LONG BEACH, Calif., March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Angels for Sight dedicated its state-of-the-art vision clinic on March 28, 2025 in Long Beach, California with community members, dignitaries and charitable partners all in attendance.
Representatives from Congressman Robert Garcia, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán, California State Senator Laura Richardson, Compton Mayoral and City Council representatives and Long Beach Councilwoman Dr. Suely Saro along with representatives from countless nonprofits from throughout the region toured the facility and met with the medical team representatives from the Marshall B. Ketchum University’s (MBKU) Southern California College of Optometry who will be staffing the clinic.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson welcomed everyone to the city of Long Beach and expressed his support for the Angels for Sight Vision Clinic while helping to cut the ceremonial ribbon with the organization’s Board Members and longtime supporters. “This clinic represents more than just healthcare — it’s a vital resource that will improve lives and strengthen our community,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped fulfill the dream of founder Shea Hamilton, ensuring that her legacy of service will continue to support families and youth in the greater Long Beach area for years to come.”
Former State Senator and current California Lieutenant Governor candidate Steven Bradford was instrumental in helping to secure the funding needed to build the new state-of-the-art vision clinic.
“I’m honored to have secured the State funds to make this facility a reality and honor my good friend Shea Hamilton. Through her passion and vision thousands of kids and adults will not only be able to properly see but succeed and thrive in life’s daily challenges. Angels for Sight is truly life changing! Shea’s legacy and memory will forever live on through this organization and the services they offer” says former California State Senator Steven Bradford. Bradford is a longtime supporter of Angels for Sight, a 501(c)(3) that was launched in his district in 2004.
The California State Budget Allocation awarded to Angels for Sight ensured that countless underserved residents of Los Angeles County would have access to quality vision care. The Board of Directors of Angels for Sight subsequently created a new collaboration with the Marshall B. Ketchum University’s (MBKU) Southern California College of Optometry whose students and doctors will be staffing the clinic.
The clinic will offer great vision care and start a new program to provide healthy food to the community. This is part of a pilot program with GOOD STUFF Kiosks, originally launched by the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation in Jackson, Mississippi, Merced, California and Clearwater, Florida, and supported by Partnership for a Healthier America.
“The connection between food and health is undeniable, and just like access to quality vision care, everyone in America deserves access to nutritious food,” said Noreen Springstead, President and CEO of Partnership for a Healthier America. “We’re honored to partner with the GOOD STUFF Kiosk program and Angels for Sight to help bring access to affordable, nutritious food to Long Beach. Combining health services with efforts to make mealtime healthier and easier for the community is a win-win for California families.”
The opening of this clinic is the culmination of over 20 years of work by countless Angels for Sight supporters and volunteers. Shea Hamilton, the Founder of Angels for Sight, had long hoped to open a larger facility to better serve the community she so loved. Unfortunately, Hamilton died unexpectedly in 2023, just after learning that the much-needed funds to help her realize her dream of creating a larger, state-of-the-art vision clinic were finally going to become a reality.
“At Angels for Sight, we believe that vision care is not just about eyesight — it’s about access, equity, and empowerment. Clear vision shapes a child’s ability to learn, a worker’s ability to provide, and a senior’s ability to maintain independence with dignity. It is the foundation upon which opportunities are built. When we provide essential eye care, we are not simply offering a health service — we are breaking down barriers that have held the most vulnerable back for far too long. Our mission is to ensure that no one’s future is blurred by socioeconomic circumstances. Together, we can bring vision into focus and create a more just and equitable future for all” shared the organization’s Executive Director, Jesa Townsend.
With the gift of sight children can learn — families can thrive — seniors can stay connected —veterans can rebuild and the unhoused can begin anew.
The Angels for Sight Vision Clinic will open its Multipurpose Room to other local organizations to help further their work in the community. The hope is that the Angels for Sight clinic will play a pivotal role in improving the health and wellness of the entire community and serve as a model for other communities across the country.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Media interested in interviewing leadership or touring the facilities may contact Barbara Cocks, Angels for Sight Board Member at [email protected]
About Angels for Sight is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community-based organization dedicated and committed to providing free vision screenings, eye examinations and glasses to the uninsured, underserved children, families, seniors, veterans and the unhoused. In 2025 Angels for Sight will expand its impact with the opening of a new state-of-the-art vision clinic in Long Beach, California. This advanced facility will enable the organization to better serve the residents of Compton and Long Beach while reaching an even greater number of individuals in underserved areas throughout Los Angeles County. To learn more about Angels for Sight programs and public clinic services visit angelsforsight.vision
About Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU) is a private, non-profit health sciences institution in Fullerton, California, dedicated to preparing future healthcare leaders through rigorous, hands-on training in optometry, pharmacy, and physician assistant studies. Founded in 1904, MBKU is home to the Southern California College of Optometry, the School of Physician Assistant Studies and the College of Pharmacy. With a nationally recognized faculty and a commitment to clinical excellence, MBKU also serves the community through its Ketchum Health clinics, providing comprehensive vision and primary care services. Learn more at ketchum.edu
At Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), we believe in Good Food for All. We work with community organizations, corporations and government to advance equitable access to nutritious food for all in America to lead healthy lives. Learn more about our work at ahealthieramerica.org
Angels for Sight Media Contact:
Barbara Cocks
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d44bd81-e7ca-4a67-ac21-019b23d44edf