State-of-the-Art Vision Clinic for the Underserved Opens in Long Beach

Angels for Sight, a community-based vision care organization has opened a state-of-the-art vision clinic that will serve thousands of children, families, seniors, veterans and the unhoused in Los Angeles County. The clinic dedication ceremony took place on March 28, 2025, in Long Beach, California.

Former State Senator Steven Bradford was instrumental in helping secure the funding needed to build the new state-of-the-art vision clinic that will provide vision care services and glasses to those who have no access to these services. Bradford is a longtime supporter of Angels for Sight, a 501(c)(3) that was launched in his district in 2004.

The California State Budget Allocation ensured that countless underserved residents of Los Angeles County would have access to quality vision care.

The opening of this clinic is the culmination of over 20 years of work by countless Angels for Sight supporters and volunteers. Shea Hamilton, the founder of Angels for Sight, had long hoped to open a larger facility to better serve the community she so loved. The organization had outgrown its original clinic location in Compton, which was heavily damaged during the unprecedented rains in 2021. Unfortunately, Hamilton died unexpectedly in 2023, just after learning that the much-needed funds to help her realize her dream of creating a larger, state-of-the-art vision clinic was finally going to become a reality.

Jesa Townsend, executive director of Angels for Sight shared, “Angels for Sight has long been a beacon of hope, ensuring that essential eye care is a right, not a privilege. Too often overlooked in health equity, it is vital to education, workforce development and well-being. By fostering partnerships and addressing socioeconomic issues beyond vision care, we strive to build a more just and equitable future. I am honored to build on this legacy, expand access for the most vulnerable and work alongside our dedicated supporters to create lasting impact.”

The board of directors of Angels for Sight subsequently created a new collaboration with the Marshall B. Ketchum University’s (MBKU) Southern California College of Optometry whose students and doctors will be staffing the clinic. Not only will the community be receiving excellent care but the clinic will also serve as a teaching center helping MBKU’s Southern California College of Optometry graduate students gain hands-on clinical experience under the watchful guidance of faculty doctors.

“This clinic represents everything MBKU stands for,” said Dr. Mark E. Nakano, associate dean of clinical affairs at Marshall B. Ketchum University and the new clinical director at Angels for Sight. “It’s about creating meaningful opportunities for our students to deliver real-world care while uplifting underserved communities. Our partnership with Angels for Sight reflects MBKU’s ongoing mission to prepare future healthcare leaders who are equipped to serve communities with compassion, excellence and commitment.”

The Angels for Sight Vision Clinic dedication event that took place on March 28 was the culmination of a long journey to provide quality vision care to a number of communities in Los Angeles County – 21 years after the founding of the organization. Members of the community, dignitaries who were instrumental in helping to establish the clinic along with other health–focused organizations serving kids, families, seniors and unhoused individuals were in attendance to celebrate this milestone.

Information was sourced from Globe Newswire. To learn more, contact barbara.c@huertaquorum.com.