I appreciate your ideas and, once again, am impressed by the responses from people on this forum. MarkJ has a great comment about the complexity of helping people whose circumstances are new to you. The law of unintended consequences applies to the good hearted as surely as to anyone else. Take the time to learn about a place and try to
work with system in place, no matter how simple it may seem. Opthalmic supplies seems a great and needed and often unavailable resource. Good luck and I know you will learn more from the people you connect with than any cost involved.