Free Eye Care Draws A Crowd At Kaiser Martinez

“I am so grateful to Kaiser for doing this,” said Armida, one of the 120 people who received free eye exams, glasses and further care referrals on July 23 at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Offices in Martinez. “My eyes are not so good, and I cannot afford to fix them.”

The third annual event was staffed by more than 30 volunteers, including optometrists, ophthalmologists, administrators and family members. Kaiser reached out to four local shelters to find underinsured and uninsured people in need of eye care.

“These are folks who don’t normally get health care,” said Marianne Balin of Kaiser’s Community Benefit department.

And the need for the service is clearly growing – according to Kaiser, last year’s event drew 70 people.

“We’re glad to be able to help those folks who otherwise wouldn’t have the ability to get care,” said Dr. David Fok, head of the Optometry  Department at Martinez Kaiser.