to help with all the needs of operation. Hope to
see you there!

Grace for Impact website

A Night for Sight Ticket Sales

Grace for Impact Mobile Deck

Good Morning Texas Interview