SEE International

10/13/2026

We’re excited to continue our Quarterly Donor Highlight series, recognizing the donors and corporate sponsors who help make SEE International’s work possible.

Meet longtime donor and friend Ken Gack, who has been supporting SEE for more than two decades. After discovering SEE through a Forbes article featuring our founder Dr. Harry Brown, Ken became a donor, board member, and volunteer, joining medical programs around the world.

Read Ken’s story and learn more about his 25 years with SEE: https://www.seeintl.org/blog/donor-highlight-ken-gacks-25-years-supporting-cataract-surgery-worldwide/

For 25 years, Ken Gack has supported SEE International's cataract surgery programs as a donor, board member, and volunteer in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Honduras.

10/08/2026

Today is World Sight Day!

Around the world, millions of people live with vision loss that could be treated with access to the right care. That's why our medical teams and partners work to bring that care to communities where it is needed most, providing vision screenings, glasses, and sight-restoring surgeries.

This World Sight Day, help make access to eyecare possible for communities across the globe. Donate now! https://give.seeintl.org/page/wsd-2026

World Sight Day is a global day of awareness that draws attention to preventable blindness, and the fact that most people living with it simply don't have access to care. Every gift we recieve this World Sight Day helps us put someone in front of an eye...

10/03/2026

The Carpinteria Children’s Project is hosting a free Community Health Fair on Friday, October 9, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Join us at 5201 8th St, Carpinteria, CA 93013 for an afternoon of free services, community resources, food, raffles, a pumpkin patch, and more.

The SEE Vision Care (SVC) team will be there offering free vision screenings and helping community members learn more about their eye health as well as available vision care resources.

Everyone is welcome. We hope to see you there!

10/02/2026

Come out to Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics’ 1st Annual Health & Wellness Fair!

Join us Saturday, October 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Franklin Elementary School for a free community event featuring giveaways, kids’ activities, music, health resources, and more.

SEE staff and volunteers will be on-site conducting vision screenings for community members. Stop by to have your vision checked and learn more about available eyecare resources.

For more information, call 805-618-7919.

10/02/2026

As a longtime SEE supporter and volunteer, Dr. Rupert Chowins has seen firsthand the difference access to eyecare can make.

In his latest News-Press opinion piece, Dr. Chowins shares what years of volunteering have taught him about access to vision care and highlights a recent partnership between SEE, VSP Eyes of Hope, and the County of Santa Barbara Health Department that provided free eye exams and prescription glasses to nearly 140 local residents in Santa Maria and Lompoc.

Thank you, Dr. Chowins, for your continued support of SEE and our local community.

Read the full article: https://www.newspress.com/2026/09/27/opinion-what-years-of-volunteering-have-taught-me-about-access-to-vision-care/

After nearly 40 years of practicing optometry and organizing free vision care clinics both locally and abroad, I’ve learned that most people don’t go

09/30/2026

This month’s Country Milestones takes us to Honduras! 🇭🇳

So far in 2026, SEE has coordinated and/or supported 12 short-term programs in Honduras, serving 1,503 patients and providing 1,486 sight-restoring surgeries.

These impacts are only made possible by the generosity of our donors, whose support funds our efforts to make eyecare more accessible worldwide. To everyone who gives the gift of sight, thank you for helping us transform the lives of people in need!

09/29/2026

Calling all Santa Barbara residents! September is coming to a close, and we're making one final push to reach our Hightide fundraising goal of $500!

As a reminder, HighTide is a mobile app that gives members over $4,000 in deals at local businesses while raising money to support our mission. Memberships are $40 each, and every membership purchased in support of SEE International earns $20 to help advance the work we do.

So if you live in Santa Barbara and you haven't had a chance to purchase your membership yet, there's still time to help us reach our goal.

Purchase Your Membership: https://hightidefundraiser.com/join/seei26

Already a member? One of the best ways you can help during these final days of September is by sharing our fundraiser with friends and family!

09/25/2026

Access to specialized eyecare is extremely limited for patients in rural communities around the world, including the Philippines. Distance to hospitals, cost, limited medical resources, and other barriers can prevent people from seeking the treatment they need.

That's why SEE recently teamed up with our partners in Narra, Philippines to provide free screenings, surgeries, medication, and follow up care to more than 100 patients.

Read the stories of Florentina, Rene, and Josephine, and long time SEE partner Dr. Federico Malubay by visiting our blog today: https://www.seeintl.org/blog/vision-clinic-in-the-philippines/

SEE collaborated with partners to host a vision clinic in the Philippines, providing over 100 sight-restoring surgeries to people in need.

09/24/2026

Calling all Santa Barbara Residents! Join us for our Community Resource Mixer! This event is brought to you by Braille Institute, Blind Fitness, Access Central Coast, SEE International, and Lions Club International.

When: Thursday, October 29 from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Where: Braille Institute Santa Barbara, 2031 De La Vina St. Santa Barbara, CA 93105

We'll have appetizers, small bites, and w**e! Enjoy music, games, and prizes every hour. Attendees can expect to learn about local resources, programs, and services supporting people who are blind or have low vision, their families, and our community.

RSVP by October 22 by emailing Randy Brantley at [email protected].

We hope to see you there!

09/22/2026

¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana! 💛 This month, we celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities who are at the heart of our sight-restoring work.

To our Hispanic and Latino doctors, staff, and volunteers who help drive our mission, and to the patients and families in these communities that we're honored to serve, gracias por todo.