By Katie Patrick
Does it ever seem that your six-month routine visit to the dentist comes around sooner than expected? I often feel that way when I receive a text notification from the dental office informing me of my upcoming appointment. Truly, I feel as if I was just there having my teeth cleaned. However, when I check my calendar – sure enough, it has indeed been six months and the time has come for my next appointment. And so I go.
Now, that’s the dentist where I schedule in advance. The eye doctor, however, is another story.
Since I wear contact lenses, I’m required to have my eyes checked regularly — annually, I believe. They will only allow me to order so many months of contact lenses at once, and then not refill my prescription without an annual appointment. So if or when I run out of contact lenses, I must schedule an appointment to have my vision checked.
And today, I think to myself, what a service that I have taken for granted.
While this article will not go into the specifics that maintaining proper dental and vision care leads to more positive health outcomes overall, it will address the lack of access that thousands of our neighbors in need experience every year.
Can you imagine what it would be like to need but have no ability to access the resources necessary to assess and improve your vision?
Think for a moment how inadequate vision would impact your daily life. What tasks would you be unable to complete without proper vision? Would you feel safe driving? Could you give your best to your employer and those you serve? Would you be able to help your kids or grandkids with their homework or read a bedtime story? You probably couldn’t even read articles in the Southern Nebraska Register!
But truly, that is, as I just mentioned, the reality for thousands of our Nebraska neighbors, including those who we serve at Catholic Social Services.
This is why it was such a privilege on Saturday, Oct. 18, to host the national touring mobile clinic — VSP Eyes of Hope — as part of a local missionary trip for families organized by Dr. Tracie Goodenberger, optometrist at Premier Vision in Lincoln.
The local mission trip provided families the opportunity to come together both in prayer and fellowship as they provided quality eye care for more than 70 individuals in need in our community.
I had the opportunity to come by that morning with my daughter Keira to observe those being served — and what a sight it was, literally!
Many of our regular clients were being seen by the volunteer optometrists, and immediately following the appointment, they were being fitted for their new glasses. I heard stories from clients who were without vision care for many years, whose glasses were smashed by another person while they were living on the streets, or their glasses were left behind as they fled from a domestic violence situation. In fact, we received a follow-up text message from one thankful client:
“I am so glad your eye clinic went well! You all helped so many people with a simple thing that is truly life-saving! Eyesight covers pretty much a large portion of our reality and how we perceive things. I was praying this morning and thanking God for all of the things he does for us, and I was able to quietly see how many things depend upon our vision. It’s almost everything! The way I saw God’s grace move through all of you yesterday almost renders me speechless.
Thank you for putting that together for all of us, and I’m excited to get my glasses and finally see clearly again! Have an amazing Sunday!”
Look for our upcoming article by Alexis Brouillette, CSS outreach coordinator, to hear more about the local mission trip, VSP Eyes of Hope, and its impact on our clients. Her story will be shared in one of our new bimonthly print and digital newsletters Hope in the Good Life. If you don’t currently receive our newsletter, you can sign up on our website at csshope.org.
Thank you for your constant prayers and support for our mission and our clients. We depend upon you – our donors – for all the good works that God is able to do through us. May God bless you!
