Kobe Li
Kobe Li is a biomedical engineering & health sciences student at McMaster University, originally from Burnaby, BC. He founded 20/20 Mission in 2023 after working at an optometry clinic and seeing how many usable glasses get thrown out while people go without. 20/20 Mission has since collected thousands of pairs of glasses from shops, clinics, and libraries across Canada.
20/20 Mission
20/20 Mission is an eyeglasses recycling program, run by students in Greater Vancouver and the Hamilton/GTA. Volunteers collect donated glasses from optical shops, libraries, and recreation centres, then clean, inspect, and measure them before passing them to partners who reach people who cannot afford an eye exam. The project also runs eye-health presentations in schools using vision-simulation goggles.
https://2020mission.ca/
About this Project
Communities Served
My project will involve and/or impact the following communities:
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
When it comes to community impact projects, the UN has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These are the Sustainable Development Goals associated with my project.
How the project works
From July 2026 to January 2027, the team recruits and trains 20 volunteers, places 10 new donation boxes, signs 3 distribution partners, and refurbishes 1,000 pairs of glasses. Volunteers also deliver 8 awareness presentations in schools and community spaces.
Project Impact
1,000 refurbished pairs reach people globally who cannot afford an eye exam or eyeglasses. Glasses will also stay out of landfill.
Project Mission
20/20 Mission believes nobody should go without glasses because of cost. This project grows the Canadian side of that work: collecting locally, refurbishing properly, and building the distribution partnerships that get glasses into people's hands.
Project Team
7 Directors and 100+ Volunteers
- Kobe Li — Co-founder & Executive Director Elva Ly — Co-founder & Marketing Director Jason Qin — Co-founder & Fundraising Director Jahau Yang — Eyeglasses Director Sepanta Yalameha — Technology Director Tony Zhou — High School Clubs Director Jonathan Park — High School Clubs Director
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