Residents Get Free Eye Exams, Glasses at Annual Vision Screening

The Grand Terrace Lions Club hosted their annual California Friends in Sight Vision Screening event on Jan. 18. Although the hours for the screenings were announced as 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., people began to line up outside of the Lions Club facility even before the sun rose — as early as 5:30 a.m. Calvin Smith, of Riverside, was one of those people who was first in line early Saturday morning. He had needed glasses for a long time and was glad to hear about the Vision Screening from a friend who is a nurse. “This is such a great opportunity,” Smith said. “This has helped me out a lot. Especially getting older, my eyesight is getting worse and with this economy…well, this helps me a lot.” Dani Bubier, the Grand Terrace Lions Club treasurer and chairman for the California In Sight committee, had organized the event this year. “We hope to see about 300 people today," he said. "Our District 4 Lions Clubs (which is mainly in San Bernardino and Riverside counties) are here helping to coordinate this event. They are all out almost every weekend in Southern California with these vision screenings. We have 63 members working here today, along with members of the Grand Terrace High School Leo Club and the University of Redlands Campus Lions Club to help.” Looking at the bustling crowd of people in various stages of the process, Bubier flashed smiles at everyone and then paused to add, “This is what we do. We serve.” After an initial registration of providing name and age, the individuals seeking help for their vision were then sent to a room where diagnostic machines were used to test the eyes, and in people over 40, a glaucoma test was administered. Then they were ushered into the main floor to await a personal exam with Dr. Brian Van Dusen, an optometrist who checked their eyes and discussed any vision issue that needed further treatment. Van Dusen explained that the goal of the program was to fill a gap by providing the vision screening and issuing prescribed glasses as a temporary way to help the people get by until further attention could be obtained. “In 2008, Medicaid stopped the glasses benefits so people 21 and over can no longer get vision help," he said. "With these vision screenings, we’re trying to help the people most in need." After seeing the doctor, people were then sent to an area where they awaited Lions Club members who pulled glasses that matched their prescription needs. Once their name was called, they would be given several pairs of glasses to try on and decide which one was right for them. When that decision was made, they were then sent to an area where technicians checked the glasses for any problems and then adjusted them to the individual person’s face. For Maria and Jesus Plascencia of Highland, it was their first time at a Lions Club Vision Screening. Maria was very pleased with her new glasses, broadly grinning as she said, “I can finally see, it feels wonderful.” Ruthanne Christianson, the Grand Terrace club secretary, had helped Maria as she tried on the different pairs of glasses. Christianson stated, “I thoroughly enjoy these screenings. It’s always so rewarding because you get to see that smile on all the faces as they look up and can see again.” One of the founding members of the program, Don Ranney, shared that the group completes about 34 screenings a year, going out two to three times a month for scheduled events. “We have done this for over 25 years,” said Ranney. He said that the eye glasses are gathered by collection boxes placed at most optometry offices and other places. Once the glasses are donated, they are sanitized, run through a Lensometer for their prescription and then put into the catalog of over 15,000 glasses and reading glasses inventoried by the group. Dottie Allen, president of the California Lions Friends in Sight, was just about everywhere as the event was going on. She shared that the club also makes about six trips into Mexico with the screening clinics and last year had made at least one visit into Ghana, Africa. “In Ghana we went to villages along the Volta River," she said. "We took a lot of glasses for children and saw a lot of people. Our last trip there taught us a lot about what we will need for next time.” If you are interested in donating glasses you can contact your local optometrist’s office or the Lions Club nearest you. If you would like to volunteer to help at a vision screening, contact your nearest Lions Club, and people in need of a vision screening can check the website for scheduled events at http://www.californialionsfriendsinsight.org/upcoming_screenings_2014.html.