Birmingham Vision Care Donates Glasses for Darfur

As we near our goal of gathering 1,750 pairs of reading glasses for Darfur refugees and villagers in eastern Chad, a few companies, organizations, and individuals are stepping forward to ensure we fully meet the needs of these people in crisis. Birmingham Vision Care of Bloomfield Township, Michigan is just such a company. Their 43 pairs bring us closer to our target, not only in their quantity, but also in their quality and features. With magnifications up to +4.50, Birmingham Vision Care's donation includes some of the strongest readers we have received.

We are excited to be able to send such high powers to Chad, because of the enormous impact they can have on the lives of their recipients. For people who need them, these readers can have a transformative effect on the quality of their education, since their ability to read without glasses is probably extremely poor. For the refugees, education has been called the best part of being in the refugee camps, a source of hope and a foundation for the future.

Birmingham Vision Care's glasses are also notable for their very sturdy frames. The desert of eastern Chad is a rough environment where there are ample opportunities for damage to glasses and no opportunities for repairs or replacements. The quality of these glasses will keep people reading and learning longer.

Thank you, Birmingham Vision Care, for responding to this need, and thank you American Optometric Association for publicizing the project. If any of our supporters in the Bloomfield Township area need glasses, contact lenses, eye exams, etc., we certainly hope they will consider bringing their business to Birmingham Vision Care, who have gone beyond the bottom line to support reading relief for the refugees and villagers in eastern Chad.