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Save the Date!
Eyeglass Sorting Event
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Lions Club Eyeglass Recycling
A Lions Partnership with Lions in Sight and Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
This is a volunteer event to help sort and clean donated used eyeglasses. Volunteer for part of the time, or work the entire event. Lunch will be provided. You do not need to sign up in advance for this event.
- Help sort, clean, and box eyeglasses for shipment.
- No heavy lifting required.
- No previous experience required.
- Willingness to have fun while volunteering a plus!
- Suitable for most skill levels/abilities.
- Donations of clean towels and apple boxes also accepted.
- We are currently in urgent need of apple boxes!
- Please, bring apple boxes only (for consistent size). Speak to the produce manager at your local grocery store to see if you can pick up their empty apple boxes. Do not bring us other boxes.
- Date:
Saturday, September 19, 2026Waiting for approval of next date. - Time: 9:00am-2:00pm
- Location: Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 101 N. Bascom Ave., San Jose.
(Building is at the rear of the property).
The September 19 event started at 9 AM and concluded after lunch with cleanup completed at 2 PM. About 15,000 eyeglasses were sorted for washing, 30,000 eyeglasses washed for drying and further sorting, and 10 boxes of completed recycle eyeglasses boxed and labeled for shipment to Vallejo. The total number of eyeglasses unboxed for recycle processing since the San Jose Vista Center event began over 5 years ago is now at 1.25 million.
Over 100 community service volunteers participated in the September 19 recycling event, including those affiliated with Vista Center as visually impaired clients, members of Saddleback Church of Milpitas, AARP, Delta Gamma (SJ State Univ), 8 scouts from an East San Jose Boy Scout troop, 30 Del Mar High School Leo’s, and various Lions Club members including from Hollister, West San Jose-Campbell, Capitola Coast, Cupertino Host, Milpitas Executive, Los Gatos, Scales of Justice, Cupertino De Anza, Sunnyvale Host, and Almaden Super.
⏵ Click to find out more about the scope of, and who is involved, in this great event…
Lions are in receipt of 100,000 or more used eyeglasses every couple of months through an anonymous corporate relationship. As of May 2025, more than ONE MILLION used eyeglasses have been recycled with the help of volunteers.
We couldn’t have done this without all of the volunteers that join us for our sorting events. Thank you! The recycled prescription eyeglasses are distributed to the needy in Lions in Sight and Lions International sponsored international medical missions.
Vista Center has graciously provided a room at their San Jose location for storage, and use of their auditorium for sorting and cleaning the donated eyeglasses.
⏵ Read more about this wonderful community activity, and one of our sorting events, in this article by SJSU’s Trevor Phillips by clicking this text.
This article features San Jose State University alumni and current students involved in an eye glasses refurbishing project at the Vista Center on Bascom Ave. The article features the Delta Gamma sorority, Gayle Kludt, Bob Stewart, Dave Kaplow and Her Campus, all involved in this incredible initiative.
Monthly Activity: Sorting & Labeling Donated Items
Help sort and label donated clothing, toiletries, etc. for The Grateful Garment Project
On the fourth Thursday of each month, from 2:00-4:30pm, we help The Grateful Garment Project sort and label newly donated items. Contact us if you would like to join us at one of these sorting events.
The Grateful Garment Project provides victims of sexual violence the clothing and other resources they need to reclaim their dignity and begin the healing process. They work with hospitals, shelters, law enforcement and other nonprofits to meet victims’ immediate needs after a crisis, and support their ongoing needs along their road to recovery
Weekly Activity: Lensometer Training & Use
Volunteers needed to help measure used eyeglass lens strength
Lensometer training & use continues on Tuesdays, from 9:00am-11am, 11:00am-1:00pm, and 1:00pm-3:00pm. Four Lensometers are available per shift.
A lensometer is a device used to measure the strength of each lens in a donated pair of glasses. We use them so that we can label and sort the used eyeglasses to be given to someone in need. We have many thousands of pairs of glasses to be tested and labeled.
Eyeglass Sorting
Additional volunteers can also help sort and clean donated eyeglasses (the steps that occur before measuring the prescription with a lensometer). We sort donated eyeglasses to pick out the pairs that are not scratched or broken and can be reused as is. The broken eyeglasses are recycled.
Donate your old eyeglasses.
Do you have a pair of old but usable eyeglasses to donate? We collect used eyeglasses for reuse by those in need. In our area, you can drop off your gently used (not broken or scratched) eyeglasses at the following locations:
- Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 101 N. Bascom Ave. (at the back of the property), San Jose (24 Hour Dropbox located outside lobby door.) Map/directions.
- Total Vision Campbell, 338 E. Hamilton Ave. @ Central Ave., Campbell. Map/directions.
- Spectrum Eye Physicians
- Cupertino: 10300 S. De Anza Blvd., Cupertino Map/Directions
- San Jose: 2577 Samaritan Dr., Suite 740, San Jose Map/Directions
- Dr. Sayed Jovkar, M.D., 15251 National Ave., #100, Los Gatos Map/Directions
- Costco Eye Centers
- Bring them to one of our meetings: 1st-4th Thursdays of each month (except on holidays), 12:00 noon-1:30pm at Denny’s, 1140 Hillsdale Ave., San Jose Map/Directions
Please, do not leave printer cartridges, hearing aids, or cellphones at these locations. Only eyeglasses are accepted at dropoff locations.
Additional lists of donation locations:
Click here for additional information about donations to our club.