Giving the gift of sight

TORQUAY Lions member Harvey Price has been helping provide people with the gift of sight for about three decades.

The Lions Recycle for Sight Australia program involves Lions clubs collecting old prescription glasses to send to overseas communities where people cannot afford glasses.

The program officially launched in 1998 and since then has facilitated the donation of about 8-10 million prescription glasses. However, some Lions clubs have been recycling glasses even before the program became formalised.

Mr Price has been collecting prescription glasses for reuse on behalf of Torquay Lions since 1990.

He said he sends “somewhere around 4,000 a year”, which he primarily collects from local optometrists.

He said he is now part of a complex process that ensured the glasses were delivered to those who need them.

“I send them via Australia post to Brisbane in Christmas cake cartons.

“The spectacles then have their lenses taken out, tested, cleaned, and then repacked into their boxes. Queensland Corrective Services give us a lot of help as far as that goes.

“When they’ve done that, they send the spectacles overseas and the sunglasses are given to the Royal Flying Doctor service in northern Australia and given to Indigenous communities.”

Lions Recycle for Sight Australia chair Ken Leonard said the program had become highly efficient, with almost all the donated glasses being reused.

“Effectively 95 per cent of the glasses get used. Another 4.5 per cent have metal frames we’re able to break up and give to metal recyclers. That leaves roughly half a per cent of spectacles that go to landfill.

“It’s worth about $800 million a year in humanitarian aid.”

Lions Australia encourages people to contact their local Lions club to find their nearest drop-off point.

To view a full club directory head to lionsclubs.org.au/contact/.