Beloit Family Eye Care, SC officially celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, as a year-round eyeglass recycling satellite location for the Wisconsin Lions Foundation (WLF), marking a significant milestone in the Foundation’s eyeglass recycling efforts.
The Wisconsin Lions Foundation Eyeglass Recycling Center, established in the early 1990s in Rosholt, Wisconsin, is one of just nineteen Lions International Certified Eyeglass Recycling Centers in the world. A small but dedicated team of staff and volunteers at the Rosholt facility sort, wash, read, package, and ship donated eyeglasses to missions around the globe. Over the years, eyeglass donations have continued to grow, while other recycling centers have reduced capacity or closed, placing increased demands on the Rosholt operation.
In response to rising demand, the Wisconsin Lions Foundation first sought assistance in 1997. Several Lions Clubs answered the call by providing seasonal support to the eyeglass recycling center, some of which continue to this day. The success of those partnerships set the stage for the next phase of the satellite process.
Beloit Family Eye Care now serves as the first year-round eyeglass recycling satellite location, expanding the Foundation’s ability to process donated glasses efficiently. At the Beloit location, eyeglasses are read using an automatic lensometer and then packaged for missions to be distributed by the Wisconsin Lions Foundation.
The satellite location is overseen by Dr. Douglas Kelley, owner of Beloit Family Eye Care, and his staff with support from Keith Mueller, Project Director, at the Wisconsin Lions Foundation. Mueller shared his excitement about the partnership and the positive impact it will have, noting that the additional capacity will provide meaningful support to the staff and volunteers working at the Eyeglass Recycling Center in Rosholt.
This new year-round satellite location represents an important step forward in ensuring donated eyeglasses continue to reach individuals in need, both efficiently and sustainably, while strengthening Wisconsin’s role in Lions’ global vision mission.