VSP Vision Invests $1 Million to Expand Access to Vision Care and Literacy for Children and Families Nationwide

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. - Today, VSP Vision^™ announced a $1 million investment to expand access to equitable vision care and literacy resources for children and families nationwide. Through funding to national and local nonprofit organizations and VSP Eyes of Hope^® events that will provide no-cost eye exams and prescription glasses to students at more than 25 schools across the country, the initiative advances literacy programs while addressing a critical barrier to learning-untreated vision issues that can prevent students from reading, learning, and fully participating in school.

"We believe that sight has the power to unlock human potential in all aspects of life, and that's especially true for literacy and the success children can achieve in the classroom by seeing clearly," said VSP Vision President and CEO Michael Guyette. "Reinvesting our profits in programs that expand access to vision care for those in need is a part of our DNA and just one of the ways we give back and support the communities we serve every single day."

One of the organizations supported by the investment is Start Lighthouse, a New York nonprofit that transforms underused spaces in Title I schools into fully staffed reading centers with daily literacy programming. Specifically, the investment from VSP Vision will allow the organization to open its fourth Literacy Hub in the Bronx. Funding will also support the organization's three existing Literacy Hubs, providing more than 2,600 students across the Bronx in New York with diverse reading materials and literacy instruction.

"We're grateful for the support from VSP Vision, which underscores how vital eye health and clear vision are to reading and long-term academic success," said Start Lighthouse Co-Founder and Executive Director Rina Madhani. "By broadening access to books, literacy tools, and eye care, we're helping equip students with resources that can shape their learning journeys for years to come."

Another organization supported by this investment is the Oakland Literacy Coalition in Oakland, Calif., with funding to expand literacy support for Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) students and families, extending the Books Kids Want to Read program to purchase books for all 15 OUSD middle school libraries. In addition, this funding will be used to increase the coalition's Reading Everywhere Action Grants, increasing access to books and literacy programming in community-based, non-school settings.

"A child's ability to read shouldn't depend on whether they can clearly see the words on a page or whether their school library has books that reflect their interests and experiences," said Oakland Literacy Coalition Cofounder and Executive Director Sanam Jorjani. "This support from VSP Vision helps remove both barriers by putting more books within reach, strengthening community-based reading opportunities, and addressing undiagnosed vision issues so OUSD students can learn with confidence."

The Kendra Scott Foundation, Reading Is Fundamental, and Bess the Book Bus, among others, will also receive funding to increase access to books, reading spaces, and literacy programming as will the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, which will be using the funds to deliver a sponsored Scholastic Book Fair to a local school. In addition to the $1 million nonprofit investment, VSP Eyes of Hope will join with each of these organizations to bring approximately $900,000 in no-cost eye care and eyewear to students and families in communities across the U.S.

VSP Eyes of Hope, founded as the charitable arm of VSP Vision to increase equitable access to vision care, includes a variety of initiatives such as mobile clinics, disaster relief, eyewear donations, and more. To date, VSP Eyes of Hope has partnered with nonprofit organizations and eye doctors to deliver no-cost eye exams and prescription glasses to more than 4.3 million people in need. Learn more at vspvision.com/eyes-of-hope.

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About VSP Vision
At VSP Vision^™, our purpose is to empower human potential through sight. As the first national not-for-profit vision benefits company, this is what drives everything we do. For 70 years, VSP^® has been a leader in health-focused vision care. Every day, the people that power our complementary businesses across vision benefits, eye care services, eyewear solutions, and practice solutions, work together to create a world where everyone can bring their best vision to life. That means providing affordable access to eye care and eyewear for millions of members through a network of more than 44,000 doctors. It also means expanding access to vision care to those disadvantaged by income, distance, or disaster through VSP Eyes of Hope^®. To date, more than 4.3 million people in need have received access to no-cost eye care and eyewear through one of our Eyes of Hope programs. Learn more about how we're reinvesting in greater vision, health, and opportunities for all at vspvision.com.