Some families who cannot afford eyeglasses might look for support from their local Lions Club

December 15, 2009

In light of the current economy, some children might be asking Santa Clause for more practical gifts this year.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Jim Lewis, a professional Santa at a mall in Denver, had one young girl ask him for a pair of eyeglasses so that she could see the board at school.

He told the news source that he asked one his elves to inform the girl about the Lions Club, which accepts old or discarded prescription glasses, cleans them and hands them out to those in need.

The Lions Club has been running this program for years, but their services are especially valuable right now, when many families who are out of work might not have health insurance coverage.

Individuals who have an extra or outdated pair of prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses can donate their old specs to benefit others in their communities. The Lions Club has 45,000 locations in over 200 countries, so the odds are good that most Americans have a local chapter nearby