Vision Care for Homeless People: Making homeless life a little easier

The appreciation shown when dispensing new glasses is well known to be a most rewarding experience. This gratitude knows no bounds at the clinics of Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP).

‘The delight on our patients’ faces is tremendous – we know that we are providing such a valuable service to so many people who would just not access the usual route to eye care checks and vision correction. Sometimes they have been struggling with poor vision for years and years and are amazed at what they have been missing,’ says VCHP general manager, David Brown.

‘At our Shepherd’s Bush clinic, in London, a gentleman came to pick up his new glasses and told us he had been trying to get a job, but when he was asked to read something during a job interview he couldn’t see it properly and became flustered. He’d also stopped using the internet to look for work because it hurt his eyes. He was delighted with his new glasses and eagerly went off to his next appointment at the job centre.’