Chase Stokes Surprises Students with Free Glasses (Exclusive)

Charleston, S.C., is where Chase Stokes calls home, and it’s where he’s helping foster the next generation.

The Outer Banks actor, 33, has advocated for mental health throughout his partnership with Zenni Optical, and in this season of his life, he and the eyewear brand, alongside Charleston Promise Neighborhood, came together to provide local high school students with vision screenings, comprehensive eye exams and personalized eyewear fittings.

On Jan. 7, Stokes was on hand to personally gift the teens their new frames, sourced from his Zenni Optical x Chase Stokes collection.

Giving back to the community has been a cornerstone in Stokes’ life since he and his family began volunteering at shelters every Christmas. And after spending his recent adult years building up his career, as he tells PEOPLE, he was ready to make a greater impact. “The most incredible thing you can do as a human being is be selfless,” he says.

Accessible eyewear is a huge part in this chapter of Stokes’ work with Zenni Optical. “You go online and you look at a lot of websites, and [prescription eyewear] becomes insanely unaffordable for so many people,” he explains of what inspired the mission, adding, “…you give kids courage and confidence through [giving them a way] to see the world through a different lens.”

Stokes would know. “My family is a family of glasses, and so my mom has always been a stickler about it. I think I got my first vision test when I was 16, and I didn’t realize that my vision was as impaired as it was. It was nice to kind of have the realization and then put on a pair of glasses where you can see what the rest of the world is seeing and feel a little better about yourself.”

That and being able to rock a cool pair of glasses that were made with fashion in mind. Since the beginning of his collaboration with Zenni Optical, which now features two unisex collections with over 60 frame styles combined, Stokes wanted to be creatively involved. “I want to make sure that the frames that we’re putting out are frames that I would love to wear,” he says.

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His collection includes a mix of modern and retro-inspired styles made with the Blokz blue light-blocking lenses and the EyeQLenz with Zenni ID Guard, an all-in-one lens that shields from blue light, blocks 100% of UVA/UVB rays, reflects near-infrared light and adapts to light indoors and outdoors.

“It’s been really, really fun to take our time with it and come up with a collection that feels really honest and authentic,” says Stokes.

After all, now that he’s in his 30s, he’s getting back to the root of who he is, and a part of that is wearing glasses that “feel good on…” rather than leaning into trends. “I think style and my growth come from finding the truest form of myself.”

Veronica Alcaro, VP of Brand at Zenni Optical, said in a press release that the initiative allowed the partnership to “bring essential vision care to students who need it most,” adding it’s a “powerful mix of wellness, community, and celebration — the kind of authentic, meaningful impact that fuels everything we do at Zenni.”