Unwanted Eyewear Gives Sight to Others
Few things are quite as useless as a pair (or several pairs) of eyeglasses that no longer suit your needs. But then, someone somewhere needs those glasses you can no longer use.
Why not save those frames and lenses from a landfill and donate them to One Sight so that they can provide the gift of accurate vision to those in developing countries, or to someone in the U.S. who cannot afford to pay for prescription glasses?
Although a business, LensCrafters works with One Sight to collect and give used eyewear to One Sight, which then distributes them to places where they are needed. Check with your local store to see if they collect used glasses for charities.
Another eyeglass recycling program is the Lions International, which also collects and distributes used eyeglasses.
There's also New Eyes for the Needy. Read about how a Girl Scout named Amanda Bright received the highest recognition from Girl Scouts for her initiative in organizing a collection drive that amassed 616 pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses for New Eyes for the Needy.
If every pair of glasses gets to a person who needs it, it means that this one person has empowered 616 people with better vision, which only shows that small gestures, even by the young, can produce major, positive changes.
All of us, regardless of age and socio-economic background, can make a significant difference in someone else's life, even if we never get to meet those who receive our donations, or get a thank you card from them. Donating anything is an opportunity to exercise empathy and to make our lives more fulfilling. Studies in gerontology have confirmed that those who donate their time and engage in volunteerism enjoy better overall health and report being happier than those who don't.
So, when it comes time to replace your glasses, give them to charities that will extend the life of those glasses. You'll get four stars: one star for putting the "old" glasses up for reuse by someone who greatly needs them, one star for reducing the pressure on landfills, one star for reducing the pressure on manufacturers to make more frames and lenses from virgin sources, and a fourth star for your improved sense of self and well-being.
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