Leading online optical retailer GlassesUSA.com partnered with The Miss America Organization and National School Boards Association, the advocate for public education in America, to provide free prescription eyeglasses to children. The program rolled out in Saint Mary’s, Alaska, one of the most remote locations in the country—where the entire community lives below the poverty line. In Saint Mary’s, access to eye care is challenging, including everything from seeing an eye doctor and the ability to purchase prescription glasses, as neither are available in Saint Mary’s. When community members do require seeing an eye doctor to obtain their prescription to purchase new glasses, they must travel by plane for an appointment, which can prove very challenging. To address this problem, GlassesUSA.com organized free vision screenings for the community and provided free eyewear to kids and staff.
“Prescription eyewear is an essential for children that require vision correction, and new glasses are out of reach for many kids in America due to high costs or limited accessibility. Additionally, many regular check-ups and eye exams were postponed during the pandemic, leading to more children with undiagnosed vision problems, especially in rural areas, like Saint Mary’s, Alaska,” said Arie Tom, GlassesUSA.com’s CMO.
“Ensuring a high-quality education for each student requires a variety of support and resources,” said NSBA Executive Director and CEO Dr. John Heim. “For students in rural areas, including our most remote cities, educational challenges may include limited broadband access and hard-to-find medical, dental, and vision care—necessities that some of us may take for granted. That’s why NSBA was delighted to partner with GlassesUSA.com to ensure that students in Saint Mary’s, Alaska, received the vision screening and eyewear necessary for their future success—both in school and in life.”
To address these challenges, fellow glasses wearer Miss America 2022 and Miss Alaska 2021 Emma Broyles and Miss Alaska 2022 Jessica Reisinger were in attendance at St. Mary’s School to help the children at Saint Mary’s school pick out their brand-new GlassesUSA.com frames.
“As a glasses wearer myself, I understand all too well the importance of finding the perfect pair of eyeglasses. It was an honor to work with GlassesUSA.com to have the opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives by setting them up to excel, by helping them find the perfect pair of prescription eyewear.” – Emma Broyles, Miss America 2022.
“GlassesUSA.com is excited to launch this program to help bridge these gaps, and provide kids in need with access to eye care to ensure they have the proper tools to fulfill their life potential.” – Arie Tom, GlassesUSA.com CMO.
