FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Jan. 20, 2020
BLOOMINGTON, IN—Every Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Indiana University School of Optometry, cancels classes and closes its Atwater Eye Care Center for the school’s Day of Vision. This event is a partnership with the Salvation Army. IU School of Optometry students, faculty, and staff volunteer their time on Day of Vision at AECC to provide free eye exams and glasses to people in need throughout the Bloomington community.
On Jan. 20, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., 90 IUSO volunteers saw 60 patients scheduled by the Salvation Army. The students all had specific roles on Day of Vision. First-year students assisted with checking patients in and out, second-year students helped run the Eye Wear Center, and third- and fourth-years students conducted eye exams that were then checked by IUSO doctors and residents.
“This has historically been one of the most fulfilling experiences IUSO has to offer and one of our largest outreach events,” says Marissa Nicotra, a second-year IUSO student and vice president of Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH). Nicotra coordinated Day of Vision with IUSO Chief of Primary Eye Care Services Dr. Patricia Henderson and Manager of Clinical Operations Jami Stoute.
Besides free eye exams, students helped the patients select new frames with polycarbonate lenses. The patients will get their free glasses in about two weeks.
“People in Bloomington count on us for their vision needs and our day off can be used for the betterment of someone’s life,” explains Nicotra.
IUSO emphasis outreach to the most vulnerable populations. The school’s students regularly engage in community outreach locally and internationally. Besides Day of Vision, IUSO students and faculty volunteer their time to do eye screenings at the Special Olympics in Terre Haute, IN, each June.
For students like Nicotra, outreach is an important part of their future in optometry. “Essentially through my career,” says Nicotra, “I want to continue striving and fulfilling the vision my mom had for me—to be a person who works hard and gives back to the world.”
About the Atwater Eye Care Center: Owned and operated by the Indiana University School of Optometry, the Atwater Eye Care Center provides eye exams and specialty eye care services to Bloomington patients of all kinds—from infants to senior citizens—to address health needs that extend well beyond the eyes. AECC has one of the best eyewear selections in Indiana, with frames for all ages, lifestyles, and budgets.
Media Contact
Amanda Zuicens-Williams
Indiana University School of Optometry
Email: azuicens@iu.edu
Phone: 812-856-3715
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