The Sight Center of Northwestern PA is the recipient of the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations (PANO) accreditation, it announced Tuesday.

The Sight Center is now one of only two non-profits in Erie to earn the designation.

The accreditation process took about two years.

"To me, it's like having the good housekeeping seal of approval," said Linda Hackshaw, executive director of the Sight Center. "It tells our community, it tells the people we serve, and it tells future donors that we adhere to the highest standards in ethics and accountability."

The Sight Center provides services for people who are blind or suffer from vision problems to help promote independence.

Its biggest fundraiser - Dining in the Dark - is Thursday, Oct. 26. People eat dinner wearing blindfolds to simulate what it is like to have vision loss.

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