The Optical Vision Site

Opening Eyes with Santinelli

Jaysun Barr from Santinelli with participating athlete Mark

We like to bring you reports of our sponsors that are involved in programs that help with the vision requirements of those in need. It is good for the industry as well the people given vision assistance. It helps bring awareness of vision care to the general public and we encourage all in the optical industry to get involved with “Opening Eyes” for those in need whether in a big way like Eyes of Faith Optical who give back 10% of total sales or like Santinelli featured here in our post below who are heavily involved in the Special Olympics or even in a small, local community event one day a year. It is all good.

Today we are featuring Santinelli’s participation in the 2010 National Special Olympic Games held in Lincoln, Nebraska by providing lens edging equipment for the Opening Eyes portion of the Healthy Athletes program, while several company associates volunteered their time and services. Through the program, a total of 564 pairs of prescription eyewear were distributed to athletes.

According to the Special Olympics organization, research has shown that among Special Olympics athletes, 68 percent have not had an eye examination in three years and 37 percent are in need of eyeglasses. Opening Eyes provides diagnosis for vision related problems, as well as corrective and protective eyewear all free of charge. At the end of the screening, athletes receive a certificate detailing their vision needs and follow-up referrals for health care providers in their home areas, if needed. Athletes are also taught how to take better care of their eyes.

Two Santinelli lens edging systems were humming all the way through with company representatives Rick Noonkester, Jaysun Barr, Steve Ruef, Henry Bode and Donald Rosene processing the several hundred jobs for the athletes. Santinelli International has been a supporter of the Special Olympics games for over 12 years.

Great Job Santinelli!

Vision Rescue Brings Eyeglasses To Needy Students

Vision Rescue is a non-profit organization committed to providing new eyeglasses for impoverished students in third world countries.

Special Olympics broke the “Opening Eyes” World Record

This great story comes from Santinelli International’s Facebook page and we would like to share it with our readers. Good job guys:

According to the official report, the folks at Special Olympics broke the “Opening Eyes” world record of number of exams and eyewear produced/dispensed at any one event this weekend!

There were 950 exams and over 500 pair dispensed! Congratulations and thanks to all involved, especially Santinelli’s Jaysun Barr who… volunteered his time and effort during the three days of this special event! Santinelli supplied the eyeglass maker.

Kerry Hincka congratulates Sam Suchanek for placing first in the 25 meter butterfly swim during the Special Olympics. Sun Photograph by RYAN EVON

The Opening Eyes Vision Screening is where Special Olympics athletes can get an eye exam, and eye glasses, swim goggles, recreational specs, and sunglasses for free.

“We do it to help the athlete,” said Dr. Phil Irion, clinical director for Opening Eyes. “To help them see better to participate in their sport and in life.

“As a volunteer, there is the satisfaction of working with athletes with special needs.”

Irion said that the screening process to vision screen those who may not be readers, or who can’t speak, offers a learning opportunity for students and doctors.

“When we ask which one is better of the two, sometimes we just get a stare,” said Irion. “So, we ask, ‘Can you see a shape?’ and we have them show what shapes they are seeing.

“Our testing is pretty accurate. It would be better with a verbal athlete, but we can do objectives.”

The Opening Eyes program has been a part of the Michigan Special Olympics for 11 years.

“It started after Dr. Irion got involved with International Special Olympics,” said Nancy Walton, volunteer coordinator for Opening Eyes. “Eunice (Kennedy) Shriver said she wanted it at every Special Olympics.

“She wanted to see that every state has it.”

Walton said the three-day screening is funded by the Lions International Foundation and the American Foundation for Vision Awareness.

“Some states can only have this for half a day,” said Walton. “We’re lucky we have the funding.And we fabricate the glasses right here.”Walton said that many of the athletes live in group homes, and for those over the age of 21, Medicaid no longer provides vision care.”We didn’t realize that need when we first started,” said Walton. “We serve people aged 7 to 71, but a majority of our athletes are 20 to 40 years old.”

Karen Tribfelner of Bay City was waiting in line after line with her son, Jim, an athlete from Area 9. This is the fourth year he has been getting his eyes checked.”It’s a way to make sure he doesn’t have any vision problems,” said Tribfelner. “The staff is very nice, and it is a long wait.But it’s well worth it.”

There are 114 volunteers at the Opening Eyes screening, with a majority being optometrists.

“All lenses and frames are donated,” said Irion. “Internationally, we are doing the same testing, and we save all the data (from the athletes) from around the world. There are 750 screenings going on around the world.”

Irion said the Opening Eyes program normally gives away close to 500 to 900 glasses to athletes every year.

Share In Africa Provides Eyeglasses To Africans

Eyes on Africa (Share in Africa)  is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide eyeglasses to Africans. By cooperating with other groups they distribute glasses via clinics, schools, and churches. The people receiving the glasses are grateful for the opportunity to see, read, work, and enjoy life more fully.

Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians Giving Vision Services To Needy

Orange County Mobile Eye Clinic

Both Shirley and I in the course of our blogging sometimes forget about Eyecare Professionals Who Give Back. Fortunately we have some of our subscribers who remind us of Eyecare Professionals who have made a committment to Giving Back. Optometry Giving Sight, Dr, Victory J. Connors and Stephen Schock OD devote much time to support Optometry Giving Back, Robert Bell who help with the homeless in San Francisco area just to name a few who donate time to the needy.

Then we have  the Mobile Eye Care Program for the homeless and uninsured in Orange County, California. Sam Hahn of South Coast Eye is an optician who gives back. He sent us the latest update from the last Mobile Eyecare Program:

‘The Mobile Multi-Service Center clinic added Vision Care services to the list of extensive services offered free to the community. Over 250 homeless and low-income individuals received free medical and vision care, and were connected to medical and social resources.

A special thank you to all of the volunteer doctors, nurses, and supporters who stayed an extra TWO hours to ensure every client received care.

The Line For Vision Care

Vision Care services are critical for the high-risk homeless of Orange County. Federal data shows that OC has one of the highest proportions of overweight children and teens compared to the national average. The high-risk of diabetes and eye disease for these children increases the need for vision care. Last summer, the State Government cut glasses benefits to most of the adult MediCal population. Vision care services added to the MMSC provide free access to prescription eye glasses for all ages.

Mobile Eye Care Clinic for Homeless in Orange County

Mission Statement: To prevent the spread eye disease through early detection and improve the sight among the many thousands of homeless and impoverished children and adults in Orange County.

Who we are: We are a group of volunteer ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, and technicians working in affiliation with the Orange County Health Care Agency, The Lestonnac Free Clinic, and the nonprofit Illumination Foundation.

How we serve: We hold free clinics every couple of months at various sites throughout Orange County.  All patients are seen directly by an eye doctor, screened for any type of eye disease, and prescribed eye glasses as needed. Patients with an existing eye condition or at risk for future eye disease are referred for follow up treatment. Our clinic has on-site representatives from Medi-Cal and MSI, to help patients with eye disease obtain access to the ongoing ophthalmic care they need. Those patients who are ineligible for any type of insurance will be referred to The Lestonnac Free Clinic for their needed follow up treatment. All patients in need of prescription eyeglasses will be fitted for a new pair of free prescription eye glasses which will be delivered to the clinic site two weeks later for pick up.

What we need: Our program needs support in the following ways:

1) Volunteer Eye Care Professionals: We need volunteer ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, technicians and other interested support staff.

2) Exam Equipment: We are in need of larger items such as an autorefractor, phoropters, and slit lamps. We also need smaller items such as optical dispensing tools, a frame warmer, and parts for repairing glasses.

3) New Eye Glass Frames and New Prescription Lenses

4) Financial Donations and Corporate Sponsorship: We are seeking individual and corporate support to purchase exam equipment and materials when we are unable to obtain donations for them.

5) Grant Writers: volunteers who can help us with grants to expand our funding sources.

Anyone interested in helping us may contact Sam Hahn at (949)338-9340           or e-mail me at optical@southcoasteye.com

Prevent Blindness and Real Kids Shades Working For Children’s Eye Health

Jacinda and Shirley plus RKS Teddy Bears

While we were at VEE this weekend Cathy and I were determined to meet all of the organizations and people that we have been communicating with on our blog over the last year. We have done quite a few posts for Prevent Blindness America as this is one of the most active non-profit organizations within the optical community and we really want to support this organization and we think that most of our optical blog readers also support them.

It was a pleasure meeting Jacinda Adams, Vice President of Marketing and Development for Prevent Blindness America (PBA).

Here we are hugging our Real Kids Shades (RKS) teddy bears at the RKS booth. MFS Eyewear ,  Real Kids Shades are working with PBA to promote UV awareness and children’s eye health through the Star Pupil Program.

Transitions Optical, Santinelli and VSP Provide Mobile Eyecare

Transitions Optical and VSP Vision Care are launching a mobile eyecare clinic containing a state-of-the-art, comprehensive eye exam room, full eye glass dispensary and a full-service finishing lab with the capability to produce and distribute customized eye glasses to serve communities in need.

The inaugural event in Florida will kick-off a five-year partnership providing charitable eyecare services and educational outreach to underserved children and adults throughout the country. Bess the Book Bus with be there as well.

The partnership is the newest facet of the VSP Mobile Eyes Program, which was begun as an extension of relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The program now features two mobile eyecare clinics, each with two comprehensive exam rooms and full eyeglass dispensaries, which respond to disasters and assist people in need in communities throughout the U.S. The new clinic will be the third clinic in the fleet and has the unique feature of a finishing lab featuring full-service lens finishing equipment, donated by Santinelli International, providing patients with glasses on-site.

Students from Azalea Elementary School in Pinellas County, Fla., are the first to benefit from the new clinic. The evaluation process for students included initial screenings by Prevent Blindness Florida. Students who fail the screenings will be given comprehensive examinations in the clinic, staffed by VSP eye doctors. For students requiring prescription lenses, VSP and Transitions Optical will provide the students with complimentary eyewear fitted with Transitions lenses.

“With one in four children having an undetected vision problem that can interfere with their ability to learn, proper eyecare and eyewear is critical to their performance inside the classroom and in their everyday lives,” said Dave Cole, managing director, Transitions Optical. “We are proud to partner with VSP to provide this important service to families and communities most in need throughout the country, including those right here in our own community. This effort embodies our mission to help raise awareness about the need for healthy, quality sight.”

“

Optical Volunteering Booms

According to Parade Magazine our nation is in the midst of a volunteering boom. A Parade survey has identified three distinct types of Americans who are driving change in our communities and country today.

YEPPIES (Young, Engaged Problem Solvers)

Yeppies – a group of young people distinguished by reliance on social media and socializing to fuel their activism – came into existence only a few years ago.

Rapid Responders

Rapid Responders are not out to improve the entire world – their civil engagement is much more focused and personal. Their causes tend to stem from a specific problem, like a health or neighborhood issue that has come to their attention.

The Mission-Minded

The Mission-Minded consist of mostly older Americans who are largely motivated by their faith. Generous with time and money, they’re the most likely of the three types to travel in order to volunteer.

We see this volunteering boom reflected in the optical community too. Never has the optical industry had so many companies and individuals volunteering – Optical Volunteering Booms. Here are just a few websites of  “not-for-profit groups involved in sight and vision:

• The Alcon Foundation – www.alcon.com
• Essilor Vision Foundation - www.essilorvisionfoundation.org
• Eyecare America – www.eyecareamerica.org
• Florida’s Vison Quest - www.flvq.org
• Hellen Keller Foundation – www.helenkellerfoundation.org
• Lighthouse International - www.lighthouse.org
• Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) – www.lionsclub.org or www.lcif.org
• New Eyes for the Needy – www.neweyesfortheneedy.org
• OneSight - www.onesight.org
• Optometry Giving Sight – www.givingsight.org
• Prevent Blindness America – www.preventblindness.org
• Restoringvision.org – www.restoringvision.org
• Unite for Sight - www.uniteforsight.org
• United Sight - www.unitedsight.org
• VisionSpring – www.visionspring.org
• Vision 2020 – www.v2020.org

Source: Parade Magazine. Compilation of webistes by Reade Fahs and Janet Callif from The Vision Council Winter meeting, 2010.