El Cajon Valley Host Lions Club

New Eyeglass Program

The Club supplies an eye exam and new eyeglasses for any child in the East County whose family could otherwise not afford to provide. The Club's Eyeglass Program has expanded considerably in the ten years it has been in existence. Today the Program includes the following schools and school district's:

• Alpine Union School District
• Cajon Valley Union School District
• Dehesa School District
• El Cajon Valley High School
• Lakeside Union School District
• Literacy First Charter School
• Mountain Empire Unified School District
• Santee School District

During the past school year 2005-2006, the Club
provided 145 eye exams and glasses.

During the school year 2004-2005, the Club
provided 222 eye exams and glasses.

During the school year 2003-2004, the Club
provided 214 eye exams and glasses.

During the school year 2002-2003, the Club
provided 250 eye exams and glasses.

History of the Program

For the lack of something to do, I (John Knudsen) decided to arrange for the purchase of one or two pair of glasses for students at the Cuyamaca School in December 1993. The club that year had several very good fund raising events. Several of the older members contacted the Superintendent for the Cajon Valley Union School District. It was purposed by the club to buy glasses for any child in the District whose parents could not afford them. The current program started in January 1994. A meeting of Richard Thruston, Gary Simms, and several others, was held in Thruston's office. It was decided Simms would be the chairman in charge who would receive the requests from the school. He in turn would select various club members to service the families in need. I was to supply the Optometrists and Opticians. Arrangements were made with ten Optometrists and one Ophthalmologist to furnish free eye examinations. This arrangement was used for about ten months. Due to problems that arose, due mainly to confusion of payment for the glasses and how to report to the school, I took over obtaining the information from the school by fax. At that time it was necessary, after the examination, to buy the glasses from Frame-n-Lens. It took a week for the glasses to be made and delivered. This Optician was used for two years. In 1997 we started using LensCrafters as the Optician. Glasses ordered are made in one and one-half hours. This has proved to be most satisfactory as the child gets his/hers glasses that day.