LVIB IN TOUCH, Spring/Summer 2012 Edition

April 23, 2012 by Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind Leave a comment

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Agency Update From The Executive Director

Lily holds a beeping egg at
our Annual Easter Egg Hunt
for babies & children
with vision impairments.

2012 has been a very exciting time so far at the Lighthouse—and much more is coming—including the Grand Opening of a new program and facility for the Lighthouse on April 27! I want to send out a special thanks to all who support the Lighthouse. As a not-for-profit organization, we rely on volunteers and donations to help us reach our mission. We are always looking for volunteers and appreciate donations. Please read on to learn ways you can help us help individuals with vision loss to achieve their maximum independence and potential.

On March 23, 2012, we held our 27th Annual Chasco Coronation Ball. We were so fortunate to have one of our wonderful families come and share their story of having a blind baby—and I think all present will agree that baby Lily was a little princess. We also crowned our new king and queen. Congratulations to the 2012 King Pithla Bob Memoli and Queen Chasco Cindy Ewald. The Coronation Ball is the kickoff event for the Chasco Fiesta in West Pasco. It recognizes the tremendous contributions of the nominees who give their time, talent and treasures to make Pasco a great place to live. In addition, the Coronation Ball is the major fundraiser for the Lighthouse, raising funds to support our Blind Babies Early Intervention Program. Early estimates indicate that $50,000 was raised. Thank you to our sponsors, nominees and all who attended. A very special thanks to the 2012 Ball Planning Committee chaired by Tina Shelton.

Did you know that persons who are blind experience an over 70% unemployment rate? The Lighthouse Board of Directors and staff have decided it is time to do something about it in our area. The Lighthouse Opportunity Center opens on April 27, 2012 to provide direct paid employment and job training to persons who are blind and visually impaired. You can be a part of this exciting vision—see inside for more information. I really hope you will join us on April 27 to celebrate our Grand Opening! You will learn how people who are blind can live and work in our sighted world. Come and share in our vision that is changing lives every day.

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Inside this Edition

1. 27th Annual Chasco Ball

March 2012 Event Recap
Meet the Royals
2012 Chasco Ball Sponsors

2. Job Training & Employment

OPPORTUNITY Leads to Success
The Lighthouse Opportunity Center Grand Opening

3. Client Profiles

A Mother/Daughter Story
Beeping Eggs Equal Big Smiles for Lighthouse Kids

4. Ways You Can Help

5. About Us

The Lighthouse Legacy Society
Contact the Lighthouse
About LVIB IN TOUCH

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LVIB IN TOUCH, Fall 2011/Winter 2012 Edition

December 16, 2011 by Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind Leave a comment

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Agency Update From The Executive Director

Loss of sight is something most of you can only imagine, but there are more persons than you know that experience the loss of their sight, a loss that impacts every aspect of life. If you are a sighted person, I’d like to ask you to imagine a few things:

Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and were blind. How would your life change? Could you still live independently, play ball with your child, operate your computer, ride a bike, or read a book? The answer is yes—with training from the Lighthouse. Every day the Lighthouse sees this reality in the lives of persons who are blind and visually impaired—from babies to seniors—who are living life to their maximum independence.

15 month old Lilly sitting in Santa's lap

15-month-old Lily is using “Little Lighthouse” Early Intervention Services to develop the skills needed to succeed.

Imagine if you were blind and needed to work. Persons who are visually impaired and blind experience an over 70% unemployment rate, and the Lighthouse is working on reducing this staggering statistic in the areas we serve. In 2012, we are planning some exciting new programs and enterprises that will create employment for individuals who are blind.

In 2011, the Lighthouse served over 800 people. Our clients are more independent and lead a higher quality of life because of our support and services. Please read our newsletter to learn how we are helping persons who are visually impaired, like Lily, pictured with Santa, to live successfully with vision loss.

On behalf of the Lighthouse Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and those we serve, I wish all of you a Happy Holiday season. Thank you to all who have supported independence for persons who are blind and visually impaired. Now more than ever, we need your support. The number of persons who have vision loss is increasing, and we want to keep up with the demand for service.

Please consider making a donation towards our 2011 Yearend Appeal for Support. There are several ways to make a donation to the Lighthouse which include joining The Friends of the Lighthouse Annual Giving Program. In-kind donations are always accepted as well. Please see our Wish List at http://lvib.org/help/donate/wish-list for details.

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Inside this Edition

1. Giving For A Vision

27th Annual Chasco Coronation Ball
2011 White Cane Awareness Day

2. Year In Review

Overview
Employment Initiatives
Prevalence of Blindness & Vision Impairment

3. Client Profiles

Learning To See: A Child’s Journey
Donna’s Big Adventure

4. Donors – December 2010 to December 2011

Friends of the Lighthouse
All Donors ($100+)

5. About Us

The Lighthouse Legacy Society
Contact the Lighthouse
About LVIB IN TOUCH

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Filed under Lighthouse, Newsletter, Success Stories Tagged with blind, blind babies, blind children, Blindness and Visual Impairment, Braille literacy, donations, tax exemption, Vision loss, Visual impairment, volunteer

LVIB IN TOUCH, Summer 2011 Edition

September 14, 2011 by Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind Leave a comment

LVIB In Touch Graphic Banner

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Agency Update from the Executive Director

The weather is still hot and muggy, but summer 2011 is almost over. For the children and teens who are now back in school, another summer is gone, hopefully leaving them with many happy memories. The Lighthouse was one busy and noisy place this summer but we loved it.

We had 12 participants in our School to Work Teen Transition Program, up from seven last summer. The teens worked on many skills that will help them develop into independent and competent adults who also happen to have visual impairments. They all had real jobs out in the community—and believe me, they worked hard. Thank you again to the SPCA Suncoast and the other organizations who served as worksites this summer. The teens continue throughout the school year with us for a few hours a week, and if you would like to share what you or your organization does with them, please let us know. Exposure to as many jobs as possible helps them expand their concept of the possibilities.

Kids at camp, creating lifelong memories of summer fun while learning how to function with vision impairment

The Lighthouse was also thrilled to have six children between the ages of five and 12 spend a week learning through play and fun. As the Executive Director, I try to meet most of our clients and spend time with them; it reminds me when I am buried with work why all of that is so important.

But this summer, I spent the entire week with the children, playing and laughing right along with them. The highlight for us all was appearing on national television on “So You Think You Can Dance” on July 28. Thanks to the generosity of Arthur Murray Palm Harbor, who provided a dance lesson to the children and then shared it with the show.

The children all said they felt like stars, and of course everyone feels good when they feel like they can actually dance. That is how Lania Berger and the staff at Arthur Murray Palm Harbor made us feel.

We are also very excited and thankful to the United Way of Hernando County for approving our application for funding and making the Lighthouse a partner agency. Thank you for supporting our programs for Independent Living and Employment. We also would like to thank the United Way of Pasco County, who again provided continued funding for our Independent Living Skills Program. Please support your local United Way, as they truly enable many worthy organizations like the Lighthouse to make our communities and those who live in them better. Live United!

July 1, 2011, started a new fiscal year at the Lighthouse. I wish to thank our Board of Directors for their continued support, and a very special thanks to Dr. John Mann who served as the President of our organization last year, and on whom we will continue to rely for his tremendous wisdom. I am also very excited to work with our 2011–2012 President, Jamie Mick, who is so dynamic I hope I can keep up with her!

I would like to say a very big thanks to the Lighthouse staff, including those who work in the summer months. It is a crazy time at the Lighthouse every summer, but somehow we manage to continue our regular programs and classes for babies and adults, while taking on the children and teens. And, finally, thank you to our volunteers, who help fill in the gaps—you are amazing. It is a privilege to work with very special people at the Lighthouse. Thank you for helping us achieve our mission that inspires hope, confidence and independence.

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Inside this Edition

1. Program Update: Focus on Kids & Teens

2. Client Profile: Living and Learning with Low Vision

Resident Cook: Linda Mitscher

3. Employment Update: Celebrating Success

4. People Who are Making a Difference

5. Donors’ Corner

Recent Donations & Other Support

6. Events Calendar — Coming This Fall

7. About Us

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Filed under Newsletter Tagged with blind, blind babies, blind children, Blindness and Visual Impairment, Braille literacy, donations, tax exemption, Vision loss, Visual impairment, volunteer

LVIB IN TOUCH, Spring 2011 Edition

June 6, 2011 by Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind

Click here to download the print version.

Agency Update from the Executive Director

Welcome back! So far, 2011 has been an exciting and busy time at the Lighthouse. January marked the start of several new employment initiatives to address the over 70% unemployment rate for persons who are blind. A WebStore was started, which now employs one person who is visually impaired, and has the potential to employ many more in the future. Please see the story inside about our wonderful Theresa. The Lighthouse is committed to employment for persons who are blind and visually impaired, and if you or your company is interested in learning how you can be part of this development, check our web site under ‘We Want to Work’ to learn more and contact Sylvia Perez or Sandy Barley at the Lighthouse. We can help your business grow as you provide employment for the blind.

Christina and Genesis, 2 of our transition teens, lending a hand at the 2011 Children’s Easter Egg Hunt.

In March, the Lighthouse hosted the Chasco Coronation Ball for the 26th year. The ball is the major fundraiser for the Lighthouse annually, with funds going to support the Lighthouse programs and services, specifically the Blind Babies and Children’s Programs. This year’s ball had a record attendance of over 325 and raised approximately $50,000. Thank you to all who attended the ball and for your support of the Lighthouse, and a very special thank you to our wonderful sponsors which include the Musunuru Family, Community Hospital, and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point. A full list of our major sponsors is included in the Ball Section.

In April, the Lighthouse had its 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt for our children. It was a wonderful day, full of fun and games. Unfortunately this year we were not able to borrow the beeping eggs, but all of the children had a volunteer from Rollins College to help them find eggs. We are collecting donations to purchase beeping eggs–they cost $15.00 each. If you’d like to purchase an egg or several–we will put your name on the egg–and recognize you at our next egg hunt in 2012.

We are getting ready for our awesome summer children’s programs. It will indeed be another fun–and well I should just say it–crazy time around the Lighthouse. We’ll have children from age 5 to 18 running around with their long canes (well, some of the canes are quite short) and I’ll have to put on my “principal” hat and voice. What fun it will be! If you would like to get involved, we need volunteers, supplies, tickets to theme parks, bikes, and games. Let us know how you would like to help give children who are blind a summer to remember!

The past few years have been economically challenging for all non-profits, and we want to say a very special thank you to those of you who have continued to help support the mission of the Lighthouse to provide persons who are blind and visually impaired with the skills needed to achieve their maximum independence. Every donation has helped us continue to change lives, which you will read about in this newsletter. The Wish List was sent out with the printed version of this newsletter. You can view it online at http://lvib.org/help/donate/wish-list. Now more than ever, we need your support, and every donation makes a difference. Thank you for sharing our vision!

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