AMIGOS Eye Care Service Trips - Guatemala and Belize (2024)

(not pictured: Allison Wilkes, Kalica Kohner, and Maya Jump)

We are a group of optometry students at Pacific University who have been highly involved with AMIGOS Eye Care, a 501(c)(3) non-profit student-led organization at Pacific University in affiliation with VOSH International. Established in 1975, our mission was, and still is, to provide vision and medical eye care to underserved populations locally and abroad. It has been an incredibly rewarding and humbling clinical experience. AMIGOS Eye Care is one of the most successful student chapters in North America and completes eight trips a year globally and locally. Since its inception, we have served over 140,000 people worldwide.

This August, AMIGOS Eye Care will be working with Enfoque Ixcán and Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) to provide comprehensive eye exams to those in Guatemala and Belize, respectively. We will be serving populations that have little to no access to eye care, and are estimating seeing approximately 1,000 patients. We will be providing individuals with prescription glasses and sunglasses, and make any necessary referrals.

A gift of any amount will help cover expenses related to travel, lodging, food, and equipment for our team of dedicated optometry students. Providing vision care for an underserved population is a very fulfilling endeavor and the gratitude shown by the people in need goes much beyond words. We thank you kindly for your consideration and appreciate your contribution to our efforts.

If you would like to find out more about our organization please visit the AMIGOS Eye Care SVOSH Chapter website at http://amigoseyecare.org/.

A tax-deductible receipt can be sent after donation upon request.

Meet our team!

Third-year members - Alexa Wong, Allen Li, Amber Bui, Chandler Kauffman, Claire Owen, Claudia Solomon, Fiona Chui, Hannah Stearman, Kallista Ashton, Nikole Espino, Sierra Fenicle

Second-year members - Allison Wilkes, Kalica Kohner, Maya Jump, Ryan Klaich