Posit Science Giving Back – Eyeglass Donation Drive
One of the reasons I like working at Posit Science is that they are committed to being a corporation that gives back to the community and the world at large. In November, the company donated $1 million worth of software to over 500 public libraries in Massachusetts. During the month of December, for every purchase of brain fitness software, the company donated the cost of recycling and delivering a pair of eyeglasses to someone in need.
When I heard about the eyeglass donation program, I started looking into it more closely and was saddened to learn that an estimated 250 million people around the world are in need of eyecare. We reported on this blog that a recent study showed that correctly prescribed glasses can improve quality of life in nursing home residents. I myself have terrible vision (legally blind without correction, in fact) and am utterly dependent on glasses and contact lenses to function normally. I can’t imagine what life would be like for someone with impaired vision without access to regular eye care and corrective lenses.
In that spirit, I decided to get an eyeglass donation drive going at Posit Science. I found OneSight, an organization that offers free eye clinics and services around the world. With a couple of emails and a little prodding, I collected 53 pairs of used glasses from Posit Science employees and their friends and families, and brought them down to a OneSight donation center. I’m happy to know that this small gesture will help OneSight in their goal of getting 1.2 million pairs of glasses donated this year, and grateful to everyone at Posit Science for taking the time to find those old glasses and bring them in.
Many people have old pairs of eyeglasses lying around that they don’t use anymore. If you’re so inspired, it’s easy to start an eyeglass drive at your workplace, community center, senior residence, or school. You can find more information on OneSight and learn how to donate glasses by visiting OneSight.org. There are many other organizations that run global vision clinics and facilitate eyeglass donation as well, like the Lions Club and New Eyes for the Needy (where you can also donate old hearing aids.) Whichever group you choose, you can feel good about spending a little effort to clean those old glasses out of your closets and do your part to improve someone’s quality of life.
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Posted: Odds and Ends
Posit Science's corporate blog is the place where our employees share their thoughts about Posit Science and its products, brain fitness, breakthroughs in neuroscience, and any other topic they find interesting and relevant. 
March 1st, 2010 at 5:34 am
I have 6-8 pairs o old prescrition glases that we no longer have use for, I’m trying to find a company that can donate them. please let me know if you can help out, or refer me elsewhere. thankyou.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:22 am
Hi Joan- Thanks for your message. We donated to OneSight.org. If you visit this website and put in your address, it will give you drop-off locations: http://employees.onesight.org/donatenow/locations/ The Lions Club also accepts glasses at drop-off locations or via mail. The information for that is here: http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/eyeglass-recycling/how-you-can-help.php
June 4th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
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