Sydney not-for-profit Eyes of Hope is calling for volunteers and diagnostic equipment to help expand the free eye care it provides to people experiencing homelessness.
Established in May 2024, Eyes of Hope operates a mobile clinic across three inner-city locations, providing comprehensive eye examinations and prescription glasses at no cost to patients.
Co-founder and optometrist Marc Eskander said the organisation particularly needed volunteer optometrists, dispensing assistants, and people able to assist with driving, equipment set-up, and other clinic duties.
“Volunteers are always a big need,” Mr Eskander said.
Eyes of Hope has a strict no-turn-away policy, including for people without Medicare or other documentation.
Outreach Clinics
The clinics are held monthly at each of three locations – St Vincent de Paul in Woolloomooloo, Kirketon Road Centre in Darlinghurst, and Salvation Army Foster House in Surry Hills – with equipment transported in a dedicated van and set up in rooms provided by community organisations.
Volunteers help prepare the clinic and dispensing space before patients arrive.
Appointments are generally made by caseworkers and social workers, although walk-ins are also accommodated. Eyes of Hope has a strict no-turn-away policy, including for people without Medicare or other documentation.
Patients receive visual acuity and intraocular pressure testing, refraction, and an examination of the anterior and posterior eye. Those prescribed spectacles can choose from a range of frames, with their completed glasses later delivered to the community centre for collection.
Mr Eskander said the service was designed to overcome barriers including cost, limited transport, difficulties navigating subsidy schemes, and mistrust arising from previous experiences with health and government services.
“A lot of people may have seen [an eye care professional] in the past but, for one reason or another, usually cost or feeling out of place walking into a shopping centre or private practice, they haven’t continued with care,” he said.
Delivering clinics alongside organisations that patients already know also helps establish trust and provides a reliable point of contact for bookings, spectacle collection, and follow-up.
Imaging Constraints
The service frequently detects uncorrected refractive error and cataract, as well as previously undiagnosed glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. However, its ability to investigate and monitor eye disease is constrained by a lack of imaging and visual field equipment.
Mr Eskander said access to an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device and visual field analyser would allow Eyes of Hope to conduct more testing within its clinics, reducing the need for patients to attend additional appointments elsewhere.
“We want to be able to do all our imaging and testing, and not have to send people somewhere else,” he said.
“The whole point of this was ongoing care and not just one-off care. Even if someone has been seen by a specialist or at the eye hospital, we could provide ongoing monitoring and review.”
Access Eye Centre in Woolloomooloo currently supports Eyes of Hope by providing free OCT imaging, visual field testing, and specialist review. Mr Eskander said this partnership had been invaluable, particularly because referrals to public ophthalmology services may require diagnostic imaging that the mobile clinic cannot yet perform itself.
Eyes of Hope was founded by optometrist Mr Eskander, medical doctor Dr Shenouda Girgis, and ophthalmology registrar Dr Rajeev Naidu after they identified a gap in targeted eye care for people experiencing homelessness.
It estimates more than 10,000 people – of an estimated 35,000 people in New South Wales who experience homelessness – need glasses.
Further information on the non-profit organisation can be found on its website: eyesofhope.org.au.
