This one is pure philanthropy. Unless you count what happens to a company where employees use their break time to wash, sort and repair old eyewear. Or what happens when departments begin to form teams to see who can put together the most packages to go overseas. That's what they call it when a person can see for the first time. World citizen LensCrafters chief executive officer Dave Browne, who has challenged his company to help a million needy people by 2003, likes to tell the story of the exceedingly nearsighted schoolteacher in Mexico.
Charity begins at home, of course.
And LensCrafters would like for me to tell you that they provide new eyeglasses to tens of thousands of schoolchildren here in this country, and do free screenings and adjust glasses in senior centers. But if you consider yourself a citizen of the world, if you have connected with any of the photos you've been seeing of Kosovar refugees, think about it. Many mission countries are sunny, and sometimes GOS can't help. They might need surgery or maybe they just don't need corrective lenses. They would be turned away empty-handed.