UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND (October 22, 2008) – The Lions Community Outreach Foundation (LCOF) and Melwood today held the grand opening and dedication of its new District 22-C Eyeglass Recycling Center on Melwood's headquarters in Upper Marlboro, MD.

"The Lions touch the lives of people all around the world with our vision and blindness prevention programs," says Charlie Kearse, Chairperson of the LCOF. "The work done at this new facility so generously donated by Melwood will ensure that we can continue to provide glasses to the visually-impaired in developing nations around the world."

It costs less than $0.08 to provide someone with recycled eyeglasses, adds LCOF Eyeglass Recycling Co-Chairperson, Betty Moore.

This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the community to Melwood and work side by side with people with disabilities, says Janice Frey-Angel, Melwood President/CEO.

Dozens of Lions and Melwood participants will volunteer their time to prepare the eyeglasses for distribution, by cleaning and categorizing each pair by prescription then packing them for international distribution. To volunteer, contact Betty Moore (410-394-3589, mrstopkat@comcast.net) or Lion Susan Matthews (301-297-8791, lionsusan612@aol.com).

To request photos of this event, please see the contact information below.

About LCOF:
The Lions Community Outreach Foundation of District 22-C is a community based, not-for profit organization whose primary objective is to prevent blindness through sight-saving outreach programs. Our programs include Mobile Health Unit community health screening clinics, eyeglass recycling, pre-school vision screening and the Francis J. Garner Memorial Fund that provides financial assistance for sight saving medical treatments. Our service area includes Montgomery, Prince George's, Charles Calvert and St. Mary's Counties, as well as the District of Columbia. For more information, visit the Lions Community Outreach Foundation at www.lionsoutreach.org. 
The Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Program was adopted as an official service activity of Lions Clubs International in October 1994. However, Lions have been recycling eyeglasses for approximately 80 years. Each year, individuals donate more than 4 million pairs of eyeglasses to Lions Clubs International.

About Melwood:
Melwood Horticultural Training Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving more than 2,100 people with disabilities with employment, housing and recreation in the Washington D.C. area. Melwood employees support more than 65 contracts made possible by the AbilityOne Program, which encourages federal agencies to contract with approved, qualified organizations that provide job training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This federal effort is emphasized by the fact that 62 percent of Americans with severe disabilities are unemployed. For additional information about Melwood capabilities and services for people with disabilities, call Melwood at (301) 599-8000, or visit www.melwood.org.