Where do you donate frames?

[optigrrl]

We have accumulated quite a large stock of donated frames, so much that I would like to spread the wealth. We usually donate to the Lions Club, are there any other worthy organizations that would benefit from old lenses/frames?

Please list names and possibly addresses - it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[Snitgirl]

Hi Optigrrl :D

http://www.uniteforsight.org/donate_eyeglasses.php

:cheers:

[FVCCHRIS]

I googled "eyeglass donations" and I think 95% of what I saw was Lions club related but if you look there are a few exceptions here and there, good luck, Chris.

[Fezz]

We always do the Lions Club. There are a few "Christian" organizations that will take them, but I don't have the info handy.

[xmattMPHx]

While I applaud the desire to help alleviate the burden of unnecessary visual impairment in developing countries I must encourage y'all to stop sending recycled spectacles to these countries.

The World Health Organization specifically discourages the use of recycled spectacles as it acts as a detriment to the development of sustainable eye care in developing countries.

VISION 2020 is the current guiding document for organizations attempting to end avoidable blindness. It is worth noting if the organizations you support are working in accordance with this document and in partnership with the countries they are working in.

see http://www.v2020.org/

I've been a long time lurker but this is an area of eye health care that really interests me. I'd be happy to discuss it further if anyone wants to.

[Johns]

. It is worth noting if the organizations you support are working in accordance with this document and in partnership with the countries they are working in.

If they are working in accordance with it, why are they accepting the donations, and taking them overseas ?

[Bezza]

vision aid overseas http://www.vao.org.uk/
this is where all of our donated frames and lenses go.
helping to support eyecare in developing counties less fortunate than ourselves

[xmattMPHx]

If they are working in accordance with it, why are they accepting the donations, and taking them overseas ?

They aren't working in accordance with globally accepted eye health care principles. I was trying not to specifically state that these organizations are hindering the development of eye health care in developing countries but... they are. ;)

[walleye]

They aren't working in accordance with globally accepted eye health care principles. I was trying not to specifically state that these organizations are hindering the development of eye health care in developing countries but... they are. ;)

Globally accepted eye health care principles sounds like UN speak. When it comes down to helping people here and now nothing beats the Lions Club and Unite For Sight and similar organizations. When they hit the ground in third world countries the help is immediate and not some document from a bureaucrat on the banks of the East River in NYC. Sorry to be so cynical, but as a Lions Club member who recycles thousands of eyegalsses each year for our club and our district I will continue to do so. When the folks in Ecuador or Russia get glasses to read or knit or sew they are better off than before. Incidentally the Lions Club International sets up clinics all over the world for eye surgeries, eye health and eyeglass making for the locals to learn and help their own.

[xmattMPHx]

Globally accepted eye health care principles sounds like UN speak.

I'm not sure if it is "UN speak" but it is public health speak. ;)

When it comes down to helping people here and now nothing beats the Lions Club and Unite For Sight and similar organizations. When they hit the ground in third world countries the help is immediate and not some document from a bureaucrat on the banks of the East River in NYC. Sorry to be so cynical, but as a Lions Club member who recycles thousands of eyegalsses each year for our club and our district I will continue to do so. When the folks in Ecuador or Russia get glasses to read or knit or sew they are better off than before. Incidentally the Lions Club International sets up clinics all over the world for eye surgeries, eye health and eyeglass making for the locals to learn and help their own.

I don't deny that the Lions Club does a lot of good in the world. My main contention is that if we want refractive error care to become more mainstream in the public health community, if we want to offer better and more sustainable care to the people we desire to help we must follow the globally accepted principals of VISION 2020 - Human resource development, infrastructure development, and disease control. Within disease control is a five step process for treating refractive error.

1.Screening of individuals to determine who will benefit from refractive error correction;
2.Refraction to determine an appropriate prescription;
3.Manufacturing of low cost spectacles;
4.Dispensing of appropriate spectacles to those who require them;
5.Follow-Up to take care of needed spectacle repairs or re-dispensing (WHO. (1997). Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness. WHO/PBL/97.61.).

The most overlooked parts of this five step process in current refractive error care in developing countries are 3 and 5. In addition the WHO describes the collection and distribution of used spectacles as a well-intentioned but not a cost-effective strategy. They raise quality control concerns, as well as concerns with patients not receiving spectacles that are correct for their refractive error. Importantly, the WHO refractive error work group points out that the use of recycled spectacles is not helpful in the development of a sustainable refractive error eye care system as it creates a dependence on outside sources.(Elimination of avoidable visual disability due to refractive errors: World Health Organization. WHO/PBL/00.79, 1-54.) There have been no studies conducted to discuss the efficacy/efficiency/appropriatness of the vision camp model of care in developing countries.


Again I have nothing but respect for the dedication of the Lions to the elimination of avoidable blindness but it is time to change our methods and build human resources and infrastructure in partnership with developing country governments rather than conduct vision camps.

I hope that the Lions are at the Inaugural world congress on refractive error and service development in Durban, South Africa this March to share their experiences and help develop more appropriate refractive error care. (http://www.icee2007.org.za/)

[FVCCHRIS]

They aren't working in accordance with globally accepted eye health care principles. I was trying not to specifically state that these organizations are hindering the development of eye health care in developing countries but... they are. ;)

How would you respond then to Optigrrl's original question about where to send her donated eyeglasses?? Are you suggesting we no longer accept donations, instead telling our patient's their charitable offer is now deemed a hindrance by the W.H.O. ??

[nickrock]

You can always donate to the closest Optometry school, they usually have a club or organization that participates in medical missions. Pacific University, for example, has the Amigos Club that takes donations.

http://opt.pacificu.edu/test/amigos/index.htm :)

[xmattMPHx]

How would you respond then to Optigrrl's original question about where to send her donated eyeglasses?? Are you suggesting we no longer accept donations, instead telling our patient's their charitable offer is now deemed a hindrance by the W.H.O. ??

Yes

[k12311997]

I hate to throw in with xMatt but give a man a fish he eats once teach a man to fish he eats forever.

Now before everyone jumps on me we do collect donated glasses and we do take them to the lions club.

No matter how personally vested you are in these projects you need to be able to see the wisdom of creating these systems in third world countries not just importing them from the developed world. To some extent charity breeds dependance. why create a health system? the americans will come and take of us.

[Jacqui]

I hope that the Lions are at the Inaugural world congress on refractive error and service development in Durban, South Africa this March to share their experiences and help develop more appropriate refractive error care. (http://www.icee2007.org.za/)

I wish I could be there too.

[CME4SPECS]

Any time there is a disaster in the USA, people are in need. I gave 200 frames to Katrina last year.

[Jacqui]

Any time there is a disaster in the USA, people are in need. I gave 200 frames to Katrina last year.

Thank You, from one of the volunteers that was there.

[xmattMPHx]

Any time there is a disaster in the USA, people are in need. I gave 200 frames to Katrina last year.

I thank you as well. Please don't misunderstand me. You donated new frames to an organization that had no choice but to use established health systems. I would hope that we desire to do the same overseas as well.

[CME4SPECS]

I thank you as well. Please don't misunderstand me. You donated new frames to an organization that had no choice but to use established health systems. I would hope that we desire to do the same overseas as well.

I hope that some how those frames made it to those that needed them.

[Fezz]

Xmatt-
I understand where you are coming from, but I look at it a bit differently. We can not even get these countries to grow food correctly, practice "safe sex", educate themselves, all of this after how many years of help. How can we expect them to follow proper eyecare? Give me a break. I believe that the Utopian idea is great, but it ain't happening. This is not a attack on you personally, just open discussion. I add, I am glad that we live in a country were we can openly debate and discuss such things!:cheers:

[FVCCHRIS]

I'm sure the major drug manufacturing firms around the world will be pleased to hear that donating free AIDS medicines to poor countries or any prescription meds to even uninsured Americans here at home can come to a swift conclusion, free donations of course being a detriment to people's future well being. I am sorry if I am not fully understanding of your point of view Matt, I am afraid I am just really, really tired of being told it's our(America's) job to teach the entire world how to fish. I will follow this thread to hopefully learn more about why America really should be doing anything at all "overseas".

I know, now you all hate me, huh?:( Chris..

[xmattMPHx]

I understand where you are coming from, but I look at it a bit differently. We can not even get these countries to grow food correctly, practice "safe sex", educate themselves, all of this after how many years of help. How can we expect them to follow proper eyecare?

Thanks for the comment. There is some great work being done in the refugee camps in Thailand using refugees to conduct very basic refractive exams and then dispense ready-made spherical equivalent specs. (see http://www.theirc.org/) Dr. Jerry Vincent should have some more details of this program in print soon.

I think a lot of us are aware of the unique program the Scojo Foundation is doing. Unfortunately I don't think there is any study in print re: their work. Hopefully soon. (see http://www.scojofoundation.org/)

A lot of interesting work occurring all over the globe. Hopefully the conference in South Africa should lead to more good refractive work.

When it comes to public health work I am an optimist. I have to be - it's a requirement of the degree. :p

[Fezz]

FVCCHRIS-
I agree. I believe we should help here first! I take a hard stand on that. Wifey and I just had the "discussion" about coats to Afghanastan thru her church. I asked if the local down and out kids, womens centers, etc, already had all the coats they could use! :shiner: Why send coats and shoes half way around the world when our local shelters and group centers are in such need? Not a very popular opinion I know, but...I feel how I feel.

[xmattMPHx]

I'm sure the major drug manufacturing firms around the world will be pleased to hear that donating free AIDS medicines to poor countries or any prescription meds to even uninsured Americans here at home can come to a swift conclusion, free donations of course being a detriment to people's future well being.

I'm not sure that this is the point. In order to distribute "free" medications there usually needs to be a health infrastructure in place. Distributing recycled spectacles usually takes place "under the radar" without the use of local professionals or infrastructure. This is a detriment to the health system not necessairly the patient - although I would argue that vision camps are often a detriment to the patient as well.

Many public health initiatives are now adding in a component of cost recovery even in the poorest countries. Medications are donated (think of Ivermectin for Oncho.) because they are beyond the reach of the national health system. Spectacles can be created for much less money than drugs.

I am not saying that the US should be doing all the work nor do I think that they are. I can't convince you that we should continue to do work overseas. I view my place in the world from a public health perspective. It is my desire to leave the world a better place than I found it - in my opinion that can only be accomplished via "teaching".

Thanks for your comments - I really enjoy reading other perspectives.

[Jubilee]

As a person who has gone on optical missions and has worked with the Lion's Club and the Gift of Sight program for optical based missions.. let me tell you a few things about how this is done.

When deciding on a location for an international mission, the mission leaders, and the Lion's Club both from the US and the country of the possible site investigate local and state laws and are in contact with government officials. NONE of this work goes on under the radar. How can you with optical missions that help 30-50 THOUSAND people in a matter of 10 days?

When I was on my missions, we had the Civil Defense, the local Nursing School, Teachers, Missionaries, along with the Lion's Club volunteers helping to not only help people through the process but to ensure our safety as well.

Lions Club members are shown how to screen people to see if a "vision" problem existed. We had a surgeon with us who did cataract surgeries, and local health officials were shown how to do follow up care. We not only had thousands upon thousands of recycled eyeglasses, we also had readers and sunglasses to give away as well. I also was in charge of a project to make glasses for children if we didn't have the appropriate rx in a frame to fit.

Some of the missions in Mexico now have functional labs to edge finished lenses for the thousands of people who need only single vision correction.

When I was in Chile, the nearest "eye doctor" was over 250 miles away from the desert town I was in. People don't have the money to travel, or to pay for the eye care. The time and expense involved made it IMPOSSIBLE for most. Are you saying we should tell these people they don't deserve anything, or even better yet "You deserve better care than we can provide so we aren't going to do anything but lobby for a better healthcare and vision care system for you.."

They need the help NOW. Not 10 years from now.In order for those people to develop the skills necessary to examine and fabricate glasses, don't they need to be able to see?

How about countries where they only work in spherical equivalents? Aren't the people there missing part of the acuity they could have? But that is ok...

I agree that we need to help these people develop their own system of care. But while this is in development, they need the recycled donations to get them there.

A far as your 5 step approach:

1) Screening is done to see who would benefit
2)Refractions are done, along with eye health check
3) Glasses given from either donated or manufactured stock
4) Dispensed based upon the rx guide. While it may not be spot on, many are close and you can't say that correcting to -3.50 is worse than no correction for someone who is a -4.25 sph.
5) Local Lions are shown how to repair and unused donations are left with them for future replacement purposes.

The work for the US will be in a different post.

Cassandra