Mission Statement
To provide eye and vision care services for people in underserved populations
that do not have access to local eye care.
To provide eye and vision care services for people in underserved populations
that do not have access to local eye care.
SVOSH at SCO is the student chapter of VOSH International (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) located at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee.
SVOSH: Past to Present
SVOSH was founded at SCO in 1975 by Donald Holbrook, a second year student. Mr. Holbrook’s father went to Costa Rica and noted that most of the rural natives lacked medical care of any kind. Hearing about the conditions inspired Mr. Holbrook to gather a group of optometry students and doctors to deliver eye care to those needy people.
Within one year, Mr. Holbrook recruited eleven classmates and three optometrists. In 1976, the fourteen volunteers comprised the first two SVOSH teams to travel to rural Costa Rica. They examined 3,726 patients in thirteen days. Electricity was turned off at 9:00 pm, but they worked past midnight using their hand held instruments to see patients in the dark.
Over the past 35 years, SVOSH has spread to many other schools and colleges of optometry and has grown to be one of SCO’s largest student organizations. Membership continues to rise each year.
In the summer of 2011, 112 students and 14 doctors divided into 9 groups and traveled to Belize, Colombia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico. By the end of the trips, we performed over 9,000 eye exams and distributed 9,898 pairs of prescription spectacles and non-prescription sunglasses.
As of 2011, SVOSH at SCO has completed over 119 total trips to 16 countries, examined over 200,000 patients, and distributed over 150,000 pairs of glasses. It has been conservatively estimated that our donated services (in 2010 dollars) are worth over 20 million dollars! This could never have been possible without the generous support of Lion's Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, Rotary Clubs and other organizations that share our passion for service.
Our Commitment
SVOSH Members work year-round to ensure our trips are successful. To prepare for our four-day mission, students work over 3,500 combined hours during the school year collecting, sorting, and cleaning glasses donated by Lion's Clubs, eye doctors, and other groups from around the United States. In addition, each student must participate in a variety of fund-raising activities to help supplement the invaluable financial support we receive from our supporters.
Each member completes the following requirements:
1. 30 Volunteer Hours - organized community volunteering and fundraisers
2. 30 Lab Hours – sorting, labeling, packaging donated glasses to take with us
3. 25 Donation Letters – sent to Lions Clubs to gather donated glasses and funds
4. 2 Presentations – informational presentations made to Lions Clubs about SVOSH
SVOSH Members work year-round to ensure our trips are successful. To prepare for our four-day mission, students work over 3,500 combined hours during the school year collecting, sorting, and cleaning glasses donated by Lion's Clubs, eye doctors, and other groups from around the United States. In addition, each student must participate in a variety of fund-raising activities to help supplement the invaluable financial support we receive from our supporters.
Each member completes the following requirements:
1. 30 Volunteer Hours - organized community volunteering and fundraisers
2. 30 Lab Hours – sorting, labeling, packaging donated glasses to take with us
3. 25 Donation Letters – sent to Lions Clubs to gather donated glasses and funds
4. 2 Presentations – informational presentations made to Lions Clubs about SVOSH
Our International Trips
All members who complete the requirements are eligible to go on a SVOSH trip at the end of the year. Multiple trips to different locations are taken concurrently during the week after spring semester final exams. Members are divided among the various locations, and two or three staff doctors accompany the members and oversee the optometric work at each site. While there, local Lion's Clubs of the host countries coordinate the visit, prepare makeshift clinics, and house students in their homes.
During a typical day, each SVOSH team works about eight hours and examines approximately 250 patients per site, per day, for 4 days. The demand for eye care in Central and South America is great, and patients often travel many miles and wait several hours to receive eye care they could not otherwise afford.
Our Local Mission
While our emphasis has always been on our mission work in Central and South America, we also recognize and respond to the vision needs of our local communities. Supported by the Lion's Clubs, student doctors regularly perform free vision screenings at city fairs, supermarkets, schools, and other locations, reaching many of our neighbors who might not otherwise receive care. We also assist other local volunteer medical missions in their efforts to provide vision care to the underserved.
All members who complete the requirements are eligible to go on a SVOSH trip at the end of the year. Multiple trips to different locations are taken concurrently during the week after spring semester final exams. Members are divided among the various locations, and two or three staff doctors accompany the members and oversee the optometric work at each site. While there, local Lion's Clubs of the host countries coordinate the visit, prepare makeshift clinics, and house students in their homes.
During a typical day, each SVOSH team works about eight hours and examines approximately 250 patients per site, per day, for 4 days. The demand for eye care in Central and South America is great, and patients often travel many miles and wait several hours to receive eye care they could not otherwise afford.
Our Local Mission
While our emphasis has always been on our mission work in Central and South America, we also recognize and respond to the vision needs of our local communities. Supported by the Lion's Clubs, student doctors regularly perform free vision screenings at city fairs, supermarkets, schools, and other locations, reaching many of our neighbors who might not otherwise receive care. We also assist other local volunteer medical missions in their efforts to provide vision care to the underserved.
Where We've Been
SVOSH at Southern College of Optometry has provided services in 16 countries outside the US and one regional city since our founding in 1975.
International Mission Trips
Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru
Regional Mission Trips
Pigeon Forge, TN
(photos from past trips)
SVOSH at Southern College of Optometry has provided services in 16 countries outside the US and one regional city since our founding in 1975.
International Mission Trips
Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru
Regional Mission Trips
Pigeon Forge, TN
(photos from past trips)
Southern College of Optometry | VOSH | SCO SVOSH Member Site | Lions Clubs
