Volunteers from The Rotary Club of Santa Monica gathered at Upward Bound House on Friday, May 30 to perform vision pre-screening of children from both the Santa Monica and Culver City Upward Bound House locations.
This project was performed in partnership with Vision to Learn, an organization that provides free eye exams and free glasses to elementary school age children in low-income communities throughout California.
Children who did not pass the preliminary eye exam will have the opportunity to have a free optometrist exam in Vision to Learn’s mobile clinic.
If glasses are needed, the children may choose their own frames. The mobile clinic returns to fit the new glasses and to teach the children about proper care and maintenance.
Nora MacLellan, volunteer outreach coordinator at Vision to Learn, said the initiative was important for today’s youth.
“Children who would not otherwise get glasses are getting the chance to succeed,” MacLellan said. “Once they receive glasses, they immediately do better in school, their behavior in the classroom is better, and they’re more attentive and focused.”
Sharon Perlmutter Gavin, the event organizer and Director of Community & Youth Service at the Rotary Club of Santa Monica, said the club was so pleased to join with Vision to Learn to meet a real-world need in the community.
“It is heartwarming to know that we can make such a positive impact on these children’s lives,” Gavin said.
Upward Bound House is located at 1104 Washington Avenue in Santa Monica. Its mission is to eliminate homelessness among families with children by providing housing, supportive services and advocacy.
