Parkes Long is driven by love, light and sight. At only 16, the Riverwood High School junior is on a mission to ensure that unhoused individuals have access to free eye care and prescription glasses through her initiative, the I Wanna See Project.
Parkes’ inspiration stems from her own experience with sight issues that began when she was 7.
“I realized I was unable to see my friends clearly on the playground, and I would bump into things occasionally, like furniture, and hold books up really close to my face in order to read,” Parkes said. “My parents noticed that I was experiencing some challenges and scheduled an appointment for me to see an optometrist.”
The doctor diagnosed her as nearsighted and prescribed eyeglasses.
“The first time I put them on I couldn’t believe how clearly I could see,” Parkes said. “It made a huge difference.”
Credit: Courtesy of Jennifer Long
Credit: Courtesy of Jennifer Long
As Parkes has gotten older and more aware of societal discrepancies, she thought about how unhoused people, especially children, don’t have access to eye care. It was April when she first brought it up with her mother, Jennifer Long, and expressed how much it bothered her that some people go without something as essential as clear vision. She wanted to help.
“It was so thoughtful how she brought it up,” said Jennifer Long, who works as on-air talent at KISS 104.1 and teaches an entrepreneurship course for creatives. “She asked what people do if they don’t have financial resources or access to an optometrist. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, people walking around who couldn’t see.”
Parkes, of Sandy Springs, has always had the propensity to look out for others. Her mother recalls a story from when Parkes was a little girl and helped her friend who got hurt on the playground.
“The level of care she gave her, the way she attended to her and the empathy she showed really touched me,” Jennifer Long said. “She was trying to do everything in her cute little power to console her and remedy the situation. It was a poignant moment.”
Recently after working a shift at a popcorn shop in Krog Street Market, Parkes noticed a homeless man on the drive home. She asked her mom to turn the car around so she could give him some of her tip money and a bag of popcorn she planned to take home.
As Parkes’ ideas about eye care and the unhoused percolated, Jennifer Long stepped in to help her daughter formulate a plan of action. They decided to start with a drive to collect prescription glasses. They received 75 pairs by sharing through word-of-mouth and social media. They also put drop boxes at their church, Impact Church in East Point, and Parkes is hoping her school will put a drop box in the front office.
Parkes’ efforts were shared on a segment for Atlanta’s WSB-TV, and the I Wanna See Project received 100 more pairs of glasses after it was aired. The news story also led them to a partnership with National Vision.
“They’ve been so supportive,” Parkes said. “They’re going to donate eyewear that people don’t pick up, and they’re going to provide eye screenings at our pop-ups.”
The I Wanna See Project’s inaugural event will be at the Riverside EpiCenter in Austell on Saturday for the 6th Annual Health and Wellness Experience: Next Level. Opticians will determine the prescriptions on all the donated glasses and multiple optometrists will administer screenings and distribute eyewear at the event.
Though Parkes is just getting started, she’s already setting long-term goals for the I Wanna See Project, including many more pop-ups and expanding to other states.
“I really want to be able to help a lot more people beyond Atlanta — maybe in Tennessee, anywhere,” Parkes said. “I’m interested in the idea of having teenage ambassadors because I think teens have the energy and grit for an opportunity like this. Plus, many of them have glasses and understand the necessity.”
As Parkes hopes for a bright future with her nonprofit, she’s also busy doing typical teenager things. She is involved in many clubs at school, including the Black Student Union and a leadership program called Jack and Jill. She plays for the varsity golf team and was excited to travel to New Zealand with her mom over the summer to play on renowned courses. She is starting to think about college, and Penn State, which has a reputable golf team, is at the top of her list.
She hopes to major in a field that will allow her to help people or animals. She’s thinking of becoming a veterinarian, a dentist or maybe even an ophthalmologist.
To learn more about the I Wanna See Project, visit spot.fund/IWannaSeeProject.
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