Community service meets compassionate care as hundreds of New England families receive clearer vision and healthier futures
The Foundation of Indian Americans (FIA)–New England continues to strengthen community healthcare by organizing a series of free Health and Vision Camps across the New England region, reaching individuals and families who may otherwise lack access to essential healthcare services.
The camps were held at multiple community locations, including 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. More such camps are planned in the coming weeks to further expand access to eye care across the region.
These vision camps provided free eye screenings and complimentary reading glasses, helping improve the quality of life and productivity of New Englanders in need.
The initiative was made possible through partnerships with RestoringVision and the Jatan Foundation, two nonprofit organizations whose support and strategic guidance have been instrumental in the success and growth of FIA–New England’s outreach efforts.
Reaffirming FIA–NE’s commitment to public health, President Abhishek Singh said,
“Community healthcare will continue to be 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 shared 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 said.
They also expressed gratitude to Dr. Ram Yadav, DMD, and Dr. Snehal Lakhkar, DMD, for generously providing dental hygiene products to attendees at no cost.
Highlighting FIA’s core values, Executive Vice President Sanjay Gokhale noted that the organization celebrates festivals and significant occasions through service.
“Our celebrations of India’s 77th Republic Day and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were marked by meaningful community service initiatives like medical and vision camps,” he said.
The initiative received strong endorsement from the medical community. Dr. Dinesh Patel, M.D., Emeritus Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Clinical Professor at Harvard Medical School, praised FIA–NE’s spirit of service after his 58-year medical career.
“I love the passionate volunteer work — the art of giving back through Sewa. Dr. King would be very happy to see his dreams coming true,” he said.
Dr. Anahita Dua, Director of the Vascular Laboratory and Associate Leader of Advanced Vascular Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, emphasized the long-term impact of such initiatives.
“Camps like this don’t just treat patients in the moment — they prevent future amputations, strokes, and hospitalizations. It was an honor to serve as a vascular surgeon in this camp.”
Long-term FIA executives Santhosh Thawani, Girish Soni, Kameswari Kavsari, Divya Prakash, and Hardik Patel expressed heartfelt gratitude to community partners and venue hosts, including Alissan Briggs (JCC Worcester), Pankaj and Sunita Adaval (Amrit Sabha Adult Day Care Center), Community Care Alliance, and Pete Major (Crossroads Rhode Island). Special appreciation was also extended to T.J. Martineau, Eleonora Kinnicutt, MPH (RestoringVision), and Ravindra Zende (Jatan Foundation) for their guidance and support.
Through compassion, collaboration, and service, FIA–New England remains dedicated to advancing community healthcare, delivering clearer vision and healthier futures for individuals and families throughout New England.
