The Gift of Clear Vision--Do You Have a Pair of Glasses to Donate?
We are supporting Alaffia in their efforts to bring clear vision
to those who cannot afford it!
In Togo, it is extremely difficult for visually impaired people to obtain eyeglasses. An eye exam costs as much as one month’s wage and a pair of eyeglasses can cost up to four months of wages. Alaffia collects used eyeglasses at retailer locations throughout the US and employs an optometrist in Togo to correctly fit and distribute the glasses. A pair of eyeglasses is life-changing for a child struggling in school, the elderly with failing vision, and adults who have never been able to see clearly. To date, Alaffia has collected over 24,927 pairs of glasses.
You will notice an eyeglass collection bin near our checkout counters. Please donate a pair if you can! :)
Who is Alaffia?
They are a company that makes body care and skin care products--lotions, soaps, shampoo, etc. We love promoting companies that make great products AND have a mission to make the world a better place at the same time!
Fair Trade for life--from their website:
"To Alaffia, fair trade means paying a fair price or wage in the local context, providing equal employment opportunities, engaging in environmental sustainable practices, providing healthy and safe working conditions, being open to public accountability, and reducing the number of middlemen between producers & consumers. We believe fair trade should be environmentally, economically, and culturally sustainable and give local communities the opportunity to self-empower." Learn more here: http://alaffia.com/fair-trade/
Empowerment for the community
Besides collecting eyeglasses, Alaffia invests in their community through several other empowerment programs: Maternal Care (working to reduce maternal death during childbirth), Education (building schools, purchasing school supplies, bicycles for education--which provides a much needed transportation source for young people to get to school) and the Reforestation and Alternative Fuels Projects. You can find out more details here: http://alaffia.com/empowerment/