By: Grace Dietz
Copy Editor
Junior Julia Atallah helps children in Lebanon with every pair of prescription glasses that she collects.
Atallah visited refugee camps in Lebanon last summer and witnessed the harsh conditions that refugees faced. She had the opportunity to talk with many doctors in Lebanon, and take part in the International Network for Aid Relief and Assistance’s (INARA) project. This project arranges various types of surgeries for children in need. Most of the injuries she witnessed at the refugee camps were severe burns as a result of poor quality of vision.
“Because the kids in Lebanon live in close quarters, accidents where they knock things over or run into things happen a lot,” Atallah said. “This made me think that if they were able to see better, the amount of accidents that happen could be reduced.”
Atallah got the idea to start collecting glasses in early April after a visit to her optometrist.
“My [optometrist] was explaining that he had a lot of old prescription glasses and had no idea what to do with them,” Atallah said. “He asked me if I knew of anyone that would take them for a good cause, and that’s when I got the idea of giving them to children in Lebanon.”
The first step for Atallah was contacting people in Lebanon who would ensure that the glasses would go to refugees who were in severe need. After receiving the extra pairs of glasses from her optometrist, Atallah contacted other optometrists and stores that could donate to her cause. The project has been a success, with many different community members contributing to the project, Atallah said.
“I think [this project] has affected my attitude on the community because it’s really opened my eyes to how much people are willing to help out,” Atallah said. “It’s also helped me realize how something as small as giving someone a chance to see better can change the trajectory of their life.”
In order to collect as many pairs of old prescription glasses as possible, Atallah will be setting up donation boxes around campus for students who wish to donate their prescription glasses.
“For students that choose to participate, it will have a positive impact on them to know that the glasses they are donating are going to really help someone instead of just collecting dust,” Atallah said.
Atallah previously lived in Lebanon, so she personally connected with the refugees for whom she is collecting glasses. Every summer Atallah tries to get involved with new community service projects stationed in Lebanon, but for this project she facilitated and organized it entirely.
“[This project] can prevent people from getting injured, help kids perform better in school, give people better quality of life or even help someone find work,” Atallah said. “The best part [of the project] is the satisfaction of knowing how big of a difference this is going to make in people’s life.”
Atallah will be distributing the prescription glasses to refugees when she visits Lebanon in June. As for now, she will continue to collect as many pairs of glasses as possible.
“I know how much I rely on my glasses or contacts to function, and that without them it would be so much harder for me to do everyday tasks,” Atallah said. “I can only imagine how hard it must be for refugees that have already lost so much to not be able to have something as simple as glasses that could really change their quality of life.”
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