Volunteers at “Make Surgery Bearable” event.

JSEI Volunteers Share Vision
with the World

Community outreach programs sponsored by UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute (JSEI) would not be possible without its team of dedicated volunteers.

“Our volunteers come to us with diverse backgrounds and interests and include UCLA employees, students interested in becoming eye-care professionals and people from the community who just want to give back,” says Gloria Jurisic, director of marketing and contracting for JSEI. “What they share is the desire to make a difference in the lives of people who otherwise would not have access to vision care.”

Through the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic, which is supported by charitable funds, approximately 4,000 under-served patients receive free eye examinations, treatment and referrals each year in schools, free clinics, community centers and social service agencies throughout Southern California.

Other important volunteer opportunities are coordinated through JSEI Affiliates, a broadbased volunteer network created to support JSEI faculty, staff and programs, that spearheads the institute’s community outreach programs through vision science education and services. On May 4, the Affiliates hosted a springtime ice cream fundraising drive for the “Make Surgery Bearable” program, which provides plush teddy bears to every pediatric patient undergoing eye surgery at the institute. Each $10 Dr. Teddy MD is named in honor of its donor.

Dr. Teddy, MD

The Preschool Vision Screening Program, which serves approximately 550 children annually, utilizes retired optometrists to perform vision screenings for preschool-aged children and works with community groups to facilitate additional treatment as needed. The Vision IN-School Program offers interactive education regarding the anatomy of the eye and eye safety measures to approximately 350 4th, 5th and 6th graders each year. Through the Shared Vision Program, JSEI Affiliates collect, refurbish and distribute more than 5,000 pairs of used eyeglasses annually to indigent patients in the U.S. and developing nations such as Mexico and those in Africa.

“There are so many different volunteer opportunities with flexible time commitments,” says Gloria. “We can find a match for anyone who wants to participate.”

With a tradition for clinical excellence that spans more than 40 years, the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA (JSEI), handles more than 100,000 patient visits annually for comprehensive eye care ranging from routine vision services and emergency eye surgeries to aesthetic eye and face surgeries and refractive surgeries for vision correction and treating rare disorders.

To volunteer or to receive more information, contact Judy Smith at (310) 206-7128 or judy.smith@jsei.ucla.edu