If you’re getting a new pair of glasses or sunglasses, don’t throw your old pair away! Donate them instead to help someone in need of vision improvement.
There are over 2.2 billion people around the world who can’t see clearly or who are blind. Many can’t afford vision care or vision aids such as a pair of prescription glasses. Your donation could help someone in your community or a person in need halfway around the world improve their sight and enjoy a better quality of life.
Read on to learn why donating used eyeglasses is important, how the process works, and where to go to help make a difference.
Here are more reasons why you should donate glasses you no longer use:
It's easy to donate your old glasses:
Once your glasses are clean and ready to go, it’s time to take them to a donation center. Here are organizations that accept such donations:
Lions clubs have been helping people in need for more than 100 years. The organization collects used eyeglasses, cleans them, checks the prescription, and distributes them around the world. Depending on where you live, you may be able to make your glasses donation at a retail optical store or at a local Lions club. There may be a donation box at a bank, library, small business, or school in your community. You can also mail your glasses to a Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Center.
This charitable organization is a part of VSP Vision. It provides eye care and eyewear to people across the globe.
ReSpectacle is a non-profit organization that uses the internet to match donated prescription eyeglasses with people in underserved communities all over the world. They collect gently used donated eyewear by mail. The glasses are then cleaned, categorized, and logged in their database according to the prescription.
The Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation Recycle Center partners with Lions clubs in Georgia to collect donated glasses. You can donate any eyeglasses, sunglasses, loose lenses, and even glasses with broken frames to this organization. The Lighthouse recycles donated eyewear and provides it to people most in need, often in third-world countries.
You may have donated items to Goodwill in the past but not known that some locations will take old prescription glasses. Contact your local Goodwill donation center to see if they accept eyewear donations.
This nonprofit organization provides a range of social services for people who can use them. The Salvation Army also operates thrift stores around the U.S. where you can drop off your prescription eyeglasses donation.
Your eye doctor also may participate in an eyeglass recycling program. You can ask the next time you're there for your eye health checkup.
If you're a member of a religious organization, there's a good chance they participate in community outreach programs and may accept donated eyewear.
If you don't have any old glasses to donate but still want to do something to help others, consider participating in our Buy One, Give One program. When you order your prescription glasses, you can choose to have a pair donated on your behalf to someone in need.
FramesDirect is proud to partner with Vision for Life, a global giving program that delivers vision care to underserved communities around the world. To date, Vision for Life has provided more than 1.6 million pairs of glasses to people who otherwise might not have access to them.
Donating used eyeglasses is a simple yet impactful way to make a positive change in the lives of people who struggle with vision impairment. Your contribution can help someone read, learn, work, and feel more confident. Whether you choose to donate through established organizations like Lions Clubs International or smaller local programs, your old eyeglasses can make a difference in someone’s life.