BIDDEFORD — On Monday morning, at Biddeford Intermediate School, Biddeford Primary School third-grader Camilla Woods said she was looking forward to getting her first pair of glasses.

Because of the severity of her sight problems, Camilla said she has trouble reading books and seeing the black board at school.

But thanks to the nonprofit organization OneSight, free glasses that are being provided to Camilla and about 60 other Biddeford students by the end of the week will enable all to see better and do better in the classroom.

“If they can’t see, they can’t learn,” said Christine Burke, the executive director of the Maine Education Association Benefits Trust, one of the partnering organizations.

Through providing free glasses to those who need them, and whose families fall within certain income guidelines, “It gives all the kids the same basic platform” for learning, she said.

The free glasses impact not only the individual students, but also the community at large, said Paul Craven, the local volunteer coordinator for the OneSight eye clinics.

The program, which provides free eye care around the country and around the world, was started in 1988 as a small, charitable organization known as Give the Gift of Sight by the eye care company LensCrafters, said OneSight Clinic Manager Scott Lawrence. That program provided vouchers for free eyewear in company stores around the country.

In 1991, OneSight began to serve people in other countries with its first global clinic in Costa Rica, which assisted 8,600 people. Today, an estimated 8.5 million people in 40 countries have been impacted by OneSight, according to the organization’s website.

To provide eye care to Biddeford students and other students in southern Maine, one of OneSight’s mobile eye clinic vans is visiting the state.

This is the first time the OneSight van has come to Maine, said Craven.

The van provides a location for optometrists to examine students’ eyes.

More than 80 percent of the students who need glasses will receive them the same day. The rest should receive their glasses by the end of the week.

According to Craven, the process began even before the van arrived, when school nurses assessed students and recommended who could qualify for the program.

On the day of OneSight’s visit, students start the process by visiting the registration table to sign up.

The next stop is the first eye test, where they view eye charts. Then there is another test using a book that checks for color blindness and depth perception. Students then have their prescription measured through the use of an autorefractor machine, the puff tonometer that gauges their intraocular pressure.

After that, students are brought into a room and given eye drops that will make it easier for an optometrist to conduct more eye tests.

Finally, students are escorted to the OneSight vision van, where the optometrist sets their prescriptions and, for most, their glasses are made on the spot in the van’s lab.

“I was kind of speechless to see the setup,” said Biddeford Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray. “It’s a privilege to have an organization like this come for our students.”

OneSight’s trip to Maine was made possible with a nearly $48,000 grant from the WellPoint Foundation. The foundation is a private, nonprofit philanthropic organization funded by WellPoint, Inc., which is the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Jennifer Kent of Anthem said the company has been trying to get the OneSight van to visit Maine for the past five years. She said she was pleased the company was finally successful.

“From Anthem’s perspective,” said Kent, “the company encourages employees to volunteer in all different events.”

Being involved in the OneSight eye clinic particularly fits with Anthem’s mission, she said.

The event was almost entirely volunteer run, said Craven. In addition to himself, there were volunteers from Anthem, Maine Education Association Benefits Trust and OneSight, as well as local, independent optometrists.

Optometrist Mary Ellen Connell of Family Eye Care in Saco was one of three optometrists volunteering on Monday. For the four days of OneSight’s visit, 11 eye doctors in all will have volunteered at the OneSight school visits, said Craven.

“I’ve practiced in Saco for 30 years,” said Connell. “I do like to give back to the community.

“There are a lot of children out there (at BIS) being given the eye care they need,” she said. “We’re fortunate to have OneSight visit.”

Several local high school students also volunteered with the program.

“I think it’s a good option for kids,” said Biddeford High School student Danica Roy about OneSight.

Senior Ali Muller, who attends Thornton Academy in Saco, also volunteered. She said she thought the program was important, because “if I couldn’t see, I couldn’t learn.”

For those who missed the opportunity to get free glasses through OneSight, Craven, a LensCrafters’ employee, said there are still opportunities to do so through LensCrafters. Working with the Lions Club and social service organizations, he said, Maine LensCrafters’ gives out about 400 pairs of free glasses each year to all ages. In addition, on Hometown Day, the first Tuesday in December, the company works with local optometrists in the state to provide another 40 pairs of free glasses.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].