Since 2001, OLSHF has partnered with CCCF's Paraoptometric Program to provide their students with learning opportunities in recycling and recalibrating hundreds of thousands of used eyeglasses to be used on sight missions worldwide through our LERC.

The program is a collaboration between Portland Community College and the Oregon Department of Corrections. This year-long work based education program prepares women to become a certified paraoptometric and optician. Upon release, due to their background, many of these women face barriers when seeking gainful employment within the optical field. In 2019 OLSHF created the LEAP Forward Internship Program, creating an environment full of mentorship, career development and optical training in order to bridge the gap between incarceration and their future career within the vast world of optics. Thanks to our network of vision providers and a local independent surfacing lab, we are able to enrich the resumes and lives of several women each year.