Hundreds of residents gathered recently at Concorde College in Garden Grove to attend the West-Central Vision Expo and Flu Vaccine Day.
The event, which began at 9 a.m., featured vision examinations, prescription eyeglasses and flu shots, all at no cost to participants. By the end of the day, residents received much needed preventive care services.
Hundreds of residents gathered recently at Concorde College in Garden Grove to attend the West-Central Vision Expo and Flu Vaccine Day.
The event, which began at 9 a.m., featured vision examinations, prescription eyeglasses and flu shots, all at no cost to participants. By the end of the day, residents received much needed preventive care services.
“The demand for preventive care, especially for vision services, was so high that residents lined-up as early as midnight,” said event host State Sen. Janet Nguyen. “This high turnout highlights the great need that exists in the community for preventive care.”
The West-Central Vision Expo and Flu Vaccine Day was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Sen. Nguyen’s office, the California Department of Health Care Services, the Central County Foundation, Illumination Foundation, Concorde Career College, Coastline Community College, Brand New Day Health Plan, UCI Ophthalmology, Nhan Hoa Clinic, Vietnamese Community of Orange County, PepsiCo and the UCI Nursing Science Program.
Together, these organizations provided free eye exams, nonprescription reading glasses and prescription eyeglasses for adults and children ages 6 and older. Vision screenings for children ages 3 to 5 were also available on site. For residents needing to protect themselves against influenza, free flu shots were provided. More than 200 residents received eye care services, while more than 500 residents took advantage of the flu vaccines.
All of the services provided at the expo were offered at no cost to attendees and were made possible through the generous donations of local organizations, agencies and businesses. More than 200 volunteers, including optometrists, ophthalmologists, nurses and students donated their time to make the event successful.
“The success of this event belongs to the hundreds of volunteers who joined us on Saturday,” said Nguyen. “Thanks to their commitment to serving the community, we were able to bring preventative care directly to residents in need. I am proud of what we accomplished and am grateful for the generosity of our volunteers.”
