The donated eyewear is sent to a Lions Recycling Center where they are washed, sorted by style, neutralized and then bagged and tagged with an Rx label, all by volunteer Lions. Broken or otherwise unusable eyewear and all cases are tossed. There was a time when gold frames were resold to smelters and the money used to support eyewear programs within each community. However, I'm not sure that this still is the case.
The Recycling Centers also collect hearing aids.
Do you know whether they use best sphere or spherocylinder lenses? From a practical standpoint, to get just two roughly correct spherical equivalent lenses in a frame that fits and is gender appropriate is a suprising feat alone. I'd be amazed if you add the variables of cyl amount and axis as well, especially considering that it would have to be roughly correct in both eyes. Just curious.
When I went to Kenya in 1993, we took about 20,000 pair of eyeglasses. We fitted several thousand people. At first we could get pretty close to an rx but by the end of the 2 weeks, things were pretty sloppy. However, something to see through, even if it's "close", is worlds better than nothing at all. I was very pleased and proud of the work that our team did; and grateful for the work that Lions do every day that allows these missions to happen.
They use spherocylinder lenses. When I went to Chile, we brought with us 50,000 pair of glasses, not including the few "gems" some of us brought from the latest recycling rush. When selecting eyewear we would look for the best in the following order: 1) As written script 2) Correcting some cyl 3) Best Spherical Equivalent.
LC has started to use Progressive lenses as well for their mission efforts, and the Lions Club has been doing this for years.
When I went to Chile, they were using "chabella" frames. They were plastic frames with perfect circles for the lens area. Then we had several books full of lenses with various scripts that we would pop into the frame and turn on axis. I thought my thumbs were going to fall off, since I was the "lab" on the mission.
I admit that the GOS efforts is what I miss the most. I loved working with the people, organizing the local missions, and giving back to the community. I need to make time to join a community organization!
Cassandra
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
Thank you for the offer Jubilee. I opened up several associate relations claims, and endured more pulse checks and inquires then I care to mention. I would tell my tale of injustice and woe, but it would just drum up more drama then there needs to be, and its best told over a mug of beer:cheers: . I was terminated and labeled DO NOT REHIRE, but I fought it and won. They reversed the DNR but the write up remained and I was unable to transfer to the store that I had lined up. As it had been mentioned, the "good old boy" network won out, and I was thrown under the bus. To recap my original point, there is no honor in truth. The actions taken by my superiors, the consiquences, the tragic butchering of the english language in this paragraph.......no honor.Originally Posted by Jubilee
Last edited by Hawthrn; 01-12-2006 at 09:35 PM.
Your local Lions Club would LOVE to have you as a member! Women are joining Lions in record numbers and we are making a difference in our communities and in Lions International.
We collect old glasses for the Lions Club at the private doctor's office where I work. They come by every 6 months or so and collect them. What they do with them I don't know.
That's what they do with them.
I have been considering joining the Lions. I actually have been thinking that when I finish my MBA, I would love to work in one of these Non-Profit entities. Right now, it is a matter of trying to figure out how to juggle that with my family, school and work responsibilities.
When I was with LC, I could use days off in the week to visit schools, businesses (requesting donations), and it was easy to coordinate things with other stores via phone and email. My Regional team was also very supportive of GOS, and would allow me as regional captain time to take care of the larger things(such as mission planning) during slower periods at work.
Well Enough excuses, ignore the above.. I will make a few calls and find out where my local club meets, and what I need to do to join them!
Cassandra
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
I know at the LC where I work,the lab managers make the lab associates accountable for every breakage,that is,they must explain,at the end of their shift,why the breakages occurred and what they can do different next time.That is just the way our guy does it,however,our lab associates are very professional,and do not flub their breakages,as I would hope any lab associate would be.With that said,I am the GOS coordinator at my store,and (as has been previously stated)the thought of a trusted LC associate purposefully stealing GOS frames from the box is DISGUSTING!Not only is it morally reprehensible,but it is literally nasty.Have you SEEN some of the frames that go in there??? I wouldn't put something on my face that has been in that box if someone paid me!When we neutralize the glasses for shipment,we give them all an ultra-sonic bath before we bag them.I picked up a frame one time that was caked with blood!Instead of continuing to bash you,I really hope that you have learned something from this.Those glasses are for people who are very needy and depend on the help of organizations like the GOS to help them with their needs.That is akin to taking money out of the Salvation Army collection pot...you just DONT DO IT!I hope you have found some peace with yourself and can continue your life living by a more strict moral code.
Cassandra,
I just finished reading your thread and my mouth is wide open. I too wokked for LC and witnessed so many wrongs heaped upon associates. The nonsense that went on was unreal. One manager was always #1 in CSAT's in the region. The location of the store was moved in the mall to the extreme other side and the CSAT fell for two months. The RDO and RQC came in one morniing and he was written up for low CSAT's. This manager was humiliated but two years later came back and won The Ability to Serve" award that is for highest CSAT and customer return.
There is not much wrong with LC except for the fact that no field manager has the b___s to stand up to their superior with explanations of what is the truth of situations.
Who added that face with the long open mouth? I did not include that in my original post. Are posts being edited before appearing on the optiboard?
You need to edit your signature?
As for the original point. It was small independents who underpaid me and ripped me off, and it took a large national name to give me a decent wage and pension.
I found that my salary was very competitive when I worked for the chain stores as well. I worked with some very competent folks there.
AA
I have to agree lenscrafters does indeed honor cheating. I worked in the lab and our lab managers always fixed the breakage numbers, the front manager would tape the door count to keep numbers up. For years this did and still occurs cause the system is set up for dishonesty. Workers get wages less than normal and to make up the difference and to keep the store and area managers looking good they turn thier back on what needs to be done to keep number looking good. I also found the system warped. I saw everyone doing it, it was a joke that corporate incouraged this sort of behavior but they did warm that it was grounds for termination. Funny, I never once saw anyone terminated due to it and I have alwasy seen all stores doing it. Its The Lenscrafters Way.
Unfortunately I have seen entire labs fired for "falsification of company documents" and seen GMs fired for such behavior..
Some had been with the company for over 12 years....(including my former lab manager)
IT will one day catch up. They can track defect rates, breakage trends, traffic, etc...
Heck the store where my hubby works is under review from upper management cause their traffic is down.. never mind the construction going on right outside the store, or the fact the major flagship for that section of the mall was closed. The only thing keeping that GM in place is the fact that regardless of the drop in traffic, all other key internals are up, and they had a record breaking year last year.
Still the regional management is spending time with them weekly to overcome there "traffic issue" and he has been coached about it..
Cassandra
"Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland
I imagine they werent very good at being dishonest. Doesnt that sound absurd. I always was against the practice but upper management(RDO, RQC) cared nothing but numbers. All the store management that shows good numbers are never hassled about how they run thier stores, its only when something in the financial glitches the system. I have never seen anyone removed for doing the fix, unless someone rats them out and internal affairs comes down. I heard of one store where there was a disgrunteled employee that was let go, she didnt work well with other employees although she sold well to customers. This employee was a snitch, rat and caused problems within the corporate structure in Cincinatti. After the investigation they labeled her as a problem, overlooking the flawed system in lue of the income generated by ths store. I have seen managers who for years have been falsifying documents, and get promoted along the way, the RQC and RM favor these stores because they make them look good and I dont know anystore that can realisticly have 90% and better rates but they maraculously pull it off. This is pure blindness turning their heads, its for real. Those are the facts. Its ingrained in our capitolistic system, make me look good and I will support you, do not and I will replace you. I suppose its an immoral thing but the saying goes, the bad crooks are the ones that get caught.
The title is corrected, as suggested, "Theres no money in the Truth"
Last edited by Jan Post; 08-28-2007 at 07:40 AM. Reason: Suggested by KStraker
You're title should be, "There's No Money In Truth."
Yes ,you are right!!!!!!!
You are better off.
I would someday like to write a book on optical chains, My time spent employed by them. the things i've seen and the issues that arose and how they were delt with....just amazing.
and 2 comments.
1) The employee that was taking the Gos frames, You had to know something was wrong with taking eyewear that didn't belong to you period, your not a leming!
2) (Scam) In one optical store ,employee's are having other people buying eyewear, then returning them . Then the associate keeps the eyewear for free because they can't be returned to stock, the manager was allowing the associates to keep the used glasses. (If you like something we'll buy it and return it policy). but then in another store,they fire someone for stealing gos eyewear.....go figure..
Last edited by ShuString; 08-31-2007 at 10:28 PM. Reason: this comment was to jubilee
Cassandra, when I worked for Hoya I got in trouble for posting on here that my dad liked his casting machine so I feel you.....corporations are just not my thing.
Hawthrn, I think your mistake is expecting everyone to have the same standards and that it really not true anywhere. Wherever you go and whoever you work for there will be those times when you have to decide whether to follow the pack or do what is right. I do think that corporate structures have this problem a bit more than say my current employers do, larger groups of people and more rules tend to lead to more opportunities for that fork int he road.
My suggestion is to take it as the lesson it was, move on and find a place to be where the water that seeks its own level is higher.
Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others. -H. Jackson Brown Jr.
If the only tool you have is a hammer you will approach every problem as though it were a nail
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