This week, we held an event in celebration of the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club’s $100,000 endowed support of our local SEE Vision Care (SVC) program!
Strengthening SEE Vision Care
Our SEE Vision Care program provides free eyecare services to uninsured and underinsured individuals throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
Through five clinic locations, a mobile vision clinic, and community outreach events, SVC provides vision screenings, comprehensive eye exams, prescription glasses, and sight-restoring surgeries at no cost to qualifying patients.
Community leaders, Lions Club members, SEE International staff, and representatives from local government offices gathered to recognize the partnership and its impact on access to vision care in the area.
“This generous gift from the Goleta Lions Club will allow SEE to extend its services beyond what we would have been able to do without them,” said SEE International President and CEO Don Bell. “That includes the acquisition of additional equipment, as well as the ability to treat more patients.”
The endowed gift will help strengthen SVC’s Goleta clinic location, expanding its reach and enhancing the quality of care available to local residents facing barriers to vision services.
Meeting a Critical Community Need
According to Bell, the need for affordable eyecare remains significant throughout the community. Many individuals delay or forgo care due to financial constraints, often allowing vision problems to worsen over time.
“For local families who are living paycheck to paycheck, an eye exam and a pair of prescription glasses can easily run $400-$500,” Bell said. “When faced with the choice of paying the rent, buying food, paying the electric bill, or buying a pair of glasses, chances are it’s the glasses that will be pushed to the wayside. So to receive a free eye exam and glasses at no cost to the patient fills a needed gap in the community.”
A Shared Commitment to Vision Health
The Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club has a longstanding history of supporting vision-related causes, making its partnership with SEE International a natural fit.
Both organizations share a commitment to improving quality of life through increased access to eye care.
“The Lions of this area have historically been very heavily involved in trying to support vision care. . . .There is a tremendous amount of need in the community, and SEE and the Lions Club are well positioned to help out. . . . It’s exciting to be a part of that,” said Jon Hergert, the current President of the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club.
Building a Stronger Future Together
SEE’s Vice President of Development, Gerardo “Gerry” Pantoja, similarly commented on the importance of community partnerships like this one:
“Our work is impossible without these key partnerships. We’re so thankful to the Greater Goleta Santa Barbara Lions Club, so that we can continue growing what we do and helping the community with eyecare services,” he said.
