I want to thank about 150 people in our community who thoughtfully donated their used eyeglasses to Optical Studio. If you are reading this now, I want you to know that you have given the gift of clear vision, and a healthier planet.
Today I got to see pictures from Indonesia of some of the villagers who received your old glasses. I also want to thank the staff of the Optical Studio who lovingly cleaned, repaired, and labeled these many glasses in their free time. I helped to box up your donated glasses and I mailed them to a volunteer. They then traveled in the suitcases of a young medical professional volunteering in rural Indonesia with a program called Health In Harmony.
This past month, the eyeglasses started to be distributed to villagers who would otherwise have no access to corrective glasses. But rather than giving them away for free, these glasses were exchanged for local seedlings. Community volunteers will plant these seedlings to help regrow areas of the rainforest that have been illegally logged.
he world needs these rainforests to resist the effects of global climate change. So your small act of kindness has helped someone see and help our planet stay healthy. That is my definition of health in harmony.
Julia Riseman
Northampton