Donation and Volunteer Opportunity
Please bring glasses to Chacala and leave them with Lance at The Fresh Breeze Inn.
Dr. Glenda Denham, Optometrist and Ralph Leuthold optician, have been volunteering their services for eye care and distributing free eyeglasses for thirty years. Dr. Denham served as Secretary/Treasurer of Colorado Volunteer Optometrists in Service to Humanity, an international non-profit group for most of that period taking time from her practice in Boulder, CO. She’s worked in many developing countries, organizing numerous trips to Mexico.
Glenda and Ralph along with other volunteers come to Chacala yearly bringing hundreds of used and new eyeglasses. They team with Tomas Degadillo, a resident of nearby El Copomo, Nayarit to take day trips to poor communities in the area distributing eyeglasses.
The types of glasses most frequently needed for this population are reading glasses and non-prescription sunglasses. Readers are helpful to most adults over 40 yrs old and are especially meaningful to women whose ability to contribute to their families might involve sewing or having a small store or business. Sunglasses protect workers outdoors, especially fishermen, carpenters, and field workers.
This year we had two free glasses clinics for the first time in Zapatan and Lima De Abajo. Thanks to all of you who brought glasses to the Inn and helped with the clinics.
Often there is room for additional volunteers to work at the project sites. We always run out of glasses so donations to the project are much appreciated.
Readers and Sunglasses are available at ”Dollar type stores” for, you guessed it, one dollar each. Visitors to Mexico can bring into the country up to $200 in duty free items. Keep your receipts as proof of value at customs, in the unlikely event that you are questioned.
We began distributing glasses in Jan 2015 and would appreciate help with the supply of glasses.
Please bring about:
¼ of the supply with powers ranging from +1.50 to +3.00
¼ +3.25 to +6.00
¼ +1.00 to +125
¼ Sunglasses
Eyeglass Cases
Besides glasses, we need simple cloth cases to protect the glasses. For the past couple of years, a few volunteers in Chacala have sewed hundreds of cases. We need help. If you have any scrap fabric and would like to help, please see the instructions linked here:
Download Eye-glass case instructions to print out ↓
Contact information in US
- Glenda Denham 303-955-8860 gcdenham@hotmail.com
(must put RE: Glasses in Subject Line to get through the filter. - Ralph Leuthold 303-444-1580
This project has no religious or political affiliation.
The Huichol are the indigenous people here in Nyarit.