"OUR EQUIPMENT WAS STOLEN" | Free Vision Care for 100+ Neighbors w/o Homes by LifeBridge Church

"'Our equipment has been stolen. We don’t know what we are going to do,' a volunteer informed me I arrived to help set up for our LifeBridge Church free vision clinic. We were expecting to serve over 100 people experiencing homelessness with free eye exams and prescription glasses that day. Partnering with Tacoma Rescue Mission (patients and venue) and Better Vision Better Hope (equipment), we had spent the past few months planning, coordinating, communicating and recruiting over 30 volunteers. The night before the clinic, someone broke into the trailer and stole some of the essential equipment.
"We gathered the group of volunteers into a circle and prayed, 'God, this is Your vision clinic. We are here to represent You and serve the people You love. Help us know where to look and what to do. Amen.' Then we started brainstorming options of where and how we might be able to get such specialized equipment. Could we borrow phoropters from an eye clinic somewhere? How would we even transport the heavy equipment? Who would risk lending out tens of thousands of dollars of equipment at a moment’s notice… especially when they would need it to run their business the next day?
We needed a miracle..." (shared by Pastor Dustin Serns of LifeBridge)
God came through!
Seven hours later, we had served over 100 people experiencing homelessness with free eye exams and an order for prescription glasses.
One patient was very animated during the refraction, cheering on the doctor with excitement. He lived with his teenage son in one of the shelters. He was legally blind without glasses, but after refracting, his vision was 20/15 (better than 20/20)! He was excited to now be able to get his driver’s license and find a job when he receives his glasses.
Another patient had come to a previous LifeBridge Vision Clinic and was back for a check-up. He was excited to share how the vision clinic had helped him take steps forward in his life, “Before I came to the vision clinic last year, I would get migraines when I tried to read because I couldn’t see well. After I got glasses, I was able to start taking classes at Tacoma Community College!”
When one patient was selecting his frames, he was asked what which ones he liked. “Whichever. You can choose them,” he muttered.
The volunteer persisted, “Which frames do you want?”
The patient broke down crying. When he had composed himself, he said, “Nobody has ever asked me what I wanted before. All my life, I have never felt cared for. But now I feel that from you all today.”
The dream began during the pandemic when Ophthalmologist Eden Yoon recruited other LifeBridge Church plant team members to volunteer with him to serve meals at Tacoma Rescue Mission. While serving, Eden met one of the Rescue Mission staff members who was part of the recovery program. He shared that he had been reading the Bible for the first time in his life, but he was having trouble with seeing. That is when it clicked in Eden’s mind, “Why don’t we organize a free vision clinic for people at Tacoma Rescue Mission?”
LifeBridge and Tacoma Rescue Mission have now worked together to host two free vision clinics serving over 200 people experiencing homelessness.
The LifeBridge Vision Clinic doesn’t only help people see more clearly. It gives them a new vision of who Jesus is, how much He cares about them and what He can do in their life. It gives both patients and volunteers an opportunity to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). As the church moves forward in the mission with Jesus, we get to be part of His miracles.
Thank you so much to everyone who made this Free Vision Clinic Possible!
Thank you Dr. Eden Yoon and LifeBridge Church for your passionate leadership of this event!
Thank you Tacoma Rescue Mission for partnering with us to bring this service to our neighbors without homes.
Thank you Better Vision Better Hope for the equipment rental and managing the processes.
Thank you Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute for providing specialized volunteers and equipment.
Thank you to all the 30+ volunteers who served!
Thank you to all of you who donated to help cover costs for equipment rental, prescription glasses, materials, patient goodie bags, etc.
Thank you to the patients participated in the clinic!
Thank you to everyone who made the clinic possible!
Thank you to Jesus who provided the inspiration behind the clinic and made the entire experience better than we even imagined! We look forward to next time!
If you're interested in joining the next one as a patient, volunteer, or simply want to stay connected with upcoming LifeBridge events, let us know!
Text "Connect" to 253-262-0797.
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