Grand Island Lions announce new collection bin at Town Hall

Grand Island Lions Club Press Release & Photo

The Grand Island Lions are proud to present their new eyeglass and hearing aid collection receptacle in the Town Hall. Lions Dick Crawford and Tom Witkowski are shown depositing used items generously donated by citizens who know that, where there’s a need, there’s a Lion.

The simple answer as to why we collect them is to give the priceless gift of sight and hearing to those who cannot afford them.

Worldwide, 153 million people need corrected vision. But 136 million of them simply cannot afford to buy eyeglasses. Additionally, much has been published on hearing loss, but not about how man cannot afford hearing aids. 

Both impaired vision and hearing have been proven to be detrimental to one’s personal feelings of self-worth, being able to perform a job, and simply to enjoy life; even a simple conversation can wreak havoc on someone’s well-being.

We collect used prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses and readers, then sort them to be delivered to the Walmart Optical Department in Niagara Falls. From there, they are shipped to our New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center. Volunteers from all walks of life clean, sort and grade them by prescription. They are then distributed through worldwide medical missions and humanitarian programs to people who have little access to vision care or who simply can’t afford them. Total cost of each pair from a donor’s face to a recipient is a mere 8 cents!

Used hearing aids are collected and sent to the Starkey Cares Program in Minnesota. There, they are cleaned, sorted and tested. If they are not operational, they are dismantled for parts with the funds generated going to the Starkey Hearing Foundation to help those in need.

Why it all matters has been stated before: Poor vision or hearing limits education, employment, and quality of life. A hearing aid or a simple pair of glasses can help a child learn, an adult find work or keep their job, or a senior remain independent and in touch with family. Additionally, it is an environmentally friendly program recycling a resource that literally changes lives.

If you need eyeglasses or hearing aids and cannot afford them, contact:

√ For eyeglasses, Lion Tom Witkowski, 716-909-1862, LionTom20n@gmail.com.

√ For hearing aids, Lion Donna Lavallee, 716-803-7605, dlavallee44@gmail.com.

On behalf of a world in need, we thank you for your donations!