Hail to the New Queen Chasco & King Pithla

April 8, 2013 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

New Queen & King Crowned at Chasco Coronation Ball

Victoria and Sandy Barley at the 28th Annual Chasco Coronation Ball.
Photo courtesy of Photos by J David.

The 28^th Chasco Coronation Ball was held on Friday April 5th at Spartan Manor in New Port Richey. Victoria Barley was crowned Queen Chasco and Sandy Barley was crowned King Pithla. This is only the second time a married couple has been selected. Both Victoria and Sandy are very involved in the West Pasco Community, donating many hours of community service to a number of not-for-profit organizations. They are committed to making Pasco a better place to live for everyone.

Victoria Barley, who is a realtor, was nominated by Youth & Family Alternatives and Senior RAP House Leadership Council. Her volunteer service includes the Youth and Family Alternatives Senior RAP (Runaway Alternatives Project) House Leadership Council (Committee Chair), the Community Service Council, YMCA of the Suncoast, Good Samaritan Clinic, American Cancer Society, West Pasco Chamber of Commerce, and West Pasco Board of Realtors. In 2012 Victoria received the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen Award and Volunteer of the year from the Community Service Council of West Pasco.

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Filed under Events, Fundraising Tagged with Accessibility, blind babies, blind children, Coronation Ball, fundraising

Lighthouse Celebrates 30 Years of Service

March 6, 2013 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

30 Years Serving People With Vision Loss

30th Anniversary Logo designed by
Lighthouse Volunteer Stephen Mortimer
http://www.smortimerphoto.co.uk/Design

Submitted by Lighthouse Volunteer,
Caryl Melancon

Back in 1983, there were no rehabilitation programs for the visually impaired and blind in Pasco County. Therefore, the Florida Division of Blind Services held a town hall meeting at the West Campus of the Pasco Hernando Community College to determine if there was a need for local services. Over 150 people attended and voiced strong support for the establishment of a center. In May of the same year, the First Methodist Church of New Port Richey donated a house and the B.L.I.N.D Club of New Port Richey donated $500. The Suncoast Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired was born and, in October, 1983, began helping the visually impaired and blind members of the community to acquire the skills needed for maximum independence.

28th Annual Chasco Coronation Ball – Nominations Now Being Accepted

January 2, 2013 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

Friday, April 5th, 2013, 6:00 p.m.
Spartan Manor, New Port Richey, FL

Nominations for 2013 King Pithla & Queen Chasco are now being accepted!!!

The King and Queen are chosen for their dedication and commitment to our community. We encourage your organization to submit the names of deserving community volunteers, as this is a rare opportunity to acknowledge those people who have helped to make our community a better place to live.

The King and Queen are chosen by independent judges, not associated with the Lighthouse in any way. The judges review each nominee questionnaire and statistically rate their contributions to the community.

Nominations should be completed on the attached form and emailed to
Lighthouse Executive Director Sylvia Perez at sperez@lvib.org.

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Filed under Events Tagged with blind, blind babies, Coronation Ball, fundraiser, Lighthouse, visually impaired

Happy Nationwide Day of Giving!

November 27, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

Clients and a Lighthouse instructor sitting in a Lighthouse van.

Clients traveling to Lighthouse services in the community with a Lighthouse instructor.

Today is the first national day dedicated to the act of giving that coincides with the holidays! Please consider giving to the Lighthouse, or to your favorite charity on this inaugural day. Nonprofits and the people we serve depend on your donations in order to provide and receive needed services.

Read about ways you can help persons with vision impairments.
Read about Nationwide Day of Giving.

Thank you for helping persons who are visually impaired receive vision rehabilitation services, and thank you for everything you do for others! It really is a special day!

Filed under Events Tagged with Day of Giving, donations, helping others, Lighthouse, vision impairments

The 2013 National Braille Challenge

November 13, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

A braille writer creates the raised alphabet that enables those with vision impairments to read.

Register Now

Submitted by Lighthouse Volunteer,
Caryl Melancon

The Braille Challenge, a national program of the Braille Institute, is hosted by regional schools and agencies that serve blind and visually impaired students. It is an annual Braille reading and writing contest for blind and visually impaired students up to grade 12. It includes reading comprehension, Braille speed and accuracy, proofreading, spelling, and reading tactile charts and graphs.

The goal is to challenge and reward blind students for their study of Braille. Being literate is essential for their future academic and employment success. While the blind unemployment rate is extremely high, it is interesting to note that 90% of blind individuals who are employed are Braille readers. Read more of this post

Filed under Events Tagged with braille, braille challenge

Knights of Columbus Rummage Sale in support of Lighthouse Services

October 29, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

The Knights of Columbus is holding a huge rummage and craft sale at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 5850 K C Drive in Port Richey (behind the Honda dealer at Hwy 19 & Ridge), on Saturday, November 3rd, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be over 50 vendors, with all proceeds going to the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind, a program serving visually impaired residents of Pasco, Hernando & Citrus. Prices will be drastically reduced after noon, and there will be MANY ”make an offer” deals all day long. Stop by and help the visually impaired and blind and do your Christmas shopping in the craft department where they will have everything from baked goods to quilts, jewelry, crocheting, etc. –perfect for babies, kids, adults and grandparents. Food will also be available. For more information, please call Donna at 727-863-0196.

Filed under Events Tagged with knights of columbus, port richey, rummage sale, visually impaired

National Philanthropy Day®–Celebrating our Winners!

October 23, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

The Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind is pleased to share the following National Philanthropy Day press release that identifies the 2012 National Philanthropy Day award recipients for the AFP Nature Coast Region. Congratulations to all of the winners, and the nominees, for your tireless efforts that make our community a better place to live, work and play. Thank you also for those of you who support the Lighthouse, in ways that include volunteering, raising funds for services, and advocating around quality of life issues that is helping individuals with vision impairment to lead independent and fulfilling lives.

For Immediate Release

Media Contact
– Becky Bennett – 727-967-7509

Rao Musunuru, M.D. Named Philanthropist of the Year Philanthropists from the Tampa Bay area will be recognized for their dedication to community service and giving at the celebration of National Philanthropy Day®. An awards luncheon on November 13th at 11:30am at the Spartan Manor located at 6121 Massachusetts Ave., in New Port Richey is being hosted by the Nature Coast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay.

White Cane Awareness Walk & Picnic–Friday, October 12, 2012

October 8, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

Everyday, millions of Americans who are blind or visually impaired use a white cane or dog guide to get to work, school, shop and travel. Florida’s White Cane law requires drivers to come to a complete stop when approaching pedestrians using a white cane or guide dog. For the safety of individuals who are visually impaired, please be aware of and on the lookout for individuals using the cane or dog guide. As a user of a white cane or dog, please proceed with caution.

White Cane Awareness Events are held annually, in several parts of the country, to educate the public, to keep walkers safe, and to celebrate the independence of persons who are visually impaired and blind. This year, our event is being held on October 12. Everyone is invited:

Friday, October 12, 2012, 11am-1pm
Delta Woods Park, 3400 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill
RSVP: events@lvib.org | 352-754-1132
Sponsored by Amanda Murphy

We hope to see you there!

Learn about Lighthouse Orientation and Mobility training.

Filed under Events Tagged with blind, Blindness and Visual Impairment, Low vision, Vision loss, White Cane Awareness

October Events – The Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind

September 20, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

The public is invited to two special events to be held in October by the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind.

Book Sale – Friday, October 5^th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Lighthouse’s Brooksville location, 6492 California Street. A variety of donated books (print, large print, audio and braille), music and movies will be available for purchase. Basic assistive technology items for the visually impaired such as hand held magnifiers and lamps, also, will be available. Purchase something that you’ll enjoy and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped a visually impaired or blind person. Proceeds from this sale will be used to provide employment and services to help visually impaired and blind individuals to acquire the skills needed to achieve their maximum independence. Everyone is invited to attend. No RSVP is necessary for the Book Sale.

White Cane Awareness Day sponsored by Amanda Murphy – Friday, October 12^th from 11:00 a.m. to 1: 00 p.m. at “Delta Woods Park”, 3400 Deltona Blvd. in Spring Hill.

Please join us for a Vision Awareness Day in Pasco County

May 31, 2012 by Patricia Porter Leave a comment

Freedom Scientific Vision Awareness Day

When?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Where?

Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind, Inc.
8610 Galen Wilson Blvd.
Port Richey, FL 34668

Topics

Low Vision Awareness

Come learn more about low vision, vision rehabilitation, and tools for activities of daily living. Discover the benefits of video magnifiers, computer screen magnification software, technology that reads books, bills, and mail aloud – and more!

Blindness Awareness

Learn about technology solutions for the blind: JAWS® screen reading software, the PAC Mate accessible Pocket PC, braille displays, scanning and reading – and more!