This month, the SEE Vision Care (SVC) team proudly joined the 4th Annual 2-1-1 Community Day Celebration at the Dick DeWees Community Center. Every year, this event unites local families and service providers for a day dedicated to providing easy access to vital support and resources.
50 local organizations attended, and the support for our community was felt by everyone there. The SVC team completed 66 free vision screenings, helping community members take an important first step toward clearer sight. Special thanks to the Westmont College Nursing student volunteers, who directed our participants to the vision screening area and provided them with the needed resources to support their eye health.
SVC has participated in this event for 4 years now, and it has become a meaningful tradition for our team. Attending and setting up a booth is a fun and engaging way to serve our local community. We look forward to returning next year!
Vision Screenings
One of the individuals we met at the celebration was Raymond, a project manager with C4 Lompoc, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing resources and promoting activism for marginalized communities. While Raymond attended the event to represent his organization, he also came with a personal need for vision services:
“Honestly, because of the lack of insurance, I felt that maybe I could get a free screening so that way I can potentially get an appointment to get some eyecare,” he said.
Raymond currently relies on non-prescription reading glasses and shared that without them, he cannot see clearly at all. That challenge impacts his professional life in very real ways:
“It impacts me tremendously because if I forget my glasses and I go to a meeting, I can’t see, can’t read. And so it’s very challenging. If we can’t see, then how can we navigate the life that we have?”
Visiting Partners
Our partners at Savie Health also attended the event and stopped by SEE’s booth for a visit:
“211 is a big community event. It’s a great opportunity to come out and see all the resources and connect with partners,” said Alex Murkison, Interim Executive Director of Savie Health.
Savie Health is a free clinic that provides medical, dental, behavioral health, and vision services to uninsured community members. Through their partnership with SEE, the clinic offers community members of North County and the surrounding areas access to free eyecare services, including screenings, comprehensive eye exams, and prescription glasses.
“Having partnered with SEE International is amazing because we can achieve our mission of offering vision services to our community,” Alex added.
He also emphasized the importance of regular eye exams:
“There are issues that we don’t know about on the surface level that can be addressed by a vision screening and seeing an eye doctor. Vision is essential for every point of life.”
A Celebration of Community
The celebration was organized by CommUnify with leadership from Alejandra Enciso, 2-1-1 Program Manager, who we’ve now chatted with for two years in a row.
Alejandra shared why this day continues to matter year after year:
“2-1-1 Day is our national day of representation for our Health and Human Services helpline. That’s why we celebrate every year.”
She noted the importance of bringing agencies together so residents can access resources they need, from free glasses and medical care to food, housing assistance, and utility support. Especially during challenging times when families may need extra help, the 2-1-1 network stands ready.
We were grateful to stand alongside other organizations, our partners, and student volunteers who share a commitment to serving this community at this year’s 2-1-1 celebration!
