I Care International is a non-religious, non-political, non-discriminatory organization. It is also a Canadian registered charity that has branches in both the USA and Mexico. Volunteers and people in need from all walks of life are welcome.

It's objective is to provide free eye care to underprivileged people in various countries so that they may lead more productive and rewarding lives. From the little girl who can see and read at school, to the older woman who can now see to sew and gain an income to support her family, I Care International helps one person at a time.

I Care volunteers, including volunteers optometrists and students, donate their time and pay for their own airfare and lodging during missions. Consequently your support truly affords help directly to people in need and does not go to "administrative costs."

Typically, an eye care mission lasts 5 days and involves 15 optometry students from the University of Waterloo and 2-3 Canadian optometrists. We set up a clinic usually in a school or church and see up to 500 patients in 1 day. Complete eye exams are performed as patients are put through 5 stations including case history/registration, visual acuities, ocular health, refraction, and spectacle dispensing. A library of 10,000 pairs of used glasses and an assortment of ocular medication are brought down too. Obviously, the optometry students learn a lot during these eye care missions and are very thankful for their experience.