onesight 2016 clinic alumni stories
TRANSCRIPT
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
Gear up for OneDay EyeMed clinic alumni share stories from past year
ChinaMay 2016Jen Knorr
Baton RougeFebruary 2016Fred NeurohrWe arrived as strangers from all over the world, but after a swamp tour, regional novelties of alligator étouffée and bringing smiles to all the youngsters in Baton Rouge, we left with an enduring memento that we’re forever a part of - the spirit of the people of Southern Louisiana.
While the Mississippi River may run wide through Baton Rouge, every once in a while … there’s a bridge.
Baton Rouge….an amazing place filled with beautiful people, who smile and sing while carrying the weight (11+ years and counting) of Hurricane Katrina, and then most recently suffered the effects of devastating floods this year. East Baton Rouge Parish, the area we served, was again, along with a huge swath of southern Louisiana, designated a federal disaster area. I’m so glad to have been part of this OneSight clinic which is helping to rebuild the community through access to vision care.
Houston, TXFebruary 2016John Frank
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
Going on a clinic gave me the opportunity to meet other Luxotticans from all around the world and form a very strong bond. The combination of learning everything that goes into 1 pair of glasses and being able to hand those glasses to a child that has never had glasses was very rewarding. It was an incredible experience!
Ft. Belknap, MTMarch 2016
Jenna Harrison
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
This was a great opportunity to further OneSight’s mission and give to a needed community. Equally valuable for me was the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the people at the Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation. The picture shows two children sporting their new OneSight glasses during the cultural night, where they told the story of their culture through food, dance, and community activities.
ChinaMarch 2016
Jen Knorr
During a dispensing visit I got to meet my polka dot twin, who despite the stoic expression on her face, loved her glasses! It is so amazing to help #UNBLUR the world, one person at a time. I will never forget my experience in China, and I am so grateful to work for Luxottica-a company so passionate about such an important cause!
ChinaMarch 2016
Ben Doolittle
A chance to connectwith the world.
Bemidgi, MNApril 2016
Meghan Ellis
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
My clinic was truly a life-changing experience and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to volunteer. I met so many amazing Luxottica associates who have become lifelong friends. We helped more than 2,000 people get access to vision care. I feel very lucky to work for a company that values giving back and believes in making a difference across the world!
NicaraguaMay 2016
Jenn Philpot
A picture says a thousand words. Truly an amazing experience.
NicaraguaMay 2016
Sue Ioas
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
When I think of Nicaraguans, I think of family. Kind, caring, thoughtful, respectful. Mothers patiently waiting with their children for hours; young people offering an arm to escort any elderly person they came across even though they did not know them; wives holding the hands of their husbands who were very afraid when having their eyes dilated. What a great community to be able to give the gift of sight!
ThailandSeptember 2016Julia Morris
I recently went on my first global OneSight clinic to Thailand. It was the most incredible experience of my life. I know I made a difference in the patients’ lives, but I didn’t realize how much of an impact the clinic would make on mine. We provided eye care to over 6,000 people in those two weeks and I made many lifelong friendships. I now have over 30 strong friendships with other Luxottica employees from all over the world including Canada, Italy, London, China, South Africa, and India. To be away from your home and out of your element, you become family in such a short time with the other volunteers and coworkers. OneSight has a piece of my heart and I feel like I now left a part of it in Chiang Rai.
Salt Lake City, UTOctober 2016
Joe Francis
A great experience! I think I am most thankful for 2 things: our team and the children we were able to help. From day 1 the team was solid– working together and having fun together. We discovered how Luxottica operates in different parts of the world and throughout the U.S. Second, the children were precious. With a 95% need rate, we provided glasses to almost everyone coming through. Getting to spend time with the children and seeing their faces when they looked through their new lenses are memories I will never forget.
Salt Lake CityOctober 2016
Megumi Hanashima
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
DetroitOctober 2016Amanda Calvert
I was able to see these students come into our clinic, not thrilled about possibly needing glasses – then going to their school to dispense them and the look on their faces was indescribable. Pure awe.
ChinaNovember 2016Ed Basta
Seeing children with huge smiles! Highlight of being part of Luxottica!
Uncertainty set in. We were in a deep part of China that rarely sees foreigners. There’s the language barrier. I was the only person from EyeMed. Very quickly the uncertainty turned into a flood of emotions from the “adventurous” travel to Yan’an, the long clinic days, the heartwarming moments, the team building and comradery, to the last goodbyes. When we got back on U.S. soil, the experience, every facet of it, fortified my beliefs in this global vision need. There’s not one part of it that is better or more powerful than another. It revealed the good we are doing. We will not stop until the world can see!