Siloam Mission - Saul Sair Health Centre - Optometric Volunteers:
Did you know that Dr. Luke Small and Dr. Shannon Smith (pictured, left) of Armstrong and Small Eye Care Centre both provide volunteer optometric eye care services to the homeless at Siloam Mission? Dr. Luke Small was instrumental in creating this clinic within the Saul Sair Health Centre in 2011. The health centre was already providing dental, chiropractic, physiotherapy and general health exams to the patrons of Siloam Mission so it was a natural step to provide eye care as well.
According to Dr. Small, they eye care clinic plays a key role in helping those who are less fortunate. "We all tend to take our vision for granted from day to day, but when someone is trying their best to get off the streets good vision is a key necessity in terms of something as simple as being able to read the want-ads clearly. We have a ton of examples of patrons who have been provided an eye exam and glasses and how it has been one of the first steps towards their independence and the hopes of improving their quality of life." Dr. Small and Dr. Smith do their best to get back to volunteer at the clinic at least a couple of times per year.
