Lions Club are collecting goods
Lions Collecting Used Eye Glasses, Hearing Aids, and Discarded Cell Phones at Sorghum Festival Fort.

Yes! Why? Eye glasses are washed, prescriptions read, and then sent to third world countries for distribution. Have eye glass lens but no frames? No problem, eye glass frames are also donated and used. Frames broken or twisted? No problem - you would be surprised at how they can be repaired.

Hearing aids: old, broken or not working, the in-the-ear kind and behind-the-ear kind can often be repaired or the parts used so that recipients who cannot afford the very expensive hearing aids are furnished these hearing aids for a small one year warranty fee.

Cell phones are re-programmed and distributed to abused adults. If the cell phone is beyond being repaired, then the parts are used.

Where is all this done? Well, all items are taken to the Georgia Lions Lighthouse on Clairmont Road in Decatur, Ga., where volunteers work with the used eye glasses and hearing aids for redistribution. The cell phones are sent to a company out west and the Lighthouse is paid for these phone for up to as much as $20.00 (according to the condition of the phone). The Lighthouse then uses the money to assist those in need.

For the three weekends of the Blairsville Sorghum Festival and for your convenience and in conjunction with the Lions October World Service Month, Union County Lions will have a collection box for all three of the above items at their Lions food booth or flower booth at Fort Sorghum.

Please look for those old, used eye glasses, lens or frames; the old hearing aids, and/or those discarded cell phones and bring them down to the Fort and be proud that you have helped someone in need. You, too, can be a part of the Lions Motto: We Serve.

We also have collection boxes at Ingles, John Mark Turner Mountain Eye Care and Blairsville Optical. Also, both Cochran and Mountain View Funeral Homes will accept any of the three items and will see that the items get to us. Thank you!