This post was most recently updated on August 8th, 2019
When we brought 141 Eyewear into our store last January we were excited to be helping people in need while selling attractive, well made frames. Being able to tell the story of their give-back model is one thing, but Madeleine got to live it this past Friday!
For each frame sold, 141 gives the same frame to an organization called One Sight (www.onesight.org) for use in their Vision Van that tours around the United States. Each year the Vision Van provides free eye exams and glasses to thousands of children in need and we are so happy that Denver was chosen as one of their 25 locations this year. The 60+ children that visited the Van that day had received information about the program at school and their parents signed them up to attend the clinic at the North Aurora Family Health Service Clinic. When they arrived they went inside the clinic and filled out some paperwork, had their pupilary distance taken, vision pre-tested by a machine, and the beloved puff of air test done. After that they went outside to wait to be seen by one of the two doctors on the bus. Once inside the bus their eyes were checked by the optometrist, they picked out a brand new frame, and if the lenses were available on the bus the glasses were made right then and they got to take them home! Some of the kids had such poor vision that their lenses had to be specially made but once they are finished they’ll get a phone call telling them they’re ready and where to pick them up. No prescription was too difficult or too simple – everyone needing glasses gets them.
Vision is such an important piece of a child’s ability to learn properly that we should be grateful as a community and a country that these free services are made available. It takes a lot of time, money, and effort to put together these events and volunteers like Madeleine make it possible. She was so happy to be able to help the kids pick out their new frames and to see the smiles on their faces when they received their new vision because that’s what it’s all about. If those kids aren’t succeeding than neither are we so we’re thrilled that us as a store and you as our customers can be a little piece of that puzzle!