Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – September 4, 2024 – When Hurricane Katrina hit in the late summer of 2005, thousands of people were lucky to get out of the hardest-hit areas alive. Many were able to escape with just the clothes on their backs.
A lot of the victims eventually made their way to Jonesboro. And they needed help.
What was then known as the NEA Clinic Charitable Foundation connected with local business owners, churches, schools and individuals to take on the need that these busloads of people faced…starting from scratch, with nothing.
LensMasters, a family-owned and operated retail optical dispensary, stepped up. Second generation owners Rusty and Holly Acebo donated thousands of dollars in free eyewear to those in need that found their way to Jonesboro.
Their involvement in the Hope Week with the NEA Clinic created a desire to continue helping families address a very real need for children: eyewear. So, the Vision of Hope was created. The Acebos wanted to continue to help local children who weren’t able to see properly and who also couldn’t afford prescription eyeware.
They began to contact school counselors, searching for students in need of glasses. And, since 2005, LensMasters has provided frames and lenses for students in need at no charge.
What started during Hope Week as a way to help Katrina victims turned into something much bigger, and it’s getting bigger every year. Now, counselors of students from kindergarten to twelfth grade throughout NE Arkansas are able to identify a child’s need and help get them on the path toward seeing clearly. The Acebos want to make sure that no child goes without glasses just because parents and caregivers might not be able to afford them.
All a parent or caregiver needs to do is contact school administration, fill out a simple form and get an eye exam. LensMasters takes care of the rest.
“We see children’s vision as so important…the effects of not seeing can sometimes prevent them doing extra activities that they would have done,” Holly explained. “They don’t feel confident because their vision isn’t what it could be.”
Rusty agreed. “There are a lot of children with bad grades, but it’s because they can’t see the blackboard in the classroom, or they can’t see to read their textbooks.” He added, “There are also children who don’t enjoy playing sports, because they can’t see well enough.”
“It is so neat to be able to help a child out who may fall through the cracks because they weren’t able to see,” Rusty continued.
Holly says that the whole LensMasters staff gets to be a part of the experience. “The pure joy that we get in seeing the reaction of the child…they’re just so in awe of what they can see.”
Many students have been helped, so far. And many teachers have praised the impact that the program has had on the students. That impact IS the Vision of Hope.
Located in historic downtown Jonesboro, LensMasters has been serving Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri for over 34 years.