GLENDALE, AZ — Thousands of Arizona children are receiving the gift of eyesight thanks to the help from the non-profit organization, EyeCare4Kids.
The children's non-profit has been providing underserved children with free eye exams, vision services, and prescription glasses since 2013. In 2021, a brick and mortar was opened within Barcelona Elementary School in Glendale.
The free help they provide is a relief for moms like Tiffany Bonds. Bonds, a single mother, works a full-time job while also raising four elementary school-aged children.
When Bonds’ twin girls and both of her sons failed their vision tests, she had no idea how much glasses would cost for four children.
"I did take them to like a regular doctor and each pair was like over $150,” Bonds said. “The frames and then you know, you have to pay for the vision tests as well. So, for me, like it's just unaffordable."
A staff member at Barcelona Elementary School in Glendale put Bonds in touch with the Alhambra Family Resource Center, and it wasn't long before her kids were getting the free comprehensive eye care they needed.
"I've seen first-hand how patients come in and they don't want to read, they have headaches. And then by the end of their appointment, they're excited to read,” said Dr. Inga Fors, an optometrist with the program.
Standard eye care is not always an option for families struggling financially. But Dr. Fors said it should be.
“You want to make sure that their eye movements are fine, you want to make sure alignment is good, that they're not having any developmental issues,” Dr. Fors said. “So we test for that as well. And then that also kind of tells us the success that they would have in the classroom."
According to Dr. Fors, this free resource also comes with a confidence boost for kids who get to choose their own pair of glasses – without mom and dad’s opinions.
"We want to make sure that these kids like the glasses they choose, otherwise they will not wear them," Dr. Fors said.
To receive free eyecare at the clinic, all parents must do is ask, according to Dr. Fors.
And thankfully for Bonds’ children, she did ask for help. Bonds tells ABC15 that life is better at her house because the kids can find what they're looking for, including the books they love to read.
To schedule an appointment with EyeCare4Kids, call the clinic at 602-336-2208 or email infoaz@eyecare4kids.org.
