If you have any old glasses don’t throw them out or store them, consider handing them into one of the locations below, your kindness could enrich someone’s life:

GLASSES COLLECTION POINTS

LIONS REPRESENTATIVE	LOCATION
David Landers	OPSM, Wickham Terrace
TBA	Greg Bowyer, Kenmore Village Indooroopilly Shopping Centre Lees and Henchell, Kenmore Michele Harris, St Bart’s Toowoomba Laubman and Pank, Bellbowrie Optical Superstore, Moggill Rd, Kenmore
David Marsden	Optical Superstore, Adelaide Street, CBD
Rob McGregor	Franz Felfer, Ipswich
Mark Woodman	Leos
Brian Farrow	Parkridge Eyewear, Parkridge Shopping Village

BACKGROUND ON LIONS RECYCLE FOR SIGHT

For many years, Lions Clubs International have been collecting used spectacles and distributing them to the needy in third world countries so that they may experience one of the advantages we take for granted. The cost of obtaining spectacles is beyond the reach of millions of people who struggle to exist, let alone see. It is estimated that one in seven of the Philippines population of 6.5 million require spectacles. With only about 3% being able to afford them: this gives some indication of the magnitude of this problem in many third world countries.

The collection activity has been carried on in the United States and Canada for many years, and only commenced in Australia a few years ago. One Australian Lion begun collecting glasses and took about 500 pairs to the Philippines where he had heard there was a need. In cooperation with a Lions Club in that country, he arranged to have the eyes of potential recipients tested and matched with a pair of spectacles as near to their requirements as possible.

From that small start nine years ago, the project has turned into a flood; with over 250,000 pairs being shipped to Lions Clubs in the Philippines, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the islands of the remote South Pacific.

In Queensland the project has grown to such an extent that an incorporated body has been established - the Kippu Ring Morayfield Lions Community Project Inc. Glasses are collected by Lions Clubs, ophthalmologists and optometrists from many areas of Queensland and other Australian states. These are then sorted, cleaned, graded and packed ready for dispatch overseas. In most cases, consignments are forwarded by air freight as well as in shipping containers, to Lions Clubs in these countries. One exception is an organisation Mercy Ships who operate ships providing medical and practical aid in the remote Pacific islands.

After many years of nomadic existence; the programme now has a headquarters. In January 2000 a large single storey building was leased from the Redcliffe City Council for a five year period. In connection with Corrective Services and their client on Community Service Orders, we have been able to improve our programme and become more professional in the handling of our huge stock of used spectacles.

With the recent purchase of two grading machines, we can now offer recipient organisations glasses that are ready for immediate distribution.