Glasses for Syrian Refugees
Donation protected
I’m going, in January, to Lesbos to provide vision care (sight testing and distribution of donated glasses) for Syrian and other Middle Eastern refugees.
We’ve all seen pictures, heart-wrenching pictures, of terrified, drenched people – those whose boats made it to Lesbos rather than capsizing – wading ashore to unknown futures. For people who cannot see properly -- because their glasses didn’t survive the trip, or perhaps because they never had glasses -- the future is especially cloudy. I can help, and so can you.
I’m not an optometrist but was trained by one in order to go with Flying Doctors of America to La Paz, Bolivia to provide vision care for prisoners in the notorious San Pedro (men’s) and Obrajes (women’s) prisons in 2014. In June of this year, I went with another organization, International Medical Relief, to Haiti to give glasses (almost 500 pair) to people who would otherwise never get them . Here is a picture of our improvised clinic in a church in Haiti: translators in red shirts, IMR team members in scrubs, the balance of people are patients.
I’ve seen more ugliness regarding refugees in this country than I ever expected to see, and waited too long for my government to do something to help people who are so desperate to leave their war-torn areas that they get on, and put their children on!, un-sea-worthy contraptions just to get out. I can’t fix lack of government resolve, but I can help frightened refugees.
Other than shipping charges, there is no cost for glasses that are generously donated by the Lions Club. But there is a charge ($3,200) for me to go on the mission, due by January 8, and I have to pay to get to and from the departure city (unknown at this time). I have until the beginning of February, when my credit card bill has to be paid, to collect money, but will be most grateful for funds collected early. Will you help me?
We’ve all seen pictures, heart-wrenching pictures, of terrified, drenched people – those whose boats made it to Lesbos rather than capsizing – wading ashore to unknown futures. For people who cannot see properly -- because their glasses didn’t survive the trip, or perhaps because they never had glasses -- the future is especially cloudy. I can help, and so can you.
I’m not an optometrist but was trained by one in order to go with Flying Doctors of America to La Paz, Bolivia to provide vision care for prisoners in the notorious San Pedro (men’s) and Obrajes (women’s) prisons in 2014. In June of this year, I went with another organization, International Medical Relief, to Haiti to give glasses (almost 500 pair) to people who would otherwise never get them . Here is a picture of our improvised clinic in a church in Haiti: translators in red shirts, IMR team members in scrubs, the balance of people are patients.
I’ve seen more ugliness regarding refugees in this country than I ever expected to see, and waited too long for my government to do something to help people who are so desperate to leave their war-torn areas that they get on, and put their children on!, un-sea-worthy contraptions just to get out. I can’t fix lack of government resolve, but I can help frightened refugees.
Other than shipping charges, there is no cost for glasses that are generously donated by the Lions Club. But there is a charge ($3,200) for me to go on the mission, due by January 8, and I have to pay to get to and from the departure city (unknown at this time). I have until the beginning of February, when my credit card bill has to be paid, to collect money, but will be most grateful for funds collected early. Will you help me?
Organizer
Barbara Kelly
Organizer
Broomfield, CO
