HARTFORD, Conn. — This summer, Hartford Public Library is once again partnering with Vision To Learn to provide free eye exams for children ages five to 18, according to a release from HPL.
The initiative has the potential to change the lives of the city’s youngest residents and aims to ensure all children have access to the eye care necessary to succeed.
HPL President and CEO Bridget E. Quinn said in the release that her team is thrilled to welcome back Vision To Learn this summer.
“The timing couldn’t be more perfect with our multi-collaborative Summer Reading Challenge. Summer reading and free eye exams are not just about providing resources but empowering our children to succeed,” Quinn said in the release. “We are grateful for Vision To Learn’s free services, so students receiving eye exams and eyeglasses will be better equipped to learn when they return to school this fall.”
Since launching in 2022, Vision To Learn has made a significant difference in Connecticut’s Alliance Districts, libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs, according to the release.
During that time span, Vision To Learn has visited 56 schools and community groups, providing more than 9,000 students with vision screenings, 5,100 with eye exams and 4,500 with eyeglasses, the release said.
“This success is a testament to the power of community partnerships and their impact on our children’s lives,” the release said.
Vision To Learn was founded by Austin Beutner and is a nonprofit charity that gives children at schools in low-income communities free vision screenings, eye exams and eyeglasses.
“Every child, in every school, everywhere in the country should have the glasses they need to succeed in school and life,” Beutner said in the release.
The mobile Vision To Learn clinic will visit seven HPL locations throughout Hartford to provide no-cost eye exams and eyeglasses if needed, the release said. To schedule an appointment at one of the following locations, call the library or sign up online here.
The Albany Library on Albany Avenue will host free eye exams July 25-26 and can be reached at 860-695-7380. The Camp Field Library on Camfield Avenue will host the exams on July 29; it can be reached at 860-695-7440.
The Barbour Library on Barbour Street will host the exams on Aug. 16 and can be reached at 860-695-7400, while the Downtown Library on Main Street will host the exams on Aug. 13 and 19. It can be reached at 860-874-2432.
Meanwhile, exams will occur at the Dwight Library on New Park Avenue on Aug. 5 and 12. The library can be reached at 860-695-7460. On Aug. 14 and 15, the exams will take place at the Park Street Library @ the Lyric on Park Street, which can be reached at 860-695-7500.
Lastly, the Ropkins Library on Main Street will host the exams on Aug. 26 and can be reached at 860-695-7520.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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