Old Glasses Give New Life
Lions Club Eyeglass Recycling Program
by Kathy Pinkava
February 22, 2008
The old eyeglasses in your house can help a person from across the world see clearly for the first time. The Lions Club of America has an eyeglass recycling program that sorts, cleans, examines, catagorizes by prescription and packages for distribution old glasses. Mission teams give eye exams and deliver the glasses free of charge. The World Health Organization estimates that 53 million people of all ages have undiagnosed and untreated vision problems.
The optical departments in the Walmart stores in Chardon and Middlefield both have Lions drop off boxes. Next time you are shopping there, drop off those old glasses! If you prefer, you can send them to school in a bag marked Lions Club and I will make sure that they are recycled.
All types of glasses are needed, including very strong and very weak prescriptions. Reading glasses and nonprescription sunglasses are also useful. Children's glasses are in particular demand!
Check out the Lions Club website @ lionsclub.org and click on Vision Programs for more information.
