I can see far now

Amoni is an 8th grader at Barclay Elementary/Middle School. He’s the kind of student who prefers to sit at the front of the classroom, not only because he’s interested in what he’s learning, but because he has trouble seeing the chalkboard. Believe it or not, there are a lot of kids like Amoni who struggle in school simply because they need a pair of glasses but for one reason or another, cannot afford them.

That’s where GHCC’s Community School Site Coordinators step in. For over a decade, GHCC has used the Community School strategy to remove barriers to learning – like the need for help getting glasses – with health and social services, academic resources, facility improvements, and after school programs.

Earlier this week, GHCC site coordinators brought students from Barclay and Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle schools to the LensCrafters stores at Towsontown Center Mall and White Marsh Mall, where they were seen by an eye doctor. Those who needed glasses received them free of charge. LensCrafters provides free eye care and eyewear as part of Hometown Day, where employees at each of the company’s stores donate their time and expertise to children in need. This partnership with LensCrafters is just one of the many examples of how GHCC works to help create better public schools.

Exactly 26 students returned to their schools with glasses that day. Amoni texted the above picture to his mom before they left the store. Kayla, a 3rd grader at Waverly, put her glasses on and said with excitement, “I can see far now!”

“The kids love their new glasses so much that we have to remind some of them that they don’t have to wear them all the time,” said Barclay site coordinator Kelly Oglesbee.