Lions Club collecting eyeglasses

Staff Reports

The Carson Valley Lions Club is collecting unwanted eyeglasses to distribute in developing countries. The Lions are asking people to look through drawers and closets for old, unwanted eyeglasses to donate to the Lions Recycle for Sight program.

The Lions Club collects used prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses as part of a recycling program throughout Nevada. Glasses are distributed in countries where eye care is often unaffordable and inaccessible.

"We need everyone to donate their old glasses," said Carson Valley Lions Club president Tom Cheney. "In most developing countries, an eye exam can cost as much as one month's wages, and a single eye doctor may serve a community of hundreds of thousands of people."

The glasses are shipped to the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center to be cleaned, categorized by prescription and prepared for distribution by Lions and other groups.  According to the World Health Organization, the eyesight of approximately one-fourth of the world's population can be improved through the use of a corrective lens.

Donate used eyeglasses in Lions Recycle for Sight collection bins at the Minden post office, Douglas County Senior Center, Raley's, Scolari's, Smith's, Rite-Aid, and other Valley businesses.

Minden resident Lion Jim Kneeland chairs a year-round Lions recycle program. Information, 782-0845.