EYECARE FOR THE RURAL POOR

wherever the mobile clinic goes especially  in remote barangays  throngs of poor people arrive for vision services

EyeCare WeCare Foundation for the last 8 years has received donated eyeglasses from the Northwest Kiwanis Clubs SOS Program. on a continual basis.  Cleaned and graded eyeglasses are  received for almost every vision mission from the Northwest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center(NWLERC).  In the last two years  the foundation has received three large donations of eyeglasses from the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation. The very latest vision mission in May 2010 in Pampanga the NWLERC could not supply the graded eyeglasses so the Texas Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center provided,  along with the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation. The rest of the donated eyeglasses have come from local Lions Clubs and many many individuals.

New "close out" frames and uncut lenses from optical labs and suppliers have also been useful. The foundation received over 15,000 new frames and 30 cases of uncut lenses that were donated by Carl Zeiss Vision in 2007. They will be very useful when the optical lab is operational. Hopefully it will be funded so it can be shipped to the Philippines and built by December of 2010.

The plastic optical bags that the eyeglasses are placed in after the power has been determined and graded  have been donated by a wholesale optical lab, Vision Craft Inc,  in Yakima, Washington. Owner Marvin Calahan has donated to the foundation around 150,000 of the bags.

The optical equipment and optometry instrument have been donated by independent doctors of optometry as well as optical suppliers. The Major donors have been Mr. Paul Caletti, Mr. Paul VanderWel, Dr. Jane Gan, Dr. Harold Bircumshaw, Dr. Steve Wells, Dr. Milt McCrum,  Dr. Michael Woods,   Mr.  Keith Meadowcraft, Wal*Mart Health and Wellness Division, Ms. Chris Morgan Jones, Dr. Scott Beasley, Karl Newlun,  Dr Shelby Robinson, Susan Damilao, Dr. Robert Schnipper,  Dr. Deloris Frairie and Dr. Nancy Torgerson. As the foundation grows, it will need more and more instruments, equipment, supplies and donated  eyeglasses.

Other Medical Equipment and supplies has been donated by AmeriCares, SEE International, EYEsee, MAP International and Pacific Cataract Laser Institute .

The Alcon Foundation's Medical Mission Outreach in Fort Worth, Texas has donated eye medications and cataract surgery supplies for the June 2007, December 2007/January 2008, June 2008, January 2009 and June 2009. Bausch & Lomb donated  the eye medications for the January 2010  and the recent May 2010 medical mission to Pampanga. These medical supplies and donated equipment have been given special attention by the airlines. Philippine Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines  have all allowed the medications and medical supplies to be carried with us when we travel and have done so at no charge. The LBC Foundation has given us free ocean cargo shipping for the shipment of the used eyeglasses for the medical missions.  Thank you doesn't to be enough for all of our supporters.

                The final outcome is smiles and a great change in quality of life when vision is restored

The Philippines has around 80 Million people and contains some of the world poorest population, particularly in the remote rural areas. Those areas have very little or no access at all to quality health care. Early cataracts are quite common, actually the 4th highest incidence in the world. Diabetes and diabetic retinopathies are very common. Retinitis Pigmentosa is seen in the Philippines at a very high rate. The World Health Organization rates the Philippines ---especially remote rural areas of the Philippines, as some of the highest rates in the World for low vision. River Blindness (Onchocerciasis) although is very rare, there have  been cases reported in the Philippines. The Foundation also educates the people  the recipients  by counseling and providing them with written brochures.

While almost all organizations that have done charitable vision care, in the Philippines, almost all have concentrated their efforts the large cities. The Foundation is targeting the remote islands and the remote rural areas to bring the poor people free vision care. Kids even thought they are poor, they always have a happy smile that always tugs at your heart.

Send mail to info@eyecarewecare.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 06/05/10