Give New Life To Old Eyeglasses

Submitted by Eric Warn, Lakewood First Lions.

If you are lucky enough to have a current eyeglass prescription (Rx) that allows you to enjoy the Suburban Times, you probably also have older spectacles whose obsolete Rx no longer provides the clear viewing you need.  Can such a “vision antique” be useful to anyone now?

YES; hundreds of people overseas could use your specific Rx right now!  Their vision needs are so bad that their life is hindered by a blurry view of their surroundings.  For example, take off your current eyeglasses, then try to read this article.  Wouldn’t such a fuzzy view cripple your progress?

Now that you can “see” the problem and know that you can contribute to the solution, what to do?  DONATE TO LAKEWOOD FIRST LIONS!  We are part of a global organization that can transport your old glasses (monovision, bifocal and tinted), cell phones and hearing aids to a Lions Eyeglass Recycle Center (LERC); the nearest one is just down the road in Lacey.

Lakewood First Lions collect the above hardware in boxes (cardboard, wood, metal) located on JBLM and around Lakewood.  We won’t recycle eyeglass cases because they cannot be sanitized, and our Lions don’t want to spread optical diseases in the Western Hemisphere!

So, next time you are near one of our sites, please drop off your hardware to give others a new view:

• Optical Businesses/Departments: Walmart Vision Dept, Bridgeport Vision (Bridgeport Wy), Eye Physicians of Lakewood, America’s Best (100^th St), South Sound Eye Care (Steilacoom Blvd).
• Hospitals: St. Clare (Bridgeport), VA Canteen Optical (American Lake Bldg 2).
• Churches: Little Church on the Prairie (Motor Dr), Christ Lutheran (112^th St).
• Banks: Heritage, Homestreet (Gravelly Lake Dr).
• Other Businesses: Ardesson’s Shoe Repair, Lakewood Water District (Gravelly Lake Dr), Village Green Community Center (84^th St), Bates Technical College (78^th St, Tacoma), Bur’s Restaurant (Steilacoom Blvd), Lakewood Racquet & Sport (112^th St).
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord(ID required): Madigan Hospital Optometry, Ophthalmology (Medical Mall), Madigan Optical Shop (Medical Tower), McChord Clinic Optometry Dept, McChord Exchange Optometry (Barnes Blvd); *Ft Lewis Exchange Mall (*collected by Tacoma SE Lions).

Questions?  Please email Dr. Robert Allen at voyagerwa@hotmail.com