Clear Eyes, Full Hearts

This year, the Institute of Clinical Bioethics’ (ICB) fellows collected 700 pairs of children’s eyeglasses to be sent to elementary schools in developing nations as part of ICB’s Frames to Go program. To date, 3,700 pairs of pediatric eyeglasses and 5,000 pairs of adult eyeglasses have been donated.

Frames to Go was launched at SJU in 2018 by a team of undergraduate students working in the ICB.

“Currently, the glasses are being donated sent to three different schools in El Salvador – Centro Escolar Católico Santa Luisa in San Salvador, Centro Escolar San Vicente de Paúl in Sonsonate, and the communities of Arcatao and Carasque in the Chalatenango municipality,” explains Jenna Szabo ‘24, the ICB fellow leading the project. “And it isn’t just donations to schools — we also run free eye exam clinics with community members that can see hundreds of people from all ages and stages.”

Frames to Go has seen such incredible success due to its strong connections within the Jesuit community. Though the ICB was originally connected with the Frames to Go program through the SCOPE Foundation and its work with the Santa Luisa School in San Salvador, the ICB’s reach through Frames to Go quickly broadened through Saint Joseph’s Jesuit connections. The ICB has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with San Bartolomé Apostól, a parish local to Arcato and Carasque, as well as the pastors and various community members. ICB fellows also have a strong connection with the Jesuit University of Central America and Saint Joseph’s parish in Seattle, Washington, which has worked closely with the Arcatao community for the past 30 years.

“As a Jesuit organization, we have a responsibility to the developing nations and individuals who have limited resources. We are here to contribute to the development of a more humane and just world,” says Szabo. “Billions of people worldwide do not have access to eye care, and this plight is one that often goes unnoticed as a public health priority. Countless children get classified with an intellectual disability when they are just in need of prescription eyeglasses that would help them in the classroom. Through the Frames to Go initiative, not only are we sharing our abundance of resources to those in need of eye care, but we have the opportunity to build relationships with local leaders who are committed to making a difference in their communities.”