Lions program helps folks see better
Lions Mark Johnson and Bob Haessly show off some of the glasses someone recently donated to the program.
A good Samaritan recently gave the Columbia Falls Lions Club glasses program a big boost, giving away 48 brand new pairs of reading glasses to the program.
“I was blown away,” Lion Bob Haessly said when he went to check the donation box at Glacier Bank last week.
The new glasses were still in the shrink wrap in the box.
The club gives away about 1,000 pairs of glasses a year. They’re shipped through the Lions Club International offices worldwide to poorer countries where people can’t afford glasses.
The club also donates prescription glasses to local youths that can’t afford them, Haessly said. Students are typically referred to the school nurse and the Lions donate up to $500 for an eye exam and the glasses.
It’s just one of the many programs the Columbia Falls Lions do in the community.
The club has seen a resurgence of interest in the past year or so, with more than 10 new members.
To learn more about the club, or to join, contact president Steve Melby at slmelbymhi@yahoo.com.