At Boling Vision Center, caring for the community has never been separate from caring for our guests. It is the same impulse, expressed in different ways, and it has been part of who we are since the day we opened our doors in Elkhart in 1960.
We believe that a practice with the expertise, technology, and resources to provide world-class eye care has a responsibility that extends beyond the guests who can walk through its doors and pay for its services. Vision loss from untreated or undetected conditions is not inevitable. In most cases, it is preventable. And preventable vision loss is something we are simply not willing to accept in the community we call home.
That belief gave birth to Kindness to Prevent Blindness, our multifaceted charitable eye care program, and it continues to drive the partnerships, programs, and patient assistance initiatives that put quality eye care within reach of every member of our community, regardless of financial circumstances.
Kindness to Prevent Blindness is Boling Vision Center's umbrella program for charitable eye care in the Michiana region. It operates through five distinct branches, each addressing a different dimension of the access problem that leaves too many people in our community without the eye care they need.
Launched in 2018 in collaboration with the Elkhart Education Foundation, the K2PB mobile eye care unit was created to address a sobering reality: one in four children has a vision problem, sixty percent of children with learning difficulties have an undetected vision problem, and eighty percent of information in the classroom is presented visually. Yet when vision problems are found, an estimated forty to sixty-seven percent of students, particularly those living below the poverty line, never receive the recommended follow-up care.
The mobile unit is a custom-built, fully equipped eye care clinic housed in a converted recreational vehicle, complete with two examination lanes and the diagnostic equipment needed for comprehensive eye care visits. It travels directly to schools in Elkhart and St. Joseph County, removing the barriers of transportation, scheduling, and cost that prevent so many families from following up on vision screenings.
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 closing the referral gap and delivering care directly in the school building, K2PB ensures that a failed screening actually leads to improved vision rather than a note sent home that never results in a follow-up appointment.
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 directly 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.
The K2PB program depends on the generosity of community donors and volunteers. Whether you want to support the program financially or give your time as a volunteer, we welcome you.
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. If you or someone you know may qualify for financial hardship assistance, please contact our team to discuss the options available.
The Values Committee at Boling Vision Center is the internal team responsible for keeping the spirit of Kindness to Prevent Blindness alive and growing within our practice. Made up of team members from across our locations, the committee coordinates charitable initiatives, evaluates new partnership opportunities, and ensures that our community commitment is not a program that sits in a brochure but a living, active part of our practice culture.
The Values Committee reflects our belief that community care is not the responsibility of leadership alone. It belongs to every member of the Boling Vision Center team.
