Gift of Sight

By Elizabeth Hashagen

We all hear "reduce- reuse- recycle"-- when it comes to saving the planet!
In this week's Go Green with 12-- we show you a way you can -- RECYCLE & get your old glasses REUSED -- by someone who really needs it!

It's called the "Gift of Sight" program.
I headed to Holbrook's Lenscrafters to check out how the program works-- and I was surprised by just how many glasses they already have this month.
( That location was working with the Lions Club in their collections & they had hundreds of glasses!! Go Long Island!)

Sunglasses- bifocals- reading glasses-little kids glasses-
Red- black- silver- gold-
So many styles-

I don't wear prescription glasses but I still have a few pairs of sunglasses sitting in my drawers right now that I really won't wear again. And that's exactly what they need!!

So if you're wondering how the program works-- here's the gist-
It started in1 988-- and it's actually a family of charitable programs providing free vision care and eyewear to underprivileged people in North America and in developing countries around the world.

These programs have helped six million people on five continents and in hundreds of communities across North America.

Specifically in the U.S. and Canada program volunteers and optometrists provide free eye exams and new eyewear to more than 340,000 people in need.
Since they started they've helped more than 3.5 million people just in North America.

Each year Give the Gift of Sight volunteers and optometrists partner with Lions Club members and hand-deliver recycled eyewear to developing countries around the world. They also provide eye exams too!
Each two-week mission is designed to help nearly 20,000 people.