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LightHouse News

Enchanted Hills Camp is now on Facebook – Help us Reach 500 Likes!

There is a new Facebook page especially for Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. Help make this page a flourishing community – post your photos and testimonies. This page is not only a repository for photos of camp that bring smiles to our faces but an avenue for campers or friends of Enchanted Hills to make connections and stay in touch until next summer at EHC.

If you’re a camper or a friend of Enchanted Hills, then be sure to go to the EHC Facebook page and like us. While you are there, write something on our wall or post camp photos. And don’t forget to tell your friends about us and encourage them to like our Enchanted Hills Camp page too. EHC is the place to be, so help us get to 500 likes!

new ehc logo

LightHouse News

It’s a Tradition: LightHouse Holiday Food and Toy Drive

Please join LightHouse and the Bay Area blind community this holiday season in helping those who will really smile at our caring gifts, as we host our 2nd Annual LightHouse Food and Toy Drive. From November 1st through December 15th LightHouse will be collecting canned and dried food goods for the San Francisco Food Bank, as well as unwrapped toys for Blind Babies Foundation (a partial list of suggested toys that have been proven to be some of the most stimulating for blind and low vision infants and toddlers can be found below). New toys in original packaging are greatly appreciated. To ensure families and children receive the toys in time for the holidays, LightHouse humbly requests that all toy donations be made by December 1 to ensure a December 2nd delivery to Blind Babies.

Barrels for both food and toys will be located in the downstairs lobby of LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters at 214 Van Ness Ave. Building off of last year’s success, we hope to collect at least 300 pounds of food and three barrels of toys this year. Each donor will be registered to win a $25.00 gift certificate through Adaptations, the LightHouse store.

Together we can make the holidays shine a little brighter for those in need. For more information, please contact John Liang, Director of Community Services at (415) 694-7334 or jliang@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

The following is a list of suggested toys for blind and low vision infants and toddlers:

LightHouse News

Free Tickets to Fun Events Through LightHouse Community Services

In partnership with the Arts and Lectures Series at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, LightHouse for the Blind’s Community Services Program is able to offer free tickets to the following exciting events: The Great Broadway Sing-Along, Bettye LeVette and Cowgirl Creamery: A Conversation and Cheese Tasting.

Tickets will be distributed on a first come first serve basis to blind and low vision LightHouse clients only. Due to the high demand and limited available seating, each interested person can choose just one event to attend for free. We will meet at the LightHouse and take public transportation to the Jewish Community Center.

Please contact Beth Berenson to register for one event at info@old.lighthouse-sf.org or call 415-431-1481. See below for a description of each event:

The Great Broadway Sing-Along
When: Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Meet at the LightHouse

Come sing Broadway melodies featuring music from many of the greats: the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, Sondheim, Bernstein and more. Join in as we sing songs from Broadway’s biggest, brightest and best musicals including Chicago, A Chorus Line, Mamma Mia, Les Misérables and The Lion King. Lyrics will be provided, and all ages are welcome as we celebrate 10 years of singing our hearts out together!

We will meet at the LightHouse (214 Van Ness Ave, SF) at 6:30 p.m. and depart by 7:00 p.m. SHARP. The event starts at 8:00 p.m.

Bettye Lavette
When: Thursday, February 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Meet at the LightHouse

With a voice as powerful as Etta James’ and a story as compelling as Tina Turner’s, Grammy-nominee Bettye LaVette is finally gaining the superstar status that has eluded her since the 1960s. The New York Times proclaimed that LaVette “now rivals Aretha Franklin as her generation’s most vital soul singer,” and her velvet-rich voice and gospel-based blues have earned the admiration of everyone from Paul McCartney, to Bonnie Raitt and Elvis Costello. “When you hear a voice like Bettye LaVette’s, there’s a sense of transportation…a certain freedom of movement and emotion, which is rare…Put me in the fan club! How did Bettye LaVette slip through the net for so long?” – Keith Richards

We will meet at the LightHouse (214 Van Ness Ave, SF) at 6:30 p.m. and depart by 7:00 p.m. SHARP. The event starts at 8:00 p.m..

Cowgirl Creamery: A Conversation and Cheese Tasting
When: Tuesday, February 25 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Meet at the LightHouse

A post-college hippie trip to San Francisco in 1976 led Sue Conley and Peggy Smith to establish careers in some of the Bay Area’s most famous kitchens, and eventually to found Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes Station. Their new book, Cowgirl Creamery Cooks, is a primer on tasting, buying, storing, pairing and appreciating cheese and includes a sumptuous collection of cheese-based recipes.

We will meet at the LightHouse (214 Van Ness Ave, SF) at 5:30 p.m. and depart by 6:00 p.m. SHARP. The event starts at 7:00 p.m.

LightHouse News

Cable Car Ride and Museum Tour on November 23

1 Commenton Cable Car Ride and Museum Tour on November 23

Join the LightHouse for the Blind Youth Program on our next adventure. We will be traversing some of San Francisco’s most epic hills and unique neighborhoods via Cable Car as we make our way to the historic Cable Car Museum. At the museum, participants will learn about the history of cable cars and how they work. The Cable Car Museum houses an extensive collection of historic cable cars, photographs, mechanical displays and other cable car memorabilia.Powell and Market Cable Car

The Lighthouse Youth Program will meet at the Cable Car turntable located at the Powell and Market Street intersection near the Powell Street Transit Station at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 23rd. Once gathered, we will board a Cable Car and travel to the Cable Car Museum located in the historic Cable Car Barn & Powerhouse. After visiting the museum, we’ll return to the Powell Street Transit Station by 4:00 p.m.

For more information or to RSVP for this event, please contact Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at (415) 694-7372 or by email at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

Who: Blind and Low Vision Youth Ages 8-18
What: Cable Car Ride and Tour of the Cable Car Museum
When:  November 23rd from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Cable Car Ticket Stand above the Powell Street Transit Station
Transportation: We will be using the San Francisco Cable Car system to get from the Powell Street Transit Station to the Cable Car Museum and back.
Cost:  The Cable Car Museum is free. The Cable Car ride is free to participants with a monthly Muni pass.  Participants without a monthly Muni pass will need to bring $12.00 in cash for the Cable Car ride to and from the museum.
Waiver: A LightHouse Liability Waiver Form must be filled out and submitted for each participant, if not done so already.

Space is limited to 10 participants. Please register by November 20th! Snacks provided.

Things to Bring:
Bottle of water
Hat or visor
Cane or other necessary adaptive device
Jacket or hoodie
Signed waiver

LightHouse News

Adaptations Product of the Month: Wikki Stix

Need a quick and inexpensive repair for your jewelry, watchbands, or eyeglasses? Having trouble opening jars that are tightly screwed? Want a flexible labeling device that is reusable? Let Wikki Stix be your helper. These fun, waxy sticks are re-usable, non-toxic and can be used for many everyday tasks. They can be used to label cabinets, snack bags, bottles, or other items around the house. Their flexibility helps you shape them into a line, circle star, or any shape you want. They are sticky enough to help hang items like screws, nails, tacks, or sewing supplies.

Wikki Stix are a must-have item for students. They make art more accessible and are perfect for making geometry homework fun.

Come by the Adaptations Store at the Lighthouse to check out the Wikki Stix and learn more about them. We are selling a variety pack of 8 for $1.50.

If you’d like to learn more about Wikki Stix check out their webpage here.

Special November discount: In honor of the harvest/food season, all kitchen supplies at the Adaptations Store are 10% off if you come by and say the word: “gobble-gobble.” A list of the items that are considered kitchen supplies will be provided at the store.

Be sure to visit our revamped Adaptations store. Our new inventory includes a wider range of talking watches, along with canes, cane tips, and magnifiers. We are no longer taking online orders but can take phone orders as a convenience for those in our northern California service area. Adaptations is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To find out whether we have an item in stock for you to pick up, please call Adaptations at 415-694-7301 or toll-free at 1-888-400-8933.

LightHouse News

LightHouse for the Blind Youth Program Presents: A Day at the Exploratorium

On Sunday, November 17, the LightHouse Youth Program will be heading over to the world famous Exploratorium for an afternoon of fun and exploration. We’ll begin our day by meeting at the LightHouse and taking the F-line to Pier 15 where we’ll have our bagged lunch by the bay before entering the Exploratorium.

The Exploratorium describes their museum as:

…a twenty-first-century learning laboratory, an eye-opening, always-changing, playful place to explore and tinker. For more than forty years, we’ve built creative, thought-provoking exhibits, tools, programs, and experiences that ignite curiosity, encourage exploration, and lead to profound learning.

If you would like more information, or to RSVP for this event, please contact Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at (415) 694-7372 or by email at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org. Space is limited and participants must RSVP by November 12!

Who: Blind and Low Vision Youth Ages 8 – 18
What: Exploratorium Trip
When: Sunday, November 17 at 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Where: Pier 15 – The Exploratorium
Transportation: Meet at the LightHouse in San Francisco and take the famous MUNI F line to the Exploratorium. We will Depart PROMPTLY at 11:30 a.m. – please be on time!
Private Transportation: Participants are welcome to meet us at the Exploratorium, however, to receive the discounted entry rate, participants must register with Jamey Gump by November 12!
Cost: $5.50 per participant includes entry to the Exploratorium and round trip Muni fair. Participants must bring their own bagged lunch.
Waiver: Each participant must submit a LightHouse Youth Program waiver form, if they have not done so for a previous event.
RSVP: Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org or (415) 694-7372. Space is limited to 10 participants. Please register by November 12!

Things to Bring:

  • Bottle of water
  • Bag lunch
  • Cane or other necessary adaptive device
  • Signed LightHouse waiver
  • Jacket or hoodie
LightHouse News

What do Pumpkins, Old Ships and Ghosts Have in Common?

Answer: The LightHouse for the Blind Youth Program

Over the next few autumn-laced weeks, the LightHouse Youth Program will venture out into the city for some autumn-type fun including:

Don’t miss out on the fun! Please check our more detailed blog postings for deadlines to sign-up.

pumpkins

LightHouse News

Adaptations Reopens With New Inventory

Adaptations, the LightHouse store, has reopened with new staff and new energy. Store hours are Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Adaptations uses the fully-accessible LightSpeed point of sale technology, allowing our knowledgeable store staff to easily ring up purchases. Speaking of, there are two new faces at Adaptations: Ben Einstein and Diana Sharkawy. Each has considerable retail experience in the area of adaptive technologies – Ben has an extensive background with Apple products, and Diana is presently studying graduate-level Orientation and Mobility at SF State.

Our new inventory includes a wider range of talking watches, along with canes, cane tips, and magnifiers. We are no longer taking online orders but can take phone orders as a convenience for those in our northern California service area. To find out whether we have an item in stock for you to pick up, please call Adaptations at 1-888-400-8933.

Adaptations