[one-half-first](KAUAI, HAWAII, SEPTEMBER 21, 2O16) – Vision To Learn (VTL) and Project Vision Hawaii (PVH) examined 99 children, and provided 56 pairs of free eyeglasses to Kauai children at Kapaa and Kekaha Elementary Schools on Tuesday, September 20 in partnership with the Ha-waii State Department of Education.
Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho assisted with distribution of glasses at Kekaha Elemen-tary School.
“Our team and partners are excited to share the gift of sight with Kauai’s keiki,” said Annie Valentin, executive director of PVH. “We look forward to expanding this program to new areas and helping Hawaii’s keiki see more clearly so they can learn and thrive.”
“Vision To Learn is proud to bring our services to Kauai, as part of our goal to provide glasses to every child in need throughout Hawaii,” said Austin Beutner, Founder and Chair of Vision To Learn. “Through our work with Project Vision Hawaii, we have established a model that can serve students throughout the islands.”
The free glasses delivery follows a series of vision screenings in August at Kapaa and Kekaha Elementary coordinated by VTL, PVH and Hawaii Keiki Nurses, with support from the Kauai Li-ons Clubs. Later in August, Vision To Learn optometrists worked out of Project Vision’s mobile clinic to facilitate follow-up eye exams for students who were referred from the screenings. Stu-dents who required prescription glasses chose their frames from a wide selection of colors and sizes. In the past year, Vision To Learn and Project Vision Hawaii have provided over 4,000 screenings, 725 exams and 448 glasses to students in Oahu and Kauai.
All services – from screening and exam to the creation of prescription glasses – were provided to students free-of-charge; this was made possible in part by funding from Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Annie Sinclair Knudsen Memorial Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, and Saltchuk Hawaii (Young Brothers Limited, Aloha Air Cargo, and Hawaii Petroleum).
Vision To Learn estimates that throughout Hawaii, as many as 15,000 students lack the glasses they need to see the board, read a book and effectively participate in school. The free glasses project aims to bridge the gap in access faced by many students and their families in low-income communities.
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About Project Vision Hawaii
Established in 2011, PVH provides free mobile vision and health screenings to Hawaii’s underserved communities. Project Vision is dedicated to early detection of eye diseases and disorders and providing better access to health for Hawaii. To date, PVH has screened more than 22,000 individuals statewide. For more information, visit www.ProjectVisionHawaii.org // @ProjectVisionHawaii on Facebook and Instagram, @ProjectVisionHi on Twitter.
About Vision To Learn
Vision To Learn began operations in Los Angeles in 2012, and now serves kids in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland and Michigan. To date Vision To Learn has screened more than 325,000 kids, examined more than 60,000 and provided glasses to 45,000. UCLA research shows that Vision To Learn has a direct impact on education outcomes for children supported by the program and improves the learning environment for the entire classroom and school. Vision To Learn serves the needs of the hardest-to-reach kids in low-income communities. More than 89% of kids served by Vision To Learn live in poverty and 87% are kids of color.
About the Lions
The Lions Clubs International was founded in 1917 and as the largest volunteer organization in the world. Lions live the motto “WE SERVE.” The international mission statement is to be the global leader in community and humanitarian service. More information at www.HawaiiLions.org
About Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has provided total health to the people of Hawaii for more than 50 years, with physicians who are members of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty physician group practice in the state of Hawaii. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. Visit kp.org for additional information. Become a fan of good health with Kaiser Permanente Hawaii: @KPHawaii on Facebook and Twitter.
About Saltchuk Hawaii
Saltchuk Hawaii Companies consist of Aloha Air Cargo, Hawaii Petroleum, Minit Stop Shops, Young Brothers Limited and Foss Hawaii. Young Brothers Limited provides scheduled cargo services by barge throughout the Hawaiian Islands; Hawaii Petroleum provides fuel distribution services; Aloha Air Cargo provides air cargo services throughout the Hawaiian Islands; Foss Maritime provides harbor ship assist services; and Minit Stop locations provide convenience retail services on Maui and Hawaii. More information at www.SaltChuk.com
