National Vision Collaborates with Americares and RestoringVision to Bring Sight to Half a Million People Living in Poverty in the U.S.

National Vision announced a new philanthropic collaboration with Americares and long-time partner RestoringVision that will provide free eyeglasses to some of the most vulnerable populations in the United States over the next two years. The partnership will be executed through National Vision’s charitable foundation 20/20 Quest.

This initiative is a collaboration between the three organizations to bring the gift of sight to people in need throughout the U.S.

Expanding its long-time support of RestoringVision, National Vision will donate $250,000 for each of the next two years, for a total of $500,000. RestoringVision will use the donation to provide free eyeglasses for people in need through Americares partner clinics across the U.S. serving low-income, uninsured and underinsured families. Americares, a health-focused relief and development organization, supports nearly 1,000 clinics and health centers nationwide providing care to more than 7 million patients in need.

“At National Vision, our very mission is to make eye care and eyewear accessible and affordable for everyone,” said Jacqueline Grove, National Vision’s Senior Vice President of Philanthropy; Culture; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Talent Development. “And when we say 'everyone,' we mean everyone, regardless of insurance or financial status. We know that vulnerable populations are disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to vision care. By focusing on expanding access to vision care and glasses within these populations, we hope to not only make a profound impact on quality of life, but also help break cycles of poverty and inequity.”

Research shows that lack of eye care and health can be a barrier to success in education, jobs and overall health. According to The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020 (February 2021), evidence shows that improving eye health contributes to reducing poverty, improving work productivity, general and mental health, and education and equity. The report also posits that eye health services should be inclusive and proactively address the needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups through targeted interventions.

Grove continued, “Through this partnership with Americares and our long-time partners at RestoringVision, we are honored to be able to extend the reach of our core mission and also contribute to the advancement of health equity for all.”

“RestoringVision is thrilled to join forces with our long-standing supporter National Vision and our project partner Americares to help people living in poverty in the U.S. access to the eyeglasses they need,” said Pelin Munis, Executive Director of RestoringVision. “While we have focused our work on serving people living in impoverished communities worldwide, in 2016, we expanded our programmatic footprint to reach underserved populations domestically. With this extraordinary gift from National Vision, and through our partnership with Americares, we will deepen our impact in the U.S. and bring the gift of clear vision to people in need over the next two years.” 

“Thanks to support from National Vision and RestoringVision, Americares expects to deliver up to 500,000 pairs glasses over the next two years,” said Americares Vice President of U.S. Programs Edith Lee. “This donation will improve health and expand economic and educational opportunities for tens of thousands of patients in need all across the country.” 

Americares is the leading nonprofit provider of medical aid to the U.S. health care safety net. The organization works with partner clinics across the United States to increase capacity, provide comprehensive care, improve health outcomes and reduce costs for patients. Last year, Americares delivered more than $230 million in medicine, supplies and health programs in the U.S.

RestoringVision works to address the unmet need for eyeglasses in impoverished communities across the globe, and is committed to helping as many people as possible gain clear vision in order to increase productivity, continue working and earning an income, learning, and performing everyday tasks. Since 2003, RestoringVision has helped over 17 million people in 136 countries through its programs.