The Lions In Sight Eyeglass Program
In part by habit and in part by an unwillingness to throw away expensive purchases, Americans tend to hold on to their eyeglasses when they buy a new pair. As a result, there is currently a stockpile of more than 50 million pair of unneeded glasses across the United States. However, not enough people are aware that their old, secondhand glasses can make a dramatic difference to the life of a poor person in a developing nation.
Lions In Sight receives glasses from a variety of sources including individuals, businesses and service organizations - primarily Lions Clubs in the western United States. As of July 1997, Lions In Sight has collected over 2.6 million pairs of eyeglasses.
Volunteer doctors and technicians travel to poor regions and conduct temporary eye clinics where patients are given eye exams and proper eyeglasses at no cost. As of July 1997, 59 such clinics have been conducted in 18 countries serving over 96,000 patients.
Lions In Sight also ships eyeglasses to Lions Clubs and other organizations around the world who serve the needy. As of July 1997, over 1 million pairs of eye glasses have been shipped to 42 countries.
