Many of the eye glasses and hearing aids that are donated to the Lions Club from around the state come to West Columbia for processing. The glasses and hearing aids are gathered at donation centers like Walmart. They include reading glasses and prescription glasses.

Bill Mooneyhan of the Cayce-West West said the used glasses are prepared for shipping. Some of the reading glasses are new stock that has been removed from store shelves. The Lions also receive donated eye glass cases.

The Cayce-West Columbia Lions receives 15,000 or more pairs of glasses a month. The club collects the glasses from the Lions Vision Center on Bush River Road and gets them ready to send to distribution points.

Some of the glasses and hearing aids go to local churches, including Turner Memorial AME Church pastored by Rev. Kenneth Taylor. The donation is made to help those in the community who need it.

The rest of the glasses, 30 boxes a month, are sent to other recycling centers. The work on the glasses is done in the basement of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church.

The C-WC Lions receive revenue for their work. That contribution goes to fund local community projects. All public donations, 100 percent, collected by the Lions Club are used for charitable causes. No donations go for administrative expenses.