Essilor of America is dedicated to giving back to the community through its support of charitable organizations worldwide.  From providing free vision screenings and lenses to Special Olympics athletes, to event sponsorships that support Prevent Blindness America, Essilor has touched the lives of thousands of people through its philanthropic donations.

Essilor Vision Foundation

In 2008, Essilor announced the creation of the Essilor Vision Foundation, a public, non-profit foundation based in Dallas, Texas. The Foundation strives to help people achieve better lives through better sight by creating and supporting activities that advance good vision and its benefits and offering special help to those who need it most.

For more information about the Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.essilorvisionfoundation.org

Special Olympics

Essilor serves as the official global supplier of ophthalmic lenses and sponsor for the Special Olympics—Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program.  The mission of Special Olympics—Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes program is to improve the quality of life for the millions of individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities by optimizing their vision, eye health and visual skills through quality eye care.

In the United States, Essilor has more than 60 laboratories that support Special Olympics State Games by processing prescriptions provided to athletes while they attend state competitions. As part of its partnership with the organization, Essilor labs processed 23,000 athlete prescriptions in 2005.

The partnership between Essilor and Special Olympics began in November of 2002. This initiative was established to respond to athletes’ needs for greater optical services and offer them superior care that they may not receive otherwise. Through the Opening Eyes program, Special Olympics athletes are able to receive free vision screening, as well as lenses for eyeglasses and sports goggles from Essilor.

For more information, visit www.specialolympics.org

Prevent Blindness America

Since 1999, Essilor has sponsored Prevent Blindness America, the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight.  Through donations, volunteer vision screenings and event sponsorships, Essilor proudly supports Prevent Blindness America initiatives and its mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight.

For more information, visit www.preventblindness.org

Children’s Vision Coalition

The New York Children’s Vision Coalition is a non-profit educational and advocacy organization dedicated solely to assuring comprehensive eye care for all New York’s children.  Through Essilor’s donations, the Children’s Vision Coalition can provide free eye exams and glasses to young children, secure equipment and supplies for the Kiddie Vision Van and provide public service advertising campaigns.

For more information, visit www.childrensvisioncoalition.org

Helen Keller Worldwide

Essilor is a proud sponsor of Helen Keller Worldwide, whose mission is to prevent blindness, restore sight and provide rehabilitation services to blind people. Through its sponsorship, Essilor donates eyeglass lenses, which benefit the organization’s Childsight program that offers school-based vision screenings and eyeglasses for our nation’s neediest children.  Childsight serves children living in urban and rural poverty and addresses refractive error, a visual problem occurring in 25 percent of children ages 10 to 15.

For more information, visit www.hkworld.org 

Illinois Eye Institute

Illinois College of Optometry is proud to announce the donation of 9,000 pairs of customized eyeglasses from Essilor in support of the Illinois Eye Institute.  The donated glasses are prescribed by the Illinois College of Optometry faculty for patients served through its charitable activities in the Chicago area.  As part of the gift, Essilor also coordinated the donation of frames and related lab work. 

Children and adults within the Institute’s charitable programs are able to choose from a selection of frames, and then Essilor creates lenses to meet the prescription and material needs of each patient.

For more information, visit http://iei.ico.edu/home.html or www.ico.edu