The future is a little bit clearer for some San Diego high school students, given a new pair of glasses.
This week, the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) is partnering with VSP Vision Eyes of Hope to bring free services to underserved and marginalized communities.
The art room at 37ECB community school in City Heights was transformed Wednesday, into an exam area. Volunteer optometrists examined the vision of students.
It was the first time for many of them.
“I thought I only had one bad eye, but I guess I have two," said Mariah Jordan, 15, a junior at the school.
"It's really hard driving at night time. I always squint. Like when I see somebody far away, I always have to squint. I can’t see from that far," she said.
Along with the eye exam, students receive prescription lenses put in frames of their choice. Those free eyeglasses are often available by the end of the school day, produced on-site in the VSP mobile clinic, which is the size of a school bus.
“After they get their glasses, a lot of the teachers report the kids are more engaged in the classroom. They say their grades improve, and they pay attention just because they can see better," said Torreyana Tripette, a VSP Vision Mobile Clinic operations coordinator.
Students are being helped because their families don’t have vision insurance.
VSP Vision Eyes of Hope is the first nonprofit eye health company providing services to underserved and marginalized communities. The company has a fleet of three mobile clinics that travel across the country every year. Adults are helped as well as children. Services depend on the specific needs of a community.
“They’re just going through life. When they're able to put their glasses on at the end of the day, their eyes open up. (They say), 'This is what the world is supposed to look like! Trees have leaves!'" Tripette said.
