(PRESS RELEASE) RANCHO CORDOVA, CA — As VSP Vision Eyes of Hope celebrates 25 years of providing no-cost eye care and eyewear to people in need, it builds on that promise by investing $1 million in two key initiatives. The VSP Eyes of Hope gift certificates are being simplified and enhanced in the most significant update in a decade, and the VSP Eyes of Hope mobile clinics are returning to care in partnership with eye doctors who volunteer their time to the program.
“VSP Eyes of Hope remains a clear example of our purpose in action and a direct channel for VSP Vision to engage with individuals and communities in need,” said Michael Guyette, president and CEO of VSP Vision. “By continuing to invest in these key initiatives, we remain focused on supporting better health equity across the country by increasing access to eye care and eyewear in places where it’s needed most.”
Gift Certificates Enhanced
Launched 25 years ago as VSP Sight for Students, VSP Eyes of Hope gift certificates today provide access to no-cost vision care for 50,000 adults and children annually through VSP network doctors who are reimbursed. In response to a growing need for vision care among disadvantaged communities, exacerbated by the pandemic, the program updates make it easier for adults and children to access high quality, no-cost vision care from a local VSP network doctor.
VSP Eyes of Hope gift certificates now include coverage for adults and children, and the frame coverage is being expanded to include all Marchon Eyewear and Altair Eyewear brands up to a $150 retail frame allowance. While the Sight for Students brand is being discontinued, charitable partners including the American Red Cross, Prevent Blindness, National Association of School Nurses, Lions Clubs, and state optometric associations will continue to distribute Eyes of Hope gift certificates to individuals who qualify.
Mobile Clinics Back on the Road
Since they first responded to the needs of the New Orleans community after Hurricane Katrina, the VSP Eyes of Hope mobile clinics have remained foundational to removing barriers to care and helping people experience all that is possible through clear vision. The mobile clinics partner with charitable organizations and local eye doctors to deliver no-cost eye exams and prescription glasses to communities in need. The mobile clinics are fully equipped with an eye exam room, portable eye exam lanes, an eyewear dispensary stocked with Marchon Eyewear and Altair Eyewear frames, and a finishing lab to produce prescription eyewear for many patients the same day they are provided care.
Recently, the VSP Eyes of Hope mobile clinics partnered with the San Diego County Optometric Society at Monarch School, which provides an education and social services for K-12 students experiencing homelessness in San Diego, CA. At Florida A&M University, in the first event of a multi-year partnership, VSP Eyes of Hope mobile clinics joined with Black EyeCare Perspectiveto provide vision care to students who may not otherwise have access and increase awareness of the optometric profession.
VSP Eyes of Hope initiatives, together with network doctors, have provided access to no-cost eye care and eyewear for more than 3.6 million people in need.
For doctors interested in learning more about VSP Eyes of Hope programs and how they can support local communities, visit here.