New Eyes for the Needy is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization started in 1932 as New Eyes (incorporated 1948) and based in

Short Hills, New Jersey Short Hills is an unincorporated community located within Millburn Township, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City. As of the 2020 United States Census, the CDP's pop ...

, which provides people in the United States with

eyeglasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples or ...

and sends recycled eyeglasses to needy people overseas.

History

The organization was founded by Julia Lawrence Terry in 1932 in Short Hills, New Jersey. Terry worked in the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and realized the need for eyeglasses in the US. Area residents donated basement space for sorting eyeglasses. By the end of the 1940s, the organization was receiving an average of 1,194 glasses monthly. "Old age glasses" were sent to hospitals in New York City and nursing homes in Kentucky. New Eyes was also featured in ''

Woman's Day ''Woman's Day'' is an American women's monthly magazine that covers such topics as homemaking, food, nutrition, physical fitness, physical attractiveness, and fashion. The print edition is one of the Seven Sisters magazines. The magazine was f ...

'' and ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

'' magazine articles, and had its first television appearance on WCBS. As the organization grew, the Junior Service League of the Oranges and Retired Men's Club in Short Hills began to volunteer. In 1947, the Junior Service League of Short Hills took over New Eyes with the passing of Mrs. Terry. By 1949, 455 people per month were receiving "new eyes". In the 1950s, New Eyes for the Needy had 55 volunteers sorting eyeglasses. The organization averaged 25–35 mailbags of glasses weekly. New Eyes was set up as an independent organization, a community project under the Junior League of Oranges. The Jewelry Committee was formed by Connie Hurd.

1960s and 1970s

New Eyes opened its new headquarters at 549 Millburn Avenue in the 1960s. At this location, the organization began accepting items for consignment in the jewelry showroom. Additions to the building allowed for a mailroom and second-floor jewelry showroom and sales. The Millburn Old Guard began volunteering at New Eyes for the Needy, which would become a tradition lasting over 40 years. In 1968, the organization paid off its mortgage. By 1979, over 100,000 pairs of eyeglasses were being shipped overseas. $150,000 in grants were allocated to hospitals and medical schools. New Eyes broke the 1,000,000 mark in eyeglass donations for one year, which allowed for the purchase of over 10,000 new prescription glasses.

1980s and 1990s

Income from scrap metal declined in the 1980s, while the number of requests for new eyeglasses rose. This marked the start of the eyeglass voucher program. This decade marked the beginning of computer use in the offices and the 50th anniversary of the organization, which was attended by Governor and Mrs. Tom Kean. New Eyes received $35,000 in grants during the 1990s. It launched its first direct mail campaign for new donations and ran a

PSA PSA, PsA, Psa, or psa may refer to: Biology and medicine * Posterior spinal artery * Primary systemic amyloidosis, a disease caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins * Prostate-specific antigen, an enzyme used as a blood tracer for pros ...

campaign featuring comedian

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

. Susannah Likins became the new executive director in 1993.

2000s

In the past decade, New Eyes for the Needy raised reimbursement rates for the voucher program for the first time since the program began. It also introduced its website, www.neweyesfortheneedy.org. Its first fundraising gala, Hocus Focus, took place in 2006. In 2011-12, in partnership with social service agencies and optical dispensers across the country, New Eyes helped 6,066 underserved residents of the U.S. to get the eyeglasses they needed but could not afford. Currently, Susan Dyckman is the organization's executive director. New Eyes celebrated its 80th anniversary in November 2012, marking the event with a gala honoring Honorary Chair actor

Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He ...

. The group's vision or

mission statement A mission statement is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operatio ...

is: "To empower children and adults in the United States and overseas with the improved vision they need to pursue a better quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities. New Eyes' mission is to purchase new prescription glasses through a voucher program for children and adults in the United States who cannot afford glasses on their own. new Eyes accepts, recycles and distributes donated glasses for poor people overseas."

Voucher program

New Eyes for the Needy purchases prescription eyeglasses for indigent people in the U.S. through a well-established voucher program. Eligible clients can receive a voucher by working through a social service agency or a school nurse. Clients can present a New Eyes voucher to any participating local optical dispenser, who fits the client with the proper prescription eyeglasses. The dispenser then receives reimbursement directly from New Eyes. To be eligible for the program, applicants must be in financial need, have had a recent eye exam, and have no other resources available to them to pay for glasses, including federal or state programs or assistance from local charitable organizations. New Eyes does not pay for eye exams. A New Eyes voucher typically covers only the cost of a basic pair of single or bifocal eyeglasses.

Funding

Since most contemporary eyeglasses are no longer framed in gold, New Eyes must now rely on a variety of funding sources, including individual donations, grants, corporate gifts, special events and revenue from the Fabulous Finds Jewelry & Giftware Boutique. In 2012, Individual donations and corporate gifts made up 43% of revenue. Grants made up 25% of funding, jewelry sales from the showroom ''Fabulous Finds'' made up 14%, and scrap metal made up 3%.

Donations and volunteer work

New Eyes for the Needy depends primarily on

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

work and

donations A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as b ...

. A donation of $58 purchases one pair of prescription glasses for someone in need in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. Donations may be made by cash, check or credit card through New Eyes' website. New Eyes also recycles donated prescription glasses, reading glasses and sunglasses, manages 250 volunteers, sponsoring holds two fundraising campaigns each year, and works with charitable organizations and small medical missions to distribute recycled glasses in developing nations. jakegyllenhaal

Operations and accomplishments

2007-2008

New Eyes for the Needy is run by a 15 person Board of Trustees and runs mainly through volunteer action. It still operates out of its original home in New Jersey but has expanded to become globalized. In 2007-2008, the organization helped 5,845 United States citizens and 200,000 people overseas with their eye care needs. The company has been highlighted in several prominent media outlets such as the '' Newark Star Ledger'', the ''

Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Penns ...

'' and ABC's ''

Eyewitness News ''Eyewitness News'' is a style of television news presentation that emphasizes visual elements and action video, replacing the older "man-on-camera" newscast. History Pioneered by Westinghouse The earliest known use of the ''Eyewitness Ne ...

''. As of March 2008, the company's net assets have reached $3,303,346. The organization has had celebrity spokespeople such as

make videos to send their message. In the fall of 2008, the organization was the subject of a school assignment for many students at

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...

as part of a

public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...

campaign assignment.

2010-2011

In 2010-2011, New Eyes purchased eyeglasses for 2,582 adults from 45 states and the District of Columbia, 486 children in 28 states, and 1,096 seniors living in 41 states and the District of Columbia. The group distributed nearly 200,000 pairs of recycled eyeglasses to poor people living in 30 developing nations around the world. Fourteen new volunteers were welcomed at the organization. The Heart of New Eyes fundraiser in February 2010 raised $15,000 to support the U.S. eyeglass voucher program. The second Annual Kids Rock for Vision Concert in March 2010 raised $8,700 for children’s eyeglasses. The See For Change fundraiser raised nearly $6,000 for children’s glasses in New York City. Fabulous Finds jewelry and giftware re-sale showroom raised $51,000 for the U.S. eyeglass voucher program. New Eyes secured awards totaling $71,000 in foundation grants. 2011-2012 U.S. Eyeglass Voucher Program * 6,066 U.S. children, working age adults and seniors get prescription glasses in 46 states and the District of Columbia International Eyeglass Recycling Program * Acknowledged 243,000 pair of donated glasses * Distributed 160,000 pair of glasses to people in 28 countries through small medical missions and Physicians for Peace, Feed The Children and Unite for Sight * Hosted 12 corporate, civic, student and scout groups on evenings and weekends. Volunteers sorted and tested eyeglasses. * Expanded partnerships with for-profit entities such as MoralEyes,

Warby Parker Warby Parker is an American online retailer of prescription glasses, contact lenses, and sunglasses, based in New York City. Warby Parker was founded as primarily online retailer, but now sells primarily (about 90%) through approximately 160 p ...

and Zeal Optics to continue regular donations of new reading glasses, sunglasses and frames for the recycling program Community Relations * Re-designed and launched New Eyes’ website, www.neweyesfortheneedy.org, to allow for a better flow of information from and to New Eyes’ many constituents * Adult volunteers awarded the 2011-12 New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award Overall, New Eyes for the Needy has improved the eyesight of more than 7,700,000 people in the world.New Eyes for the Needy

References

{{reflist

External links

New Eyes for the Needy Official Website

Better Business Bureau Charity Review.

Global Eyeglasses partners with new eyes for the needy
Millburn, New Jersey Non-profit organizations based in New Jersey Organizations established in 1932 1932 establishments in New Jersey