Marin-Based Eyewear Firm Helping Homeless Artists

By Bay City News Service:

A charity netted 15,000 toys for children this holiday season and an eyewear company has followed suit by giving new glasses to the homeless.

Novato-based Zenni Optical is partnering with the nonprofit ArtLifting to help homeless, disabled and disadvantaged artists keep producing art, something they couldn’t do without the glasses.

Zenni Optical brand manager Hernan Vicuna said Zenni Optical employees struggle with various illnesses and the company believes in helping people overcome their struggles.

“It’s such a perfect marriage,” Vicuna said. “It just makes sense.”

The partnership started about 10 months ago and the two organizations got together for the first time in November when ArtLifting was expanding to San Francisco.

It said it needed just 10 to 15 pairs of glasses, but Zenni Optical offered to give glasses to any of the artists who need them.

“Their our neighbors,” Vicuna said.

Prints of the artist’s work are sold online and the art is also incorporated into greeting cards and iPhone cases. The money the artists earn helps them establish financial independence.

In the future, Zenni Optical wants to feature the artist’s art on optical frames. The extra money charged by Zenni Optical for the custom frames will go to the artists.

If Allen Chamberland continues on the path ArtLifting has helped him set, he won’t have to live on disability anymore.