Playford Salvos keeping an eye on their local community
- kirranicolle
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE
Hundreds of residents of Playford, a region in the north of Adelaide, have accessed free eye testing and complimentary pairs of glasses thanks to a partnership between the Salvation Army and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation.
OneSight is a registered charitable organisation, which, according to its leadership, reflects the commitment of EssilorLuxottica to eliminate uncorrected poor vision in a generation.
The Playford Salvos, based out of Elizabeth East, has had an ongoing partnership with OneSight, which seeks to create sustainable access to vision care, provide free eye exams and glasses for those most in need, fund local vision care programs and raise awareness of poor vision among policy makers and at a community level, according to the OPSM website.
Paula Powell, Playford Salvos Doorways Coordinator, said after having the opportunity to offer clients assistance through the OneSight’s ‘Vision Voucher’ scheme, the corps hosted its first Vision Clinic two years ago. She said it was a “huge success”.
“There were people that we didn’t actually get to see because we only had [the OneSight team] for the one day,” she said.
In July, the corps hosted its second clinic, this time over two days. The response was immense. Paula said 205 people attended, including many families with young children needing eye tests, and some who needed glasses.
Images: Supplied
“It was very rewarding to see the number of children that were being helped [with] parents who may not have known that their children had troubles with their eyes,” Paula said.
Paula said one seven-year-old boy came with very impaired eyesight, whose parents had not yet realised the extent of his vision difficulties. The team was able to perform testing on him and provide him with a specialised prescription pair of glasses to enable him to engage fully in school.
“There’s dignity in it,” Paula. “I can’t speak highly enough about the team from OneSight. All of them, every single one of them. They come from all over Australia, and they’re here all day. They’re just amazing people. Their heart’s in it, you can tell. They’re really patient, really caring, [and] nobody was rushed.
“It was a really good experience for everybody.”
According to 2021 Census figures, in Elizabeth East, the median income-earning household is at least $500 worse off per fortnight than the state median. Residents in the region also suffer from higher unemployment rates and lower rates of full-time and part-time work.
Paula said many people who came to the clinic were very grateful for the comprehensive care they received, which included referrals to other specialists if needed. She said the glasses provided were of high quality, and as they left, some clients were shocked to see that their vision was now clear where it had been blurred previously.
“[It’s] something that might be quite simple to other people – just to have glasses – but the impact is quite big,” she said.
Joel Greenstock and his partner, Andrea, attended the clinic at Playford and know firsthand the effect a fresh pair of glasses can have on daily life.
In May last year, the couple’s lease ended, and they were forced to seek alternative accommodation. Finding themselves unable to secure another lease and with their situation compounded by a job loss, they moved into a tent, then later used Joel’s superannuation to purchase a starter caravan. After saving up a bit more, Joel said they had now been able to purchase a higher-quality caravan, but with his partner as the driver, her impaired vision was making it difficult to travel to affordable spots.
“We drove in with her old glasses and she was complaining on the way in [that she couldn’t see],” he said. “On the way out, I think she sped a little, because she was so grateful that she’d actually see now with her new glasses!
“She [had] said she wanted to update her prescription about 12 months ago, but she had avoided it, [because] we simply could not afford it.”
Joel said he and Andrea were very thankful to the team at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and The Salvation Army for their assistance with eye tests for both of them, as well as the free glasses for Andrea. He said the generosity of the program gave people doing it tough a “leg up”.
“A huge thank you to everyone, the team, all the people that got together,” he said.
Danielle Brooks, the OneSight Program Manager (Oceania), who has organised vision clinics in partnership with over 12 Salvation Army centres across Australia in 2025 so far, says this kind of testimonial is “what it’s all about” for her, the OneSight team and the broader EssilorLuxottica network.
“Sight is something that so many of us take for granted, and even vision care is something that probably so many of us take for granted,” Danielle said. “What makes it all worth it for me personally is seeing a direct impact.”
She said some of the most powerful moments at a clinic happened when someone might be struggling to read the intake form at the clinic, then, as soon as they put their new glasses on, everything changed as their vision improved dramatically.
“Clinic days can be very emotional,” she said. “Gratitude is something that we leave with an abundance of from the attendees and also just from being able to actually give this opportunity to those people as well.
“It’s an incredible organisation to be a part of.”
