Needs Clearing House Help Make Sure Vision Problems Don’t Derail Mercy Learning Center Students

The Needs Clearing House, Inc.  of Greenwich announced a partnership with the Bridgeport Lions Club and the Connecticut Student Nurses’ Association to provide eye screenings, glasses and other vision services to women enrolled in the Mercy Learning Center in urban Bridgeport.

Students at Mercy Learning Center

Students at Mercy Learning Center. Contributed photo

The Mercy Learning Center has over 850 low income women, mostly immigrants who go to the center for various reasons, one of which is to learn English in hopes of getting a GED.

The directors at the center have found that many of the women set on bettering their life fall behind in courses because of vision problems.

The Needs Clearing House, Inc., and its partners, starting Monday, August 31, will provide free vouchers to uninsured women at the learning center, for vision screenings and referrals to local eye doctors.

Glasses will also be provided to those women free of charge.

So far, The Connecticut Student Nurses’ Association has screened 77 students of which there were 12 requiring further examination via a referral. Of the 12 requiring a referral 8 of the students are uninsured and will qualify for vouchers and glasses.  Many more women at the learning center will be pre-screened by the student nurses this fall.

In addition, one woman was determined to be in need of cataract removal, which the Needs Clearing House is working to have provided by a renowned eye surgeon.  Each cataract removal typically costs around $3,000.

Anyone wishing to support this program with a donation may send a check payable to “The Needs Clearing House”, PO Box 7621, Greenwich, CT 06836. The Needs Clearing House is a 501c3 Public Charity.  Please write “Vision Project” in the memo section of your check.  You may also visit us at www.theneedsclearinghouse.org and donate via PayPal.

For more information please about this new program please contact Joe Kaliko, NCH President at 203-629-5555.

To contact The Connecticut Student Nursing Association call Rose O’Halloran, a nursing student at Sacred Heart University and currently the President of the Connecticut Student Nurses’ Association at 508-864-9548.

To contact the Bridgeport Lions Club call Dot Pickens at 203-362-3332 x1390