Program seeks second-hand pairs of eye glasses

DO you have any old pairs of glasses at home that you no longer wear or need?

Specsavers Bendigo Marketplace staff are encouraging the community to give their old specs or sunnies a second life this Christmas, as part of the Lions Recycle for Sight initiative, which distributes glasses to underprivileged people internationally.

“We see a huge influx of people wanting to use their health insurance benefits to purchase a new pair of glasses [at this time of year],” Specsavers Bendigo Marketplace retail partner Krystal Green said.

“We’d love to see more people donating their old specs in store so they can benefit people in need. We’ve loved being able to directly work with the community in helping them to recycle their older pairs of glasses.

“It’s such a great feeling, being able to tangibly see the impact that you’re making.”

It’s estimated that there are unused glasses in 75 per cent of homes across the city, and Specsavers Bendigo Marketplace staff are aiming to collect as many pairs as they can to contribute to a broader Lions Recycle for Sight goal of 200,000 pairs this season.

Placed end-to-end, this many pairs of specs would run between Bendigo to Greater Bendigo National Park twice.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1 billion people across the world have untreated vision impairments, like glaucoma, cataracts, or short or far sightedness.

To donate your pre-loved specs, drop into Specsavers Bendigo Marketplace. Each pair of glasses donated is set to be refurnished, quality tested, categorised, and packaged.