Photo by Jamey Thomas, 2013
One of the things we’ve been excited about lately is the expansion of services within our Every Day Connect program. With this new program and its growing capacity, we’ve been able to focus our efforts on helping people locate important resources, not only through daily, one-on-one assistance, but through small-scale events. This year, one of the focuses for these small events is vision. At the end of February we were thrilled to collaborate with UCSF, LensCrafters’ OneSight program, and St. Paulus Lutheran Church to provide prescription glasses for 18 participants.
While vision might not be the first thing you think of when you’re imagining critical services for the homeless, it only takes a moment’s reflection to realize just how crucial sight is to so many aspects of our lives. 
Whether you need to read a lease or government forms, help your children with their homework or perform basic job duties—being able to see is at the forefront of pretty much everything we do.
As Sandra, one of the participants at the Vision Event put it, “I was embarrassed before I got glasses. I always needed help reading things in stores and filling out paperwork. I felt frustrated and misunderstood, like people thought I was stupid.”
With her new pair of glasses, though, Sandra immediately felt more capable and motivated.
I never thought about getting a job [before getting glasses]. But now that I can actually see, I want to do something more with my life. I feel like I can do anything now.
–Sandra, EDC participant
Sandra went on to explain that she plans to take some computer classes to sharpen up her skills and then begin her job search.
This is already the second Vision Event since EDC began in October 2012, and we’re not lacking in ambition for 2013. We know that a pair of glasses truly can change a person’s life, and we’re grateful for all your support as we continue to help people improve their lives.
PHC blog