An Afternoon at St. Anne’s Catholic School

On December 10th, 32 students from St. Anne’s Catholic School in Santa Monica, California gathered in the auditorium for a special celebration. One by one, students crossed the stage, were handed their brand-new Vision To Learn glasses, and had the chance to show off their new look to their classmates. As the students adjusted to their new lenses, their eyes lit up behind the colorful frames, applause erupting each time a student gazed out towards the audience. One student shouted out, “They really work!”. The event was made possible by Mona and AJ Jain and was especially impactful because their children, Gavin and Sofia, were able to join in on the fun. 

AJ Jain says, “Our family foundation’s primary focus is to provide support for children and education. While we often speak to our own children about expressing gratitude, having them hand out glasses to children of the same age in their own community allowed them to see firsthand the impact of giving. We hope this experience will inspire them to continue to give to others who may be less fortunate.” 

A pair of glasses can give a student who needs them newfound confidence and academic ability. Jain explains, “The simplicity of how a pair of glasses can be so transformational in a child’s educational journey truly resonates with our family. We believe that if a child has the ability to see properly, they have the opportunity to be more confident, chart a new path, and make a positive impact on the world.”

The students of St. Anne’s were buzzing with excitement once they got their new glasses, taking special care to look around the room to see how things appeared differently now that they were seeing clearly. Mr. Jain described the experience: “You could see in their eyes how happy these kids were; how proud they were; and how grateful they were.  Many of the children came up to our family afterward and said ‘thank you’ once again. To be able to witness the direct impact of our gift in real-time was invaluable.”

What Vision To Learn does is simple but not easy and the support from the Jain Family is a great example of how a community can work together to make a difference.