Your Old Glasses Can Make a World of Difference!

Langley Optometry gladly accepts donations of prescription eyeglasses and non-prescription sunglasses for eye care organizations serving those in the developing world. Teams such as the Third World Eye Care Society Canada (TWECS), among other organizations, travel to developing countries to provide basic eye care and to distribute recycled eyeglasses and sunglasses to those less fortunate than ourselves. Most of these organizations travel with 10,000 pairs of glasses in order to match these individuals with the correct (or nearly correct) prescription. Glasses that are not paired with an individual are saved for use on future projects.

Living in Canada, it’s easy to forget that nearly half the world lives on less $2.00 per day. Therefore, eyeglasses and UV-protecting sunglasses are out of reach for many people in the world. In most cases, donated eyewear is the only feasible way to bring clear vision for those with vision impairments — children and adults alike. Donating your old eyeglasses or non-prescription sunglasses will make a huge difference in the life of someone in the developing world. These recycled glasses can be the difference between a father being able to work to feed his family or starvation. The gift of sight is equally valuable by all and visual impairment does not discriminate by race, gender or age. Imagine the feeling of a young child who constantly did poorly in school because he could not see the words in his books, and all of a sudden, the words make sense because he received the gift of recycled glasses, and along with that – the possibility of an education.

Yet while some mothers in poor, rural areas have never been able to clearly see the faces of their children, more than four million pairs of unused eyeglasses go into the garbage in North America each year. The good news is that you can make a huge difference in someone's life simply by donating your unworn eyeglasses and spreading the word to others.