Third World Eye Care Society Canada

08/10/2026

Featured in The Manila Times 🇵🇭🇨🇦

We are honoured to see Third World Eye Care Society (TWECS) Canada featured in The Manila Times Diaspora Spotlight, highlighting our recent eye care mission in Pangasinan and nearly 30 years of providing free eye care and prescription eyeglasses to underserved communities around the world.
A heartfelt thank you to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) and its LINKAPIL Program for recognizing TWECS and sharing our story.

Every pair of glasses can change a life. ❤️ Please remember to donate your used eyeglasses to TWECS! www.twecs.ca

07/21/2026

07/07/2026

A special shout out to the talented student artist who created this eye catching poster for the King George Secondary eyeglass donation drive. Not only does it spread an important message, but it also showcases creativity, initiative, and community spirit. We love seeing students use their artistic talents to make a real difference, thank you for helping us promote the gift of clear vision🎨👓💙

06/30/2026

Seven years ago, when she was in Grade 8, this beautiful lady told her mom that one day she wanted to join a TWECS project. Today, that dream is finally becoming a reality.

All smiles at the warehouse as she prepares for her first mission to the Philippines. What makes this moment even more special is that she was the only volunteer who came to the warehouse today. In fact, Derrick and I came in just for her.

Watching the next generation embrace service is one of the greatest rewards of this work. From sorting eyeglasses in the warehouse to helping patients halfway around the world, her journey is just beginning.

We are so excited to welcome Felicia to the team and cannot wait to share this experience with her in the Philippines. 🇵🇭👓❤️

Sometimes dreams take years to come true, but they are worth the wait.

06/16/2026

A heartfelt thank you to Japan Airlines and employees from other airlines for collecting donated eyeglasses in support of the Third World Eye Care Society of Canada (TWECS).

Today, we were honoured to welcome a JAL administrative supervisor to our clinic, who personally delivered the collection on behalf of the airline community. Their generosity and commitment to helping others will make a meaningful difference in the lives of people who lack access to vision care.

These glasses will be cleaned, sorted, and prepared for distribution during future TWECS outreach projects to bring clearer vision to people in underserved communities around the world.

We are deeply grateful to Japan Airlines and everyone who contributed to this wonderful donation. Every pair of glasses has the potential to change a life.

Thank you for helping us make a difference—one pair of glasses at a time. 👓✈️❤️ www.twecs.ca

05/26/2026

It was a quiet night at the warehouse, so I thought I’d teach Koa lensometry. 👓🐶
He says progressives are “ruff.” 🐾🤣
Please donate your old eyeglasses 🙏🏽.
www.twecs.ca

05/12/2026

“I have learned how fortunate I am to have glasses and that some people do not have them.” 🥺
We were deeply touched to receive this handwritten letter today from a young student who shared what it means to live with poor eyesight, and how grateful they are to have glasses. His letter, his story is incredibly moving. A huge thank you to this young student for sharing their story and supporting the Third World Eye Care Society!
Moments like this remind us that clear vision changes lives everywhere, not just across oceans. ❤️
Thank you for seeing the heart behind what we do. Please continue to donate your old eyeglasses.

04/30/2026

Throwback Wednesday:
Gazebo at San Raymundo: This photo was taken during our second TWECS project in October 1996. It was in San Raymundo, a remote mountain village in Guatemala. We were living with no electricity, no running water, and no way to contact the outside world. To get through, we leaned on a nightly ritual: gathering at the village gazebo to share stories and sip on a single bottle of Chivas Regal we’d brought from San Francisco, rationed carefully over seven days.
But those nightly "7-Up" toasts became something much deeper after the night of October 16th.
We were in the stands for the Guatemala vs. Costa Rica match now known as the night of the Estadio Mateo Flores disaster. Because we had reserved seating, we were spared from the crush that killed over 80 people, including three friends from our village. We stood in shock and watched as the crowd carried the victims from the stands to the pitch, watching one by one as the white sheets were laid over them.
Coming back to our remote village after witnessing one of the worst tragedies in sports history was a somber, terrifying experience. With no Wi-Fi or phones to call home, we only had each other.
These smiles represent more than just a successful project; they represent the resilience of a team that walked through a nightmare together. That bottle of Chivas and those quiet nights at the gazebo got us through the rough times, but the bond we formed in San Raymundo has lasted a lifetime. 🇬🇹❤️

04/21/2026

A huge THANK YOU to the Vancouver Burrard Lions Club for this amazing donation of optometric equipment

We received:
*A special trial lens set that opens on an incline
*2 auto lensometers
*A frame warmer
*A Nidek phoropter

And behind it all… our incredible volunteers . Thank you to friends and volunteers of Vancouver East Lions Club for sorting, cleaning, and removing progressive lenses so that the next sort ( into plus and minus)
can be done.

Thank you for a great evening!