Eyeglasses Recycling

Want to help us give sight to the world? Find local eye glass recycling drop-off locations here: CLICK HERE

According to The World Health Organization, 153 million people have uncorrected refractive errors (near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism). Most of these vision impairments are quickly diagnosed and easy to treat with corrective lenses.
Still, millions of people in developing nations are pushed deeper into poverty simply because they don't have glasses. They can't learn, because reading is difficult. They can't work to the best of their ability, because they can't see clearly.
It costs Lions less than US$0.08 to provide a pair of recycled eyeglasses and change someone's life. For children, clear vision means a better education, healthier development and a better quality of life. For adults, it means greater employment opportunity and economic strength. For seniors it means less dependence on others. Lions clubs collect millions of eyeglasses each year, making eyeglass recycling one of our most popular activities. Will you help us in our mission to give sight to the world? Donate your used glasses today!

Would You Like to Serve YOUR Community?
Join us!

Come get to know the Lions and join us for a delicious catered lunch, an interesting program and wonderful fellowship for an hour every Thursday at 11:45 at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired at 1100 W. 45th Street.

A History of Quality and Service

Established in Austin Texas in 1916, our club has been known as the Austin Lions Club, the Lions Club of Austin, and the Downtown Lions Club. In 1976, the name was formally changed to the Founder Lions Club of Austin. We are now known as the Austin Downtown Founder Lions Club and the history of the Austin Downtown Founder Lions Club is a long one of quality and service.

Past and present members include many of the most prominent names in both Austin and Texas' history - U.S. Congressman J.J. "Jake" Pickle, Austin mayor Gus Garcia, both Willie Kocurek and his son Neal Kocurek, and more - all dedicated to the service of humanity through the spirit of Lionism and its many community outreach programs.

We admit we are a bit proud of our status as the "world's oldest continuously operating Lions Club", but, we like to think that our efforts in community service are typical of Lions Clubs the world over. It's a story of garage sales, golf tournaments, rose sales and other kinds of fund raisers. It's a story of answering the needs of the community and of disadvantaged groups and individuals, through efforts such as our Eyeglasses Recycling program, support of the Texas Lions Camp, eyeglasses for students and other projects. And it's a story of building and working with other Lions Clubs to promote teamwork in service.

We are perhaps most proud, however, to be a part of Lions Clubs International, which provides the opportunity to support nonpartisan service activities that are worldwide in scope. Through Lions International we can help fight blindness and other social problems around the world while promoting international understanding, and that's what makes our association so special. The club participates in projects with other clubs in surrounding counties known as Lions District 2-S3.