1380 Spahn Avenue, York, PA

I trust everyone reading this enjoyed our long hot summer and is ready to rake those leaves and settle in for a hopefully not so long winter. Maybe we will have snow on Christmas Eve lasting through New Years day and then have it melt and enjoy a warm winter - at least I can wish!

This issue I would like to address the importance of giving to United Way to support  ForSight  Vision and agencies like us! I would like to relay a story to you of how the United Way touches all of us!

Thanks to your giving generosity – ForSight Vision can offer services that directly benefi t  our community.  In my case thanks to the generosity of our community – I still have my son!  My story is absolutely true and is directly related to giving to the United Way…. So here I go…

About 23 years ago – I had the opportunity to take a first aid course offered by the Red Cross paid for by United Way funding.  I took the course and learned basic first aid skills, CPR and other life saving skills. The classes were very enlightening, and I was very happy I took the certification, never thinking I would very soon put what I learned into a real life situation.

My oldest son, Andy, is now 27 years old. Both of my children and I have always been very close as we are still today even though they are grown and have lives of their own.  We did almost every family activity together - both kids were active in sports and band.  Approximately three weeks after my first aid training – I was grocery shopping with Andy who was four years old at the time. I had him in the seat of those old grocery carts – we were having a great time eating cookies and getting all the things we knew we were going to get in trouble for buying!  We were in the store for about an hour and were getting to the last two aisles.  Our cart was full and Andy was getting anxious to get out of the cart and I did not feel like chasing him all over the store.  I reached into the cart and pulled out a bottle of apple juice we had not yet paid for - opened the lid and threw it in the cart.  I left the cart for a few seconds to get some eggs. When I returned, Andy’s face was bright red and there were tears coming down his pudgy cheeks.  He could not talk or breathe.  I opened his mouth with my fingers only to see the apple juice cap barely visible deep in his throat.  While avoiding panic, I pulled Andy from the cart, turned him around and began applying upward thrusts to his sternum area as I was taught.  On the second thrust – out popped the apple juice cap along with the contents of all the junk he had eaten in the grocery store. He immediately began to cry as did I knowing the love of my life could have choked to death had I not known what to do!

Working for ForSight Vision, my co-workers and I are frequently asked to talk about what United Way funding does for us.  The funding ForSight Vision receives from United Way allows our agency to provide pre-school vision screening to thousands of children.  Many, many eye conditions are discovered at this early screening that will help prevent blindness down the road!

In my case – the United Way through your giving provided funding to the Red Cross to teach me the basic skills to save my son’s life.  Not a day goes by that I do not think of the consequences.   Give to the United Way. It benefi ts all of us in so many ways!

Have a Great Holiday Season!

Carl HoHoHosier

Carl Hosier is the Director of Operations
ForSight Industries/ForSight Imaging