In effort to help those in need see better, University Facilities and Services holds a recycling program to collect eyeglasses twice per year. And for good reason too. According to the Center for Disease Control, about fourteen million Americans above the age of twelve are visually impaired. Prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses, reading glasses, sunglasses, and frames are accepted in the program. So far, five collections have been held collecting a grand total of 1,923 pairs of glasses!
The most recent collection was held through the month of August, in conjunction with National Eye Exam Month. In total, 342 pairs were donated, making it the second most successful eyeglass drive yet!
Once the glasses are collected, they are sent to the Lion’s Eye Bank at Rochester (formerly the Rochester/Finger Lakes Eye and Tissue Bank) where they sent to The Lions Club International to be cleaned, sorted, and packaged. The majority of the donated eyeglasses are distributed to people in need, in developing countries. The Lions Club International is a leading organization in collecting, recycling, and donating glasses in their efforts to improve sight and prevent blindness among those in need. The Lions Recycle for Sight program has collected thousands of pairs of used eyeglasses, sunglasses, new frames and other equipment.
A special thanks to Karen Guarino from The Lion’s Club Eye Bank and everyone who donated glasses to make this program a continued success! Stay tuned for our next collection in March.