Volunteers offer free eye care to seniors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
VANCOUVER — A gaggle of seniors waits patiently inside the doors of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, where the sound of Mandarin and Cantonese voices fills the air.
They take turns sitting down at one of three tables, piled with optometric tools and gear. One at a time, eye specialists peer into their pupils and ask them to look through lens after lens, until they find just the right fit, often with the help of a translator.
Bao Qin Song is one of 50 pre-selected seniors who were offered free basic eye care and prescription glasses, as part of the Eyeglasses Project, on Sunday.
Qin Song says it’s been five years since she had her prescription checked. She can only read for five minutes before she loses focus with her current glasses.