The Five Branches of K2PB
Kindness to Prevent Blindness operates through five distinct programs, each addressing a different dimension of the vision care access challenge in our community.
The K2PB Mobile Eye Care Unit
Launched in 2018 in collaboration with the Elkhart Education Foundation, the K2PB mobile eye care unit is a custom-built, fully equipped eye care clinic housed in a converted recreational vehicle, complete with two examination lanes and all the diagnostic equipment needed for comprehensive eye care visits.
How It Works
Community volunteers perform vision screenings for students across the four grade levels required by the Indiana Department of Education, specifically first, third, fifth, and eighth grades. Students identified as needing further evaluation are seen by Boling Vision Center doctors and staff in the mobile unit, at no cost to the family. Students who need glasses receive a pair free of charge.
By traveling directly to schools in Elkhart and St. Joseph County, the mobile unit removes the barriers of transportation, scheduling, and cost that prevent so many families from following up on a vision screening referral. The result is that a failed screening actually leads to improved vision rather than a note sent home that never becomes a follow-up appointment.
Impact and Growth
More than 4,000 Elkhart Community Schools students across four grade levels are screened annually through this program. Future expansion will extend the reach to additional school districts and local businesses, bringing the convenience of care to the worksite so that employees can access vision care without disrupting their workday.
The K2PB mobile unit is funded entirely through tax-deductible donations and in-kind community support. Boling Vision Center doctors and staff donate their time for school visits.
Operation Sight
Operation Sight is a charitable cataract surgery program of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), through which volunteer surgeons and organizations provide free cataract surgery to uninsured patients who cannot access or afford care on their own. Boling Vision Center participates as a volunteer member of this program. Eligible patients, those with an annual household income of less than 200 percent of the Federal poverty level, are matched with volunteer surgeons, including our own BVC doctors. All surgeries are performed at no charge to the patient, with additional financial and administrative support provided by ASCRS. For patients who qualify, Operation Sight removes one of the most unnecessary barriers to clear vision: the cost of a surgery that takes less than 20 minutes to perform and can restore independence, safety, and quality of life in ways that extend far beyond eyesight.
EYLEA Patient Assistance Program
EYLEA is a prescription medication administered by injection into the eye to treat certain diseases of the retina, including wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. For patients who depend on this treatment to preserve their central vision, access is not optional.
To ensure that no patient goes without the treatment they need due to financial circumstances, Boling Vision Center enrolls eligible patients in the EYLEA Assistance Program, which provides support solutions for uninsured patients or those who lack insurance coverage for this medication.
Nonprofit Partnerships
Kindness to Prevent Blindness works directly with community nonprofit organizations to provide free eye examinations and glasses to individuals living below the federal poverty level. These partnerships allow us to reach community members who may not come to us directly but who are already connected with organizations providing essential services in our community. Our current nonprofit partners include:
- Minority Health Coalition
- Church Community Services
- YWCA of Elkhart County
- Guidance Ministries
- Vista Community Health
- Center for Healing and Hope
- South Bend Center for the Homeless
We are always open to expanding our network of community partnerships. If your organization serves individuals who may benefit from access to eye care, we invite you to reach out.
Financial Hardship Assistance
For uninsured or underinsured community members who need eye care but cannot afford it, Boling Vision Center provides financial hardship assistance on a case-by-case basis. We believe that financial circumstances should never be the reason a person loses vision that could have been saved, and we work to find solutions wherever we can.
