Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington®

We’re proud to share an exciting partnership that will expand access to vision care across our region. Thanks to the generosity of LensDirect, thousands of individuals across the DMV will receive the eyeglasses they need to learn, work, and live independently.

Below is our full announcement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LensDirect Delivers a Year’s Supply of Eyeglasses to The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (POB) to Help Thousands See Clearly

These new eyeglass frames will serve as the foundation for POB’s programs supporting children, adults, and seniors who often go without regular eye care due to cost.

Washington, DC (April 2, 2026) — LensDirect has selected The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington (POB) as its charitable designee for over 3,100 pairs of eyeglasses. This investment will support POB’s referral-only Low-Income Eyeglass Shop, serving individuals who cannot afford eyeglasses through any other means. The donation will also support community-based programs, including Glasses4Scholars - a school-based vision health initiative - and See For Yourself - an adult-focused initiative serving underserved neighborhoods across the DMV. These programs will provide eyeglasses to approximately 5,000 underserved individuals in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, the District of Columbia, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Alexandria.

LensDirect is a leading online destination for vision care, offering a wide range of products, including contact lenses, prescription eyewear, and its innovative, award-winning lens replacement service - allowing customers to refresh their existing frames with brand-new lenses at a fraction of the cost of buying new glasses. Backed by over 100 years of optical expertise, LensDirect is committed to making vision care more accessible, affordable, and convenient for customers nationwide.

“POB is excited to receive this investment,” said Caren Forsten, POB’s Chief Executive Officer. “Vision is a powerful conduit for learning and working. However, thousands of neighbors do not have the eyeglasses they need because they are too expensive.”

“Clear vision shouldn’t be a luxury,” said Ryan Alovis, Founder and CEO of LensDirect. “At LensDirect, we believe access to eyeglasses is essential, and we’re proud to partner with POB to help ensure more people in these communities can see clearly, learn effectively, and live better.”

A big thank you to the students at Montgomery Knolls ES who sent our staff a sweet thank you note along with some photos from their Glasses Party! The celebration included a fun presentation about how to take care of their new eyeglasses, wizard tips on how to keep them clean, and why they need glasses. As you can see in the photos, the students were ecstatic to receive their glasses!

We wanted to share this special moment and thank each and everyone of our team for the incredible impact they made on these students.

This World Optometrist Day, we’re celebrating and thanking our incredible optometrists at POB for the compassion, expertise, and hard work they bring every single day. Your commitment to helping others see the world more clearly truly makes a difference.

Here’s to the professionals who keep our vision sharp and our eyes healthy. We appreciate you today and always! 💙

Last chance to celebrate the luck of the Irish! Stop in and pick a golden discount (between 15% and 50% off) from our Pot of Gold!

One entry per customer per day.
Ends March 17, 2026.

Look Again Resale Shop
900 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Last Chance for Up to 50% Off: Your Pot of Gold Awaits! 🌟 Click here for an update from Prevention of Blindness Society Look Again Resale Shop!

We're celebrating the luck of the Irish! Stop in and pick a golden discount (between 15% and 50% off) from our Pot of Gold!

One entry per customer per day.
Valid March 13 - 17, 2026.

Look Again Resale Shop
900 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Up to 50% Off: Your Pot of Gold Awaits ! 🌟 Click here for an update from Prevention of Blindness Society Look Again Resale Shop!

This is one of the most widely held myths about vision. Some people are concerned that they should not read too much because it will wear out their eyes. Although extensive or prolonged reading of fine print can cause eye strain, there is no evidence to suggest that it will damage or wear out your eyes.

Tip: Take regular breaks using the 20-20-20 rule — every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds!

Last Thursday, we partnered with Prevent Blindness to provide eye screenings to 40+ patients as part of the Love Your Eyes campaign. Grateful to help our community see a brighter future.

If you or someone you know has lost some sight to AMD, low vision aids (e.g., magnifying glasses, reading lamps, telescopic lenses) can help you stay independent. Special training, called vision rehabilitation, can provide skills for living with low vision. A low vision specialist will help determine the right combination of aids for your needs. Ask your eye doctor about the possibility of seeing a low vision specialist.

Si usted o alguien que conoce ha perdido parte de la visión debido a la Degeneración Macular asociada con la Edad, las ayudas para la baja visión (por ejemplo, lupas, lámparas de lectura, lentes telescópicas) pueden ayudarle a mantener su independencia. Un entrenamiento especial, llamado rehabilitación visual, puede proporcionarle habilidades para vivir con baja visión. Un especialista en baja visión le ayudará a determinar la combinación adecuada de ayudas para sus necesidades. Consulte con su oftalmólogo sobre la posibilidad de consultar con un especialista en baja visión.

We are so happy to be making an impact in our communities! Serving students, adults, and seniors by providing accessible eye care services and glasses to help them move forward in their lives.

POB delivers free vision support services and resource navigation to assist individuals with age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and other eye conditions, to maintain their independence.

Our Resource Navigators provide personal guidance as clients move through their vision journey. Some of these specialists have professional experience in vision and eye care; others may have personally faced vision challenges and wish to help others in similar situations.

You can connect with the Low Vision Resource Center over the phone or in person.

POB ofrece servicios gratuitos de apoyo visual y recursos de orientación para ayudar a personas con degeneración macular relacionada con la edad, retinopatía diabética, glaucoma y otras afecciones oculares a mantener su independencia.

Nuestros asesores de recursos brindan orientación personalizada acopañado a los clientes en su camino hacia una visión más plena. Algunos de estos especialistas tienen experiencia profesional en visión y cuidado ocular; otros pueden haber enfrentado personalmente problemas de visión y desean ayudar a otras personas en situaciones similares.

Puede contactar con el Centro de Recursos para Baja Visión por teléfono o visitarnos en persona.