The Gift of Sight – Help Someone See Better
Annually, our club collects about 4000 pairs of used eye glasses through drop-off boxes in the Tri-Village area. The donated glasses are given to the students at the School for Optometry of the Ohio State University.
The students count, sort and clean the glasses and measure the prescriptions. After individually labeling them, the glasses are taken on a mission trip to a foreign country. There, they are distributed to people in need. In September 2010, about 25 students and 4 doctors will go to Guatemala to do this great work. A station to measure people’s eyes for free will be set up in a poor area. As the patients move down the line, their needs are assessed, and at the end they will receive a free pair of glasses just right for them. Typically, about 1500 people are helped with glasses during such trips.
The students are organized as Student Volunteer Services to Humanity (SVOSH). They earn their way by completing volunteer hours of community service, including sorting the glasses. After the trip, students present the results to Lions clubs around Columbus. For many years, the Tri-Village Lions have contributed with donated glasses and funds to make the trips possible. The students learn about eye disease from seeing patients whose conditions are often in such advanced state that they would be rare in Ohio The work is rewarding, as some of the testimonials show.
Some of our favorite responses from the recipients: From a 7-year old boy with very poor vision since birth: “Mommy, I can see you now”. From a women bringing in a birthday cake: “It’s not my birthday, but I just wanted to show how happy I am that I can light candles now!”. People are helped in ways you cannot imagine. They are able to do a job where vision is needed (assembly line factory work, reading labels, etc.), work at home (thread a needle, prepare food), or work in the field (sun glasses are provided for free as well).
Together, the people from Columbus, the Tri-Village Lions, and SVOSH make a difference.
Thank you!
Click here for more information about our eyeglass recycling program
