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Episode 104: The Power of Sight

What if the moment that changed your life… became the reason you changed someone else’s?

In this week’s Charity Matters Podcast, Episode 104: The Power of Sight, we meet Gianny Cardenas, founder of Power of Sight, a mobile nonprofit bringing vision care directly to underserved communities. But this story is about so much more than glasses. It’s about loss, faith, and the unexpected way purpose can emerge from pain. After the tragic loss of his mother, Gianny found himself searching for healing and what he discovered was that by helping others see, he began to see his own life differently.

This powerful conversation is a reminder that sometimes the greatest impact begins with simply noticing and seeing a need, seeing a person, and choosing to act. From serving over 20,000 people to transforming the lives of children who can finally see clearly for the first time, Gianny’s journey will inspire you to ask: What am I being called to see? Because one small act of awareness can lead to one life-changing act of kindness…and that is how we change the world, one person at a time.

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Power of Sight does?

Gianny Cardenas: Power of Sight is a 501(c)(3) faith-based nonprofit organization, and what we do is bring optometry and vision services directly to the community. We’re a mobile nonprofit, so we go to where the need is; to schools, churches, and community events. Then we provide eye exams and glasses, often on the same day.

A big part of our work is in Title I schools. We screen entire student bodies, and statistically about 25% of students will fail those screenings. Those are the students we bring back for full eye exams with licensed doctors. What makes us unique is that we don’t just diagnose, we solve the problem right there. We have a mobile lab, so students can choose their frames and leave with glasses the same day.

At the end of the day, it’s about removing a barrier. Something as simple as a pair of glasses can change a child’s ability to learn, their confidence, and their future.

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that influenced your work?

Gianny Cardenas:  I’ve been in the optical world for over 20 years. It was actually one of my first jobs out of high school while I was in college. I worked part-time at a corporate optometry office, and one of my tasks was to call families who had received vouchers from the Lions Club for free eye exams.

No one wanted to make those calls, but I remember doing it and hearing the excitement from parents and grandparents. They were so grateful just to get their kids in for an exam and glasses. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but that experience stayed with me.

Looking back now, I can see how that planted a seed. Just hearing how much something so simple meant to people, it impacted me more than I knew at the time.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Power of Sight?

Gianny Cardenas:  There was definitely a moment, but it came through a lot of pain first.

In 2016, my mom passed away in a tragic accident. She was one of 13 people who died in a bus crash. She was the backbone of our family, and losing her changed everything for me. I fell into depression, anxiety and everything you can think of. I tried therapy, medication, different ways to cope, but nothing really filled that void.

Eventually, I reconnected with an old pastor who helped me through that time. Through prayer and faith, I started to feel peace again. And when that shift happened, I began to see the world differently. Relationships mattered more. People mattered more. Everything looked different.

A couple of years later, I told my wife, “Why don’t we start a nonprofit?” I had always thought about it, but this time it felt real. I wanted to combine everything I knew about optical work with my faith and bring it into the community. In 2020, we started Power of Sight with about 100 donated frames and no doctors—just a vision to serve.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Gianny Cardenas: There are a lot of challenges, especially starting in 2020 during COVID. At first, it was just trying to figure out how to balance everything; my full-time job, my family, and starting a nonprofit.

My wife has been with me from the beginning, and we’ve built this together. We travel a lot for clinics, and we actually homeschool our daughters so they can be with us. Finding that work-life balance has been one of the biggest challenges, but also one of the biggest blessings.

On the operational side, there’s a lot people don’t see…..the insurance, costs, staffing, working with schools, compliance. A lot of it came out of my own pocket in the beginning. I didn’t know if we’d have donors or sponsors. We just moved forward by faith.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Gianny Cardenas:  For me, it’s my faith in God. That’s where I get my strength.

When we started, I thought we’d maybe do one event a month and help 50 people. But it’s grown into something much bigger. We now have staff, 25 doctors, partnerships with school districts and it’s expanded beyond what I expected.

What really fuels me are the moments when we’re serving people. Seeing a child put on glasses for the first time or a parent’s reaction and that’s everything. Those moments remind me why we’re doing this.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Gianny Cardenas: There was one moment that really stayed with me.

We were at a school, and my dad, who comes with me to clinics, noticed a young girl who reminded him of one of my daughters. She had never had an eye exam before, and her prescription was extremely high. She couldn’t really see the world clearly.

Her mom was emotional and asked if she could get a backup pair of glasses. We said yes, of course. When my dad gave her the glasses, the mom just hugged him and started crying. That was the first time I had seen my dad emotional since my mom passed.

Later that day, I told my wife that everything we had gone through…..the process of starting the nonprofit, the expenses, the challenges and it was all worth it for that one moment.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Gianny Cardenas: In the last five years, we’ve helped over 20,000 people and provided 20,000 pairs of glasses. That’s a huge milestone for us, especially considering where we started. But beyond the numbers, the real impact is in the lives we’re changing.

When a child can see the board for the first time, their confidence improves, their grades improve, and their whole experience in school changes. There are studies that show students can improve academically just from getting glasses. We’ve also responded to community needs in crisis situations. During the fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, we mobilized quickly and helped 1,200 people with vision care in just six days.

Impact isn’t just numbers…..it’s those individual stories and moments.

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Gianny Cardenas:  My dream is to be in every school district in California and eventually expand nationwide.

Our program is scalable. Once we have the doctors, equipment, and partnerships in place, we can serve thousands more children. There are so many students right now who are undiagnosed and untreated, especially in underserved communities.

If we can reach them, we can change their future.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Gianny Cardenas: One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of communication.

I used to be someone who worked behind the scenes. But in this work, you have to communicate your story, your mission, what you’re doing. Whether it’s with donors, partners, or the community, communication is key. It also applies personally. During my grief, opening up and talking about what I was going through was a big part of healing.

Another lesson is realizing that you don’t know everything, and that’s okay. I’ve had to rely on professionals such as; attorneys, accountants, mentors….and build a team.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Gianny Cardenas: The biggest change happened after losing my mom and growing in my faith. That’s what shifted my perspective and changed how I see the world. But since starting the nonprofit, I’ve also changed in how I approach responsibility. We now have staff, doctors, and families who depend on this work. That’s something I don’t take lightly.

It’s made me more intentional, more transparent, and more focused on doing things the right way. At the same time, I see it as a blessing……to be able to serve others and create opportunities for people to provide for their families through this work.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

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