This article was written by Kathleen Hustad
The North Minneapolis Rotary Club is pleased to report outcomes of its 2022 community partnerships. Many members of our vibrant community contribute to and benefit from these grassroots initiatives.
Rotary’s diverse impact included fundraising, events focusing on peace, youth outreach, a poinsettia fundraiser, running a Peace Garden and an Earth Day clean up. Three signature events were the Northside Ramble, Quick Connect and Gun Buyback, and Northside Love.
The Rotary’s Northside Ramble bicycle and brewery tour raised $5,126 for Gotcha Glasses, which translates into 41 pairs of new glasses for Northside youth.
Club member and past President Natalie Johnson Lee sponsored Gotcha Glasses because it aligns with the club’s focus on maternal and child health, and club members’ lived experiences.
“Several members were in need of glasses as youth,” said Johnson Lee. “Some of us could afford them and some of us couldn’t. … So, we want to be their service above self to help our community.”
Gotcha Glasses was founded by Lesley Tuomi, a licensed dental hygienist at North Point who saw the need to provide eyeglasses to Northside youth while she was in the schools providing screenings.
“I’ve seen lots of kids literally walking around with broken glasses because they’re just not structurally sound,” said Toumi. “You put them on the face of a kid that’s playing tag at recess and they’re going to fall off and get broken. So, I decided something had to change.”
On average, 40 percent of Northside students participate in vision screenings and qualify for an eyeglass prescription; however, most students lack access.
“On average, 25-30 percent of kids in need of glasses don’t have them,” Tuomi said. “But and when you look at minority populations and low-income students, 95 percent of the kids that need glasses don’t have them.”
Barriers to access due to lack of transportation, financial resources and a limited selection of eyeglass frames tend to drive the need for access.
To close these gaps, Gotcha Glasses provides transportation to North Point to visit optometrists who provide prescriptions and to David Spencer Eyewear where students can select from over 100 styles of durable frames, free of charge.
This increased selection and transportation matters. For example, many students in North Minneapolis are insured through Minnesota’s Medical Assistance (MA) insurance program. MA only covers up to four frame styles provided by a single vendor. There are no retail outlets in the 55411 or 55412 zip codes that sell these frames.
Today, Gotcha Glasses serves North Minneapolis Charter Schools. Tuomi encourages any community member to contact her at North Point, to help her get a waiver to provide this service to Minneapolis Northside Public Schools.
Toumi explained how important it is for children to be able to see, “The American Academy of Ophthalmology discovered … 80 percent of kids’ learning is done through their eyes.”
She said that when kids have trouble seeing clearly, it affects their ability to learn in school and has a ripple effect.
Learning builds a foundation. When kids don’t have that foundation, it becomes very difficult for them to catch up later in life.
For example, students get bored if they cannot see which can result in disruptive behavior. Misdiagnosis is also an issue, as some kids who are labeled as needing special education may just need glasses.
In other North Rotary notes: The Quick Connect & Gun Buyback event resulted in getting 120 illegal guns off the streets and connected many individuals to a variety of resources.
Rotary Club Member, and Founder and CEO of Wellspring Second Chance Center, Deseria Galloway said she is very happy about the turnout and the positive feedback from attendees.
Because of the event’s success, many individuals have contacted Galloway to set up a similar event in North Minneapolis. In the meantime neighbors in need of services or interested in anonymously turning in a gun do not need to wait. Anyone can contact Galloway for direct assistance by calling 507-291-4839.
Northside Love was another successful community event. A variety of community members participated in this innovative multicultural event celebrating peace and love.
Visual artist seangarrison lead the event and a variety of musicians and poets preformed. It was an uplifting evening of celebration.
As the Rotary Club wraps up a successful year in partnering with the community, it welcomes community members interested in learning more to check out the club.
The North Minneapolis Rotary Club meets online every Tuesday by Zoom from 7:35-8:35 a.m. and welcomes Northside community members and professionals to get involved. It is always looking for guest speakers who are making a difference in our community. Contact us at northmplsrotary@gmail.com to request the link.