What began in 2013 with one mobile clinic in Los Angeles has become a national movement to help children see better.
Vision to Learn’s mission, to put eyeglasses on any child who needs them, has spread across 15 states, including Georgia five years ago. From the Peachtree Corners office, the nonprofit connects with communities through mobile clinics that offer screenings, testings and fittings. This year, three clinics roamed the state, stopping at schools and community centers to connect with the kids who needed help seeing.
During the summer, one of the strongest connections has been with local libraries, said Ayanna Browne-Magee, the regional director.
“We’ve partnered with libraries in Cobb and Gwinnett since our first summer, and we’ve now added Fulton and Clayton,” she said. “Around April, I reach out and let them know what days we’ll have open, and from there we decide what locations to go to.”
This summer, the mobile clinics have booked about 3,200 appointments at six locations each in Cobb and Gwinnett counties, eight in Fulton and six in Clayton.
“This is the first summer we could triple our capacity since we’re working five days a week with three clinics and seven contracted doctors,” said Browne-Magee. “We can usually see about 28 kids a day, but even so, we usually have long waiting lists.”
Those who do snag appointments are given exams by an optometrist at no cost. About 85% of those screened are prescribed glasses, and they can pick from the 90 frames each clinic stocks. Kids also get a final fitting with an optician when the lenses and frames are finished. For many, it’s the first time they’ve seen an eye professional.
“A lot of times, a child has complained about not being able to see, but the parents have never been to an eye doctor,” said Browne-Magee. “For a lot of kids, we’re their only optical home they’ve known, and we’ve seen them for four years.”
The organization is funded through grants and donations. Some of its biggest supporters are the Atlanta Hawks, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and school foundations in Gwinnett and Fulton counties.
No documents are required to sign up for appointments.
For more details, go to visiontolearn.org/where-we-work/Georgia.
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