Boys & Girls Club Blog

December 23, 2022

AJ is in 4th grade and has been coming to the Club after school for a few years now. He struggles to make relationships at the Club because his mom frequently leaves town without notice. She has been away from home now for about a month and we know this affects AJ. We often hear him say, “I haven’t seen my mom in over two weeks.”

One day when AJ got in the Club van after school, he said to our staff member, “Mr. Kevin, can I get glasses like yours? I need them for school.” After talking with AJ and the school, we found out that he recently had an eye screening at school. The results showed that AJ needs glasses to see the smartboard and his teacher said he often has to sit in the front of the room to see.

The Club decided to schedule an appointment for an eye exam, and Mr. Kevin took AJ to the optometrist’s office for his very first visit. When they arrived at the optometrist’s office, AJ was very nervous. He was looking for any excuse to leave. After some encouragement, he was called in by the doctor, and he instantly began to ask all sorts of questions about the machines in the room. When the doctor showed AJ what looking through glasses would look like for him, he said, “Wow, this is beautiful!” and ended the exam by giving the doctor a hug. The doctor walked AJ out by the glasses to show him where the red frames were. AJ loves red and picked out his favorite pair. He may have been a little disappointed that he would have to wait for the glasses to come in, but he’s being very patient! His teacher shared with the Club that he is very excited and is letting everyone at school know that his glasses are on the way!

We are so happy to be able to help AJ get his first pair of glasses and put a smile on his face!  Because of wonderful donors like you, we are able to provide basic needs like glasses to our youth.