Yes, Lions In Sight is a non-profit 501(c)(3). Your donations are tax deductible. Please donate here or send your check to 1404 Lemon St., Vallejo, CA 94590. LIS tax ID numbers are: IRS ID: 68-0252878, CA No: 1522756

For residents of developing countries, eyeglasses are very expensive and may not be available to many citizens. Giving new life to eyeglasses that Americans no longer want can enhance the life and productivity of others. Imagine how being able to see clearly might affect young students just starting their education or allow someone in their 40s to continue their working life so they can provide for their family.

Yes, LIS supplies eyeglasses to Veteran, homeless, and low-income clients within the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, and elsewhere in the United States.

The recycled eyeglasses collected by LIS are from two major programs: eyeglasses returned to certain eyeglass manufacturers and eyeglasses collected by Lions Clubs throughout California and Nevada.

The LIS program begins with local Lions Club members in the community. The club members collect eyeglasses and take them to the LIS warehouse in Vallejo, California. The collected glasses are sorted, cleaned, processed, and packaged for delivery to clinics in developing nations. Volunteer doctors and Lions Club members travel to the clinics with the eyeglasses and exam equipment. To learn more about donating eyeglasses, click here.

LIS also collects used hearing aids, printer cartridges, and cell phones. The hearing aids are refurbished by the Lions Hearing Foundation and given to low income clients. LIS recycles the printer cartridges and cell phones for cash.

Your old eyeglasses can literally save a life. By giving sight to someone who is visually impaired you can help them gain employment, complete their schooling, care for themselves, and care for others. Here’s how you can help: Donate. Funds are needed for supplies, new equipment, and to effectively run the LIS warehouse. To donate, click HERE or send your tax-deductible donation to 1404 Lemon Street, Vallejo, CA 94590. Become a member. Here's how. Volunteer at the warehouse. Click HERE to learn more about volunteering. Request an eyeglass collect box from LIS and place it in your business or community in an area where it will be noticed. Collect the contents on a regular basis and take/send the glasses to the LIS warehouse. Read more here. Work with your school, club, team, or religious institution to collect eyeglasses, hearing aids, printer cartridges, and old cell phones. Ask your eye care professional if you can place an LIS collection box in their office/clinic. Tell family, friends, and associates about the need for recycled eyeglasses and hearing aids.

Funding for LIS comes from Lions Clubs, fundraising events, and individuals. Most funding comes from Lions Clubs in California and Nevada. Member clubs contribute to LIS on a semi-annual per-capita basis and via donations throughout the year. To become a member, click HERE. In addition, every September LIS Director, Dr. John Demshar holds an annual “Summerfest” fundraiser for LIS and other charities at his home in Stockton. The event features wine, gourmet foods, tequila tasting, live music and a silent auction. To receive notifictions of this and other fundraising events, subscribe to our news updates. LIS is also sponsored by the generous contributions of individuals in the community, often in memory or in honor of a loved one. To contribute to LIS, click HERE.

LIS was founded in 1987 by Dr. Wayne Cannon and became a non-profit 501(c)(3) in 1992

LIS trains a small group of inmates in three California prisons regarding how to determine the prescription of eyeglasses with LIS-provided lensometers. The inmates process the thousands of eyeglasses delivered to prisons every quarter. They clean the glasses, insert them into small zippered plastic bags, and write the prescription on the bag before the glasses are shipped back to the LIS warehouse. The inmates benefit by receiving a small fee per eyeglass, having responsibility, and feeling productive. In some instances, inmates might be able to use the skills they’ve learned working with the lensometers when they are released.

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