Club Projects
Did you know that Waiuku Lions Club Recycles Eyeglasses - Hearing aids - Old Coins and Can Tabs ?? Well , now you do !! read on .......
USABLE GLASSES GIVE NEW LIFE - LIONS RECYCLE FOR SIGHT
To make a difference, simply bring your old eyeglasses to Paterson Burn Optometrists - 7 Bowen Street in Waiuku or you can take them to your local Specsavers Store.
We send them to Papakura Lions - which is an official Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centre ( LERC ) for processing. There, the glasses are checked for cracks, scratches and screws tightened before being washed in an ultrasonic washer and dried - they then have their prescription recorded and packed for delivery to the Pacific Islands, and other optical missions around the world.
The donated eyeglasses collected can help improve the quality of life for children & adults living in low income communities around the world. Many will experience corrected vision for the first time, enabling them to lead productive working lives, support their families, attend school & advance their education.
WHY RECYCLE HEARING AIDS? The World Health Organisation estimates that 278 million people worldwide have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears. Yet, current annual production of hearing aids is estimated to meet less than 10% of global need. The poor are especially affected because they are unable to afford hearing aids to improve their hearing. Hearing impairment and deafness are serious disabilities that can impose heavy social and economic burdens on individuals, families and communities. Children with hearing impairment often experience delayed development of speech and language skills, which may result in slow learning and difficulty in school. Adults who are hard of hearing often experience difficulty in obtaining and keeping employment.
Lions collect hearing aids and send them to regional Lions Hearing Aid Recycling Centres. Please carefully wrap used hearing aids in bubble wrap or tissue paper and pop them into a bag, you can then drop them into the lovely Raewyn at Paterson Burn Optometrists - 7 Bowen Street Waiuku
OLD COINS - HEADS UP FOR KIDS (HU4K)
Heads Up for Kids is a unique collection which asks New Zealanders to dig out and donate old decimal and pre-decimal New Zealand currency, and all foreign money. The obsolete cash is then redeemed for New Zealand dollars and used to fund education programmes for young New Zealanders who would otherwise not get the opportunity.
To date Lions have collected over 28.8 tonnes of coins and thousands of banknotes ( that's the equivalent weight of 4 elephants, 460 cattle or 6450 cats! ) bringing the total raised close to $612,000. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand estimates that there is $80 million in old decimal and pre-decimal NZ coins and $20 million in old banknotes unaccounted for.
There are plenty more coins still out there - If you have any old coins or foreign currency that you would like to donate - please contact Waiuku Lions Club or take them to Gary Pyes 100% Waiuku or to Pukekohe Resene Colorshop .
Many young people have already benefited from Heads Up for Kids, receiving scholarships to organisations such as Spirit of Adventure and Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centres.
STOP Press - Our recent delivery of coins, donated by you wonderful Waiuku folk, weighed in at 20.325kg, contained 4928 coins, and was valued at $310.92. Keep them coming!!!
Hope in a can
The Lions Clubs of New Zealand initiated the Kan Tabs programme to raise awareness and funds for Kidney Kids.
By saving your can tabs, you are helping to make a big difference in the life of a child
There are about 3,600 can tabs to a kilogram. Once collected they are recycled and the funds raised are sent to the Kidney Kids Support Group of New Zealand to assist the children with kidney disease and who need dialysis.
Founded in 1990, Kidney Kids is a not-for-profit parent driven organisation that assists parents of children who have kidney disorders. Kidney Kids organise annual camps for children who may not be able to attend ordinary school camps because of their medical need plus supporting a child who is waiting for a kidney transplant.
If you have collected a large quantity of kan tabs, then please contact Waiuku Lions Club... and then you can start collecting them all over again! The more can tabs collected, the more money is raised for Kidney Kids.
Contact Waiuku Lions Secretary Mel on footemel@gmail.com
