When I think about the people I want to honor on Veterans Day, I don’t have to look far. Right here at LSH, on our own Board of Directors, we have a wonderful example in our Vice President, Scott Quinlan.

Scott joined the Army at 19 and served six years of military service just before the first Gulf War. “I was lucky,” Scott says, “I’m a peacetime vet.”

But Scott began to face other challenges when he lost his sight to diabetic retinopathy and had to relearn how to function in the world. Despite these challenges, he went back to school, eventually earning a master’s degree in social work at California State University in Long Beach.

Scott continued his service by becoming heavily involved with veterans’ groups. He began volunteering at the VA and working with the Blinded Veterans Association. He also started volunteering with the Long Beach Blind Veterans Rehab Center.

“I’ve just got a special bond with veterans,” Scott says, “being a vet myself. Even though I’m not a war veteran, what you do in the military is so different from everyday life. It doesn’t matter if you’re Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, it’s the same.”

At the center in Long Beach, Scott helps vets with everything from claims to technical issues to counseling. Relearning how to deal with technology as a blind person can be especially challenging, he says. “Seeing somebody frustrated, having a hard time with the technology, if I can make it easier, start to see them master something, it’s very rewarding.”

As a longtime member of the Huntington Beach Host Lions Club, Scott was introduced to LSH Foundation and our mission in 2017 by Hal Stearns, LSH Foundation’s past President. Scott continues to serve on our Board of Directors and is active in our efforts to help restore sight & hearing in our California service area. Scott lives in Fountain Valley with his wife and his service dog, Irish and also volunteers with other organizations that help members of his community.

Just as Lions’ Clubs recognize and honor veterans (through their Involve-a Veterans program), we here at at Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation of Southern California want to recognize and honor all of the veterans that have made our organization what it is today.

Thank you Scott and all those who have served.

Is there a veteran you would like to remember today with a special donation recognizing their service and helping LSH continue our mission? We will add these special individuals to LSH’s Honor Wall.

Sincerely