Where Can You Donate Old Eyeglasses

If you have an old pair of eyeglasses that you no longer need, a great alternative to throwing them away is to donate them to an organization. Millions of people cannot afford vision insurance, glasses, or contacts to improve their vision. By donating your old glasses, you can help improve the eyesight of someone who may not be able to afford corrective vision.

In the following article, we’re going to cover a number of common questions about donating your eyeglasses. After all, everyone wants to have a positive effect on society, but sometimes it’s hard when you don’t know how or where to do something.

We’ll answer the following questions:

• Where can you donate old eyeglasses
• Can you donate old eyeglasses
• Do any charities take old glasses

With the information provided below, you should have no problem donating your old eyeglasses to someone in need. But first, let’s provide a little more information on why it’s beneficial to donate glasses.

Can You Donate Old Eyeglasses?

When donating glasses, a common concern is that you have a specific prescription or worried that your glasses won’t work for someone else. You shouldn’t worry about that.

Prescriptions are on a scale and while someone may not have your exact prescription, your glasses may be close enough that they can provide much more benefit to someone than having no glasses at all. After all, if someone had the choice between a prescription that is 90% correct or no glasses at all and had to live with functional blindness, they will probably choose the glasses.

Where to Donate Glasses?

There are a number of places where you can donate glasses, including eyecare shops, such as Lens Crafters or actual donation centers, such as Goodwill. If you are worried about whether an organization will accept donations, you can always call and ask the receptionist. They will tell you whether they will accept donated eyeglasses and if they don’t, they will know a local spot in town where you can.

Donate Eyeglasses at Walmart

Yes, you can donate eyeglasses at Walmart. And they will distribute those eyeglasses to those in need.

A corporation like Walmart loves donations because it allows them to help the less fortunate and use that as PR to improve their public image. The more an organization does to support charities, the more likely they are to get more business. After all, if you’re going to donate your old eyeglasses, why not get an eye exam there as well?

It’s a win-win situation for the organization, the less fortunate, and yourself. Everyone wins.

Do Any Charities Take Old Glasses?

As mentioned above, you can donate old glasses to eyecare shops, such as Lens Crafters, but many charities that you know and love will also accept eyeglass donations. Two of the most well-known charities that accept eyeglass donations are Lions Club and Goodwill.

Donate Eyeglasses to Lions Club

Lions Club is an organization dedicated to “bettering the quality of life for the handicapped, the poor, the sick, and the aged.”

It’s known as a service organization because it’s members provide their time and effort to making life better for those who need it. There are tens of thousands of members and they do everything from collecting donations of schoolbooks for children to providing transportation for those who can’t easily get around. And, as you guessed it, they also collect eyeglasses that they can donate to those in need.

If you would like to support the Lions Club and donate your old eyeglasses, the easiest way is to find your local chapter. You can do a Google Search for “lions club [your city]” and replace [your city] with your city. From there, you will find contact information, such as a phone number, email address, or local office.

All you need to do is reach out, let them know you have eyeglasses to donate, and they will tell you where you can drop them off. Or even if someone will pick them up. And while you’re there, check out what other services your local Lions Club offers and see if there are other items to donate, such as books, food, or even your time.

Donate Eyeglasses to Goodwill

Goodwill is a community-based organization that “provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs.” It’s a great organization that does to support the less fortunate in your community. One of the ways they do that is to run very low cost stores where customers can purchase all types of gently used items, including eyeglasses.

While Goodwill doesn’t specialize in eyeglasses, most customers know that they can go to Goodwill to find almost anything. And if someone is in need of eyeglasses that may not be perfect, but are better than nothing, Goodwill may be their first stop.

And the best part is that Goodwill makes donating a seamless and effortless process. Some locations even have drive-throughs where an employee will come out to your car to pick up your donation. You can donate almost anything as long as it’s gently used and you would feel comfortable having someone else use it.

Conclusion

Making any donation is a great way to benefit society. While eyeglasses aren’t a popular donation, they’re necessary for millions of less fortunate people who can’t afford them. By donating something as useful as eyeglasses you are ensuring something positive for someone else.

Luckily, there are a number of different ways to donate your old eyeglasses. You can donate them at popular stores like Walmart or a number of different local charities, such as Lions Club or Goodwill. And the best part is that these organizations make it easy to quickly and effortlessly drop off your glasses and they handle the rest.

If you have an old pair of eyeglasses that you no longer use and are thinking of getting rid of them, think about donating them first. You’ll certainly be providing a positive benefit to society by doing so.