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No. 15 Vol. 1
www.thehackettstownnews.com
January 2017
Local Teen Shares Her Vision Of Helping Others By Collecting Eyeglasses
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By Cheryl Conway fter seeing with her own eyes the poverty faced by other people in distant lands, a 16-year old Hackettstown girl is finding ways to collect needed items as a way to help others. Last year, Molly Szpakowski collected 9,000 used pill containers and shipped them to Malawi in Africa. Now the junior at Morris Catholic High School in Denville is collecting various types of glasses and sunglasses and is calling out to the community for donations. Szpakowski plans to send the glasses to medical missions and charitable organizations that distribute to the poor in various third-world nations including Bolivia, China, Ghana, Honduras, Jamaica, Philippines, Panama, Thailand and Kenya. “By getting involved I can ensure that your glasses will be given to someone
who needs it most,” says Szpakowski. “Your simple act of charity and kindness will impact many lives for years to come, so please look around your house and I bet you can find a pair or two of unwanted and long forgotten glasses that are of no use to you, but can make wonders for others!” Before eighth grade, Szpakowski got involved with People to People, organized to enhance international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural, and humanitarian activities among peoples of different countries. She had received a letter from the organization suggesting that she get involved. She has traveled three summers with People to People, joining other students and teachers visiting Canada, Europe, Australia then China. “I got to live with a family in Germany, got to try their foods,” she says. She also helped clean up
beaches in Normandy. “It brought me out of my shell; got to see all these people to see how they live. I knew I wanted to help people crowded in cities and living in shacks.” Last year, when she returned from China, “I saw the poverty. When I got back I researched projects,” and learned about the need for pill containers. “They send medical missions there so they needed the pill containers,” she explains. “It’s such an everyday object we throw away. In these impoverished countries, they use paper which is so dangerous for children.” That’s when Szpakowski went on her mission
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to collect empty pill containers from Thanksgiving through January 2016, collecting 9,000 containers. She decided on the eyeglasses collection for this year. She began collecting in November 2016 and will continue through the end of February. “In researching this project, I was surprised to find that despite the fact that so many various organizations have taken part in it, still nearly four million pairs of eyeglasses are discarded each year in the United States alone,” she says. “Unfortunately, just like my family, in the world today nearly 153 million people experience poor vision.”
With that in mind, “I started thinking about the unwanted glasses lying around my house and I decided to go on a mission to find how many I could collect,” she says. “At the end of the day I found eight pairs! So if I could do that in a day, imagine what our community can do together and how many people we can help! “I am collecting used and unwanted, prescription or nonprescription eyeglasses, sports glasses, children’s glasses, empty frames and eyeglass cases. Additionally, as there is an enormous need for sunglasses in countries near the equator, where UV rays can cause severe damage to
the eyes, I am also accepting sunglasses of any kind. Szpakowski realized a headquarters right in Short Hills for New Eyes for the Needy and plans to donate all the glasses to that organization which will then continued on page 2
Continue To Brighten The Future By Sharing Positive Stories In 2017
By Cheryl Conway ith winter holidays behind us and the new year already here, many may have noticed some extra kindness with more and more people giving to charities, hosting dinners, providing meals and reaching out to those struggling or needing some help to get by. These are the type of stories that New View Media Group welcomes as good news and kindness
tend to spread and creates a chain reaction that may encourage others to pitch in by donating some time, money or items that they do not need or use. New View Media Group, it’s that new view on news that tends to steer away from anything controversial and negative, such as last year’s political debates and election. The recent election, as contentious as it was, remains uneasy for many who question the next leadership;
and if the other candidate would have won, that same uneasiness would have still been present. As readers look back at 2016, and then forward to what lies ahead, we must not forget the importance of sticking to core values, good ethics and morals, and proper etiquette which can range from being kind to others; having respect for all people; being honest and giving to those who may be struggling. Throughout the past
year, the local community has been an outreach in so many ways to help others both near and far. Readers of the “Hackettstown News” were inundated with so many positive stories. In Hackettstown, students at Willow Grove School recognized veterans; House of Good Shepherd resident celebrated 100th birthday; 5K was held to benefit children with cancer; Allamuchy woman volunteered in Peace Corps. to make a continued on page 4