Recycle Eyeglasses
Usable Glasses Give New Life
Lions have a mission to provide vision for all by working hard to improve the lives of the visually impaired and prevent avoidable blindness.
How You Can Help:
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If you no longer need your used glasses or sunglasses, please consider donating them to the the Corcoran Lions. We can accept prescription eyeglasses (frames with lenses intact), non-prescription sunglasses, and reading glasses.
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Where Can You Donate Your Old Glasses?
Used eyeglasses may be sent to the Vision Foundation or dropped off at one of these Corcoran locations:
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Why Donate Your Old Eyeglasses?
Globally, one child in four cannot see well enough to learn to read without eyeglasses. By age 40, 90% of adults experience a decrease in their ability to read print and need eyeglasses. Millions fail to reach their economic, educational, and social potential without access to quality eyeglasses. The World Health Organization estimates that the eyesight of one-fourth of the world’s population can be improved through the use of corrective lenses.
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How Are the Lions Helping?
For nearly 100 years, individual Lions clubs and districts have collected old, unwanted eyeglasses for redistribution to the poor in developing countries. Lions and other volunteers donate travel expenses, time, and talent to dispense recycled eyeglasses free of charge to individuals in developing nations. Some people walk 50 miles to receive free eyeglasses from the Lions. It costs fewer than 8 cents to provide glasses to a person in a developing nation.
Minnesota Lions members have collected more than twelve million pairs of eyeglasses.
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Did You Know?
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Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, OH and challenged Lions everywhere to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Since then, we have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired.