Tresa D. is a Mobile Response Team member who volunteered her time in Nebraska last week. Below is an account of her experience:
I’m traveling on the road once again with the VSP Mobile Eyes Clinic. The first stop of our trip was to Omaha, NE to provide free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to the clients of the Lydia House. The Lydia House is a Mission who serves their community by providing basic living needs for the homeless and families living in poverty.
In talking with Candace Gregory, President of the Lydia House, she said that a large portion of their population is in need of vision assistance. Illiteracy is not the problem in many cases; it’s that people are simply unable to see to do simple tasks like filling out a job application, reading simple instructions, etc. I am very proud to be part of the VSP Mobile Eyes team. Through our program, we were able to partner with the Lydia House to fill that void.
The first evening, the Mobile Eyes Team gathered around the TV to watch the news coverage of our first day’s event. I must confess that I was excited to see myself on the news. During the filming, I was auto-refracting a patient who was in need of new glasses. It struck me as odd that the news showed me, but they did not show what I was doing. In reflecting, I realize it was because the woman I was working with was shy with the cameras. She did not want to be filmed. She shared with me that no one knew she was at the shelter. She did not want her family or friends to know that she was there. She found herself down and out, but was too proud to ask for help. She came to the Mission to get the help she needed to reclaim her life. I was touched by her story and her journey to reclaim her life. I feel privileged to have been part of helping her. It makes me very proud that she is just one of the more than 27,500 people whose lives have been helped by the VSP Mobile Eyes program.
