Community Service

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” – Elizabeth Andrew.

 

Our faculty

Department faculty are generous in giving their time and talents to enrich the community through education, outreach, and screenings within their personal social circles and neighborhoods. Many are actively involved in their religious community and serve as volunteer administrators, educators and providers through religiously organized and funded screenings and care both locally and abroad. For faculty, the opportunity to serve internationally combines their passion for education and their commitment to service as they oversee and lead multidisciplinary teams to provide care in high need areas.  

Despite disruption during the pandemic, faculty continue to oversee community service efforts of residents and physicians-in-training through local vision screening organized through Loyola Medicine and Catholic Charities. These screenings are most often part of broader outreach in places of need and held at convenient times for patients. 

 

Our residents

The spirit of service to humanity lives within the heart of each department resident. For many, traveling internationally is not the only means to give back. As members of their local faith communities and interest groups, they give their time and talent to organize and participate in tutoring, mentoring, and organizing and participating in screenings. Faculty encourage their efforts to engage in these activities as preparation for a lifetime of service.

 

Our physicians-in-training

Enthusiasm exudes from physicians-in-training as the Ophthalmology interest group is vital to managing screening programs and engaging with communities. Often, this entry into vision care sets the course for a life devoted to delivering vision care as physicians-in-training learn the needs of the communities first-hand. This special group is responsible for Loyola’s ReSpectacle Chapter, an organization (managed by physicians-in-training) that recycles and sends eyewear to communities of need internationally.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank