Sheila Tuhy of The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke, assisted with vision screening in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
Sheila Tuhy
Volunteer Optometrists Serving Humanity Arizona (VOSH AZ) returned on March 1, from their 2019 mission in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The team consisted of 12 optometrists, one optician, 12 optometric students from AZ, Mexico and Colombia and about 15 trained lay volunteers. The group was hosted by the Pitic Rotary Club and Seddison (Sonora’s social service organization).
During the week-long clinic, 1,479 people were seen by the volunteer optometrists. Many received prescription eye glasses from the library of lenses collected and categorized by VOSH members during the previous months. New glasses have been ordered from a local optical laboratory for about 600 people whose prescriptions were not available. These will be funded by VOSH AZ and various benefactors. Many patients were referred to local ophthalmologists for further care, primarily cataract care. VOSH AZ has recently expanded its mission to include professional education with the intent to improve availability of service for indigent people in Sonora. Using a local optical lab is another effort to improve eye care for the locals and impact local economy.
The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke and Pitic Rotary cooperated in establishing the first VOSH Mission in 2001 and have continued this joint club project annually. A delegation of Pitic Rotarians will visit the SaddleBrooke club on May 9, 2019, to explore options of expanding programs to promote good vision for the children of Sonora.
The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is an award-winning club dedicated to making a difference locally and globally. While the Rotary Club enjoys fellowship, lunch and a great speaker each week at our meetings, we do so much more. The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is open to all. If this sounds like something of interest to you, join us for lunch on any Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the SaddleBrooke One Clubhouse and meet some of our members. For more information, contact Wendy Guyton at 520-404-5712
or [email protected].