Growth & relocation
After becoming established, the Eye Bank later moved to the Wills Eye Hospital on Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia and remained there from 1964 until 1980 when Wills Eye Hospital moved to a new facility at 900 Walnut Street. The Eye Bank was housed there from 1980 until 1994. When it became evident the Eye Bank’s growth required additional space, together with the region’s organ procurement organization (OPO), it relocated to leased space in Philadelphia’s Rodin Building. In 2005, Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley again relocated with the regional OPO, Gift of Life Donor Program, and moved to a new facility at 401 N. 3rd Street in Philadelphia.
Your Eye Bank today
Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley grew from one or two donors per year to recovering approximately 1,500 eye donations, and facilitating over 1,000 corneal transplants annually. From a largely volunteer staff in the early days, the Eye Bank now has a professional staff of 18, an annual budget of over 4 million dollars and a Board of Trustees representing Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.