Giving Back in Havana

Magdala in CubaMagdala Hidalgo, the General Manager of America’s Best store 5389 in Pensacola, Florida traveled to Havana, Cuba in August and distributed glasses and sunglasses to those in need. Here is her story:

Mission Trip to Havana

Magdala originally requested a glasses pack from Restoring Vision two years ago with the intention of bringing the glasses to Costa Rica during one of her frequent visits. Hafacebook_1475016527070_1ving been born in Costa Rica, Magdala often returns to visit family and give back to those in need.

When the opportunity presented itself for her to travel to Cuba, Magdala knew that the need for glasses and sunglasses would be great there and made the decision to use the glasses pack for this trip.

Along with her son, Magdala traveled to Cuba on August 28th.  Joined by two Costa Rican volunteers and two Cuban volunteers, they set-up in the Vital Theater and a nearby restaurant in Havana.  Over the course of just a couple of days, Magdala and her group – Servants Providing VisionGroup in Cubahelped those in need by distributing 300 readers and 100 sunglasses.

Magdala’s son, Brandon Bragg, works for The Studer Group and invested financially in a big way in this mission trip. He also used the trip to fulfill philanthropy volunteer hours for his company.

More About Magdala

Magdala has worked for NVI as a Licensed General Manager for 4 years, and has been in the optical industry for 25 years. She joined our family in November 2012 to open the Pensacola store.

Magdala and her sonMagdala loves to travel and believes in living in the moment.  When asked about her recent trip to Cuba she says:

“My Servants Providing Vision mission trip to Havana, Cuba was a blessing in more ways than I had imagined it would be. There was so much need and so much gratitude.”

She adds, “I was so deeply touched by the people that thanked me with tears in their eyes.  Others could not believe there wasn’t a charge for them.  One lady brought her Bible to get her reading glasses.  She then stated now I can read my Bible.”

Magdala finishes by saying, “I came back appreciating life even more. I feel so blessed.”

About Cuba

Map of Mexico

Image Credit: US Dept of State

Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean Sea where the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean meet. South of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and the second most populous.

Havana is the largest city and capital of Cuba. With a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, Havana has a diversified economy, with traditional sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, transportation and communications, and new sectors such as biotechnology and tourism.

More Pictures from Cuba

 

Jessica Altamirano

Jessica Altamirano

Communications Specialist at National Vision
Jessica Altamirano is a proud Veteran spouse who has worked for NVI since 2014. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. Jessica is passionate about corporate-nonprofit partnerships, philanthropic efforts in developing countries, Veteran recruitment, and creating a culture of health and wellness in the workplace.
Jessica Altamirano