LERC Last Wednesday Evening

Evan B, Bernice B, George J and I went to LERC last Wednesday night.  We cleaned and sorted glasses.

It was an amazing experience.  I've never seen so many different types and styles of glasses!  There are glasses that you can fold and bend without mutilating them!  There are colorful, designer glasses - as well as very classy looking Ralph Lauren & Tommy Hilfiger glasses.  Glasses that have gold plating - as well as titanium glasses.  The wrap around sun glasses were awesome.  Many of the glasses were perfect, without any scratches or damage at all.

Bill Miller was there to instruct us on how to clean and sort the glasses after they were washed in the dishwasher.  Listening to him was fun and interesting.  Here are a couple of things we learned:  

• The glasses that were outside of the standards that are set up by the missions that request them.  
• Glasses with gold plating are sent out to have the gold recovered.  We get paid for the gold.
• Some "coke bottle" glasses are not sent out to missions.
• Glasses without lenses are not used.  They are sent out.
• There is optometrist equipment to read the prescriptions of the lenses.  Once read, the glasses are put in plastic bags and labeled.  From there the glasses are organized in boxes.
• Readers (non prescription - magnification glasses) are given to people, too.
• Glasses that are badly scratched or scratched in the field of vision are set aside.
• We can't give out women's "low riders" as there have been fights between women over these kinds of glasses.  Incredible?  The winner would end up with the low rider glasses whether it helped her to read better, or not.  Vanity is alive and well - even in third world countries.  

We all had a very good time working at LERC.  (Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center)  Any Lion who works 20 hours during the Lion year - gets a LERC pin.  This is the only way to earn this pin.  I highly recommend volunteering for LERC.  Time flies there!  It seemed like we had just arrived, when we left.  We laughed and visited all evening long!  Come join us!