Glenda is a single mother who had a steady job that supported both she and her young son. In her mid 30s, Glenda developed cataracts that caused her to become legally blind. She could no longer work, drive or perform daily household activities such as cooking and reading to her son. Eye surgery provided by the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation restored Glenda's sight. Glenda says, "I am able to support myself and my family again and that is very important to me."
The Lighthouse has over 175 stories like Glenda's from last year alone. The Lighthouse has also provided over 500 pairs of glasses and 600 hearing aids to Georgians in need over the last year. They recycle over 100,000 pairs of eyeglasses a year to send on medical relief missions. That is what the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation is about--helping restore the sight and hearing of others.
How can the public help? By donating old cell phones to the Lighthouse's Cells for Sight Program. The cell phone collection program provides revenue for sight surgeries like Glenda's. The cell phones that have been collected have already paid for three surgeries this year.
Through working with cell phone recycling giant
PaceButler Corporation, the Lighthouse has raised $10,000 for their sight program. Their goal is to collect 100,000 cell phones, so they're asking individuals as well as businesses to get involved and collect phones on their behalf.
The cell phones collected not only help the Lighthouse and their projects, they also help the environment. Environmental Protection Agency regulations state that toxic items such as cell phones should be kept out of landfills because of their destructive effect on the environment. Cell phones are constructed of materials known as 'persistent toxins' that don't easily decompose after disposal. By donating your old cell phones, you can help to ensure they do not end up in landfills.
Contact the Lighthouse at (404) 325-3630 for a location to donate used cell phones. For more information on how you can help, visit
http://www.lionslighthouse.org Or, to find a charity in your area where you can donate cell phones, go to
http://www.AmericanCellPhoneDrive.org
