Theft at the Lions eyeglasses centre in Chivasso
News of
The theft at the premises of the Centro Italiano Lions per la Raccolta degli Occhiali Usati (Italian Lions Centre for the Collection of Used Eyeglasses), on via Baraggino in Chivasso, was made public on 7 November 2026. The burglars broke in by forcing the front door and fled through a window on the opposite side of the building, after ransacking the premises [1][2].
What was taken
Taken from the premises were three personal computers used for the centre's administrative and logistical management, the entire cabling of the workstations, several optical laboratory tools used to measure and recondition lenses, and a coffee machine from the break area [1]. The stolen items also include dozens of historic eyeglasses with bone frames, kept by the centre as mementos of its activity [1][2].
The centre and the volunteers' reaction
The Centro Italiano Lions per la Raccolta degli Occhiali Usati in Chivasso is a facility where donated eyeglasses are catalogued before being distributed internationally to people facing visual and economic hardship [1]. The theft was made public by the centre's president, Michela Coppola, during a visit by Brian E. Sheehan, international past president and board member of LCIF, the Lions Clubs International Foundation [1][2]. Coppola said: «We are still shaken by this, but having her here today is giving us a real boost» [1].
Related articles: Chivasso
Sources
- Prima Chivasso — 7 November 2026
- CronacaQui Torino — 7 November 2026