As part of its ongoing efforts to promote community health, the Foundation of Indian Americans New England has organized a series of free Vision Camps at locations across the New England region. These include the JCC Center in Worcester, Crossroads Rhode Island in Providence, Community Care Alliance in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and the Amrit Sabha Adult Day Care Center in Northborough, Massachusetts.

In a statement, the organization said additional camps are planned to expand access to essential eye care services for individuals and families who may otherwise face barriers to vision health resources. “These camps provide free eye screenings and free dispensing of reading glasses, thus helping improve productive quality of life of New Englanders in need,” the statement noted.

According to the organization, the camps are conducted in partnership with RestoringVision and the Jatan Foundation, whose support and strategic guidance have contributed significantly to the growth and impact of FIA New England’s outreach initiatives.

Emphasizing the organization’s focus on public health, President of FIA New England Abhishek Singh said, “The association will continue to make community healthcare a regular part of FIA’s initiatives. Our goal is to improve public health, spread positivity, and ensure no one is left behind when it comes to basic healthcare needs.”

Vice Presidents Rakesh Kavsari and Amol Penshanwar reported that more than 500 families have already benefited from the vision camps. “With continued community support, this number will grow significantly in the coming weeks,” they added. They also thanked Dr. Ram Yadav and Dr. Snehal Lakhkar for providing dental hygiene products to attendees at various health camps at no cost.

Executive Vice President Sanjay Gokhale highlighted the organization’s service-oriented approach, noting that FIA has adopted a culture of marking festivals and significant occasions through community service. “Our recent celebrations of the 77th Republic Day of India and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were marked by meaningful community service initiatives like a medical camp and these vision camps,” he said.

Renowned physician Dr. Dinesh Patel, Emeritus Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Clinical Professor at Harvard Medical School, also commended the organization’s efforts.

Reflecting on his 58-year medical career, Dr. Patel praised the spirit of service demonstrated by the volunteers, stating, “I love the passionate volunteer work – the art of giving back through ‘Sewa’ the heritage of service to the broader society. My commendations and deep sense of gratitude go to the FIA–New England team, professional healthcare providers, and partner organizations who made Martin Luther King Day – 2026 very special. Dr. King would be very happy to see his dreams coming true.”

Dr. Anahita Dua, Director of the Vascular Laboratory and Associate Leader of Advanced Vascular Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, underscored the importance of accessible preventive care. 

She said, “Healthcare shouldn’t depend on geography or circumstance. What FIA-NE is doing here is meeting patients where they are, identifying serious vascular disease early, and changing the trajectory of their health. Screening and early intervention are some of the most powerful tools we have in vascular disease.”

Dr. Dua added that camps such as these not only address immediate needs but also help prevent future amputations, strokes, and hospitalizations, noting that it was an honor and pleasure to serve as a vascular surgeon at the camp.

Long-serving FIA executives Santhosh Thawani, Girish Soni, Kameswari Kavsari, Divya Prakash, and Hardik Patel expressed gratitude to community partners and venue hosts for their support.

Special thanks were extended to Alissan Briggs of the JCC, Pankaj and Sunita Adaval, founders of the Amrit Sabha Adult Day Care Center, Community Care Alliance, and Pete Major, Director at Crossroads Rhode Island, for facilitating the medical, dental, and vision camps. Appreciation was also conveyed for the guidance and support of T.J. Martineau, Deputy Vice President of the Division of Social Health Services, Eleonora Kinnicutt, MPH, Senior Program Manager at RestoringVision, and Ravindra Zende, Founder of the Jatan Foundation.

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