Thank you to the following foundations and corporations who have recently shown their support by providing significant funds to help our programs go further and reach higher:
Genentech – for Employment Immersion
George Lucas Family Foundation – for Superfest
Guide Dogs for the Blind – for Superfest Sponsorship
Kind Bar – for Cycle for Sight
Redwood Coast Music Festivals – for LightHouse North Coast
Salesforce – for unrestricted support
Sports Basement – Cycle for Sight Sponsorship
Zane Bock, who has just started a brand-new job with the Social Security Administration, graduated from our Employment Immersion Program in August. Zane, who is totally blind, grew up on a farm outside the coastal city of Santa Cruz, with its natural beauty and moderate climate. “We were an all-purpose farm – we raised animals and crops, had the pet cow, everything.”
Zane first benefitted from the LightHouse in the 80’s as a camper at our Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. He grew from camper to camp counselor. Camp Director Tony Fletcher remembers him as, “an intelligent, affable person that people love to talk to. He has a great sense of wit and self-assuredness.”
Zane then embarked on a varied work history. He ran a floral business for many years, and worked at his father’s wine distribution company. He was seeking a career with steadier hours and income, when he noticed an article about our Employment Immersion Program on the LightHouse website. He approached his Department of Rehabilitation counselor Maria Mathews about participating and she agreed it would be beneficial.
Kate Williams, Employment Immersion Program Leader, told us, smiling, “It was wonderful working with Zane. He’s a little bit of a cowboy, he walks with a confident swagger and he maintains an undeniably positive spirit. I think our program helped him to improve his understanding of how to build a flexible resume and compelling cover letter. He was also able to hone his skills around the complexity of applying to federal positions.”
After graduating from the LightHouse class, Zane interviewed and got the job as a Tele-Service Representative with the Social Security Administration. After an initial training, he will be taking calls from those who have questions about their Social Security. “I’m very pleased to start working with them,” he said, “The job is right in line with my skill set and there is an opportunity to rise through the ranks.”
Zane found Kate Williams to be of great help during the LightHouse class. He said, “Kate teaches a systematic and rational approach to the job search that is insanely valuable. She really helped me tune up my resume and the practice sessions proved really helpful with my interviews. I would recommend the Employment Immersion Program in a heartbeat.”
Do you want to take Zane’s suggestion and take your career to the next level? Our next Employment Immersion session will run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday beginning May 5 through May 28, at the LightHouse at the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley.
For more information, please contact Kate Williams at kwilliams@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7324.
In late March an enthusiastic team of youth between the ages of 16 and 19 gathered at Enchanted Hills Camp for the annual LightHouse Youth Leaders’ Summit. This year’s Summit focused on honing skills and reviewing concepts that every young person needs in order to be successful in life, from school to career to their personal lives.
All of the students, volunteer mentors and teachers who participated in the Summit are blind or low vision. Participants learned important concepts such as appropriate attitude, effective communication and problem solving. For example, the students gained valuable insight into how to get ideas across verbally and non-verbally through games such as Animal Kingdom and Telephone. They were then asked to implement these new skills by problem solving situations they might encounter in the real world.
The students also listened to Keynote Speakers Lynda Johnson, M.A. and George Wurtzel. Lynda leads the Teens Together support group at Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and discussed positive self-talk. George is our new LightHouse Camp Construction Manager at Enchanted Hills – he described how being blind has never stopped him from doing whatever he wanted to do
Each year the Summit brings home the idea that there are teachable ways that young blind people can combat the stereotypes they may face when starting out in the world. “One of the important things we want to instill,” said LightHouse Youth Coordinator Jamey Gump, “is that the inability to see doesn’t have to figure into whether you can do something or not. You don’t need sight to problem solve, to communicate clearly with people around you or to have a good attitude.”
Tino, a 16-year-old student from Belmont said, “I learned to handle situations as an effective leader and not as a bystander – I’m a better communicator now.” And mentor Joe Retherford, who is president of the California Association of Blind Students said, “I was so lucky to be a part of this amazing camp. I got to witness the maturation of the students and watch their confidence soar. The teamwork activities challenged them to their limits and they powered through to become closer as a group and that was remarkable to observe.”
If you’d like to learn about LightHouse Youth programs or be included in the next Youth Leaders Summit, as a student or as a mentor, please contact Jamey Gump, Youth services Coordinator, at 415-694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
Did you know we have a Youth Program eNewsletter? If you are a blind or a low vision youth, or the parent of someone who is blind or low vision, you need to sign up for it. This is the email that will tell you all about the LightHouse social, recreational and educational outings and adventures we offer each month, just for blind and low vision youth. You’ll also hear about scholarship and other youth related educational and leadership opportunities. To sign up for our Youth Program Newsletter, or for more information about the program, please contact Jamey Gump, Youth services Coordinator, at 415-694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
March 29 marked the third session in our LightHouse Connect Workshop series, and unlike its two predecessors which focused on specific topics, this gathering was styled as an Open House, highlighting the great breadth of LightHouse programs and service offerings.
A throng of participants were able to mix in a comfortable communal setting, allowing them to speak to staff from various LightHouse departments, as well as build new relationships with their fellow attendees. Hands-on cooking demonstrations and tech exhibitions by LightHouse service providers afforded students the chance to get intimately acquainted with vital skills of independence. Guests laid hands on cutting-edge tactile transit maps, available exclusively at the LightHouse, which can be enhanced with information conveyed through audio feedback. Representatives from Enchanted Hills Camp, the LightHouse Volunteer Department, and Community Services mingled with the crowd. Perhaps most exciting of all, visitors got to know one another, forming community connections which are often so critical to an individual’s success.
Join us for the next LightHouse Connect on April 30. We will be discussing all aspects of travel as a blind or low vision person: canes, guide dogs, GPS, and much more. For more information and to RSVP to our LightHouse Connect Workshops, please call Beth Berenson at 415-431-1481 or email at info@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
Read more about upcoming LightHouse Connect workshops.
If you read our eNews you know that we’ve recently featured workshops on low and high-tech ways of reading and how to get started using a computer. These high-dosage sessions provide a lot of information in a short amount of time. We’re on a roll and have three more workshops full of ways to keep you independent and thriving. Check out the schedule:
Travel How You Want
When: Thursday, April 30, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Light refreshments will be served
Learn all the different ways you can travel independently from home to school or work, going out shopping or to a restaurant, visiting friends and even getting out on the hiking trails.
Just Call Me: A Workshop on Dumb and Smart Phones
When: Thursday, May 28, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Light refreshments will be served
Do you know which phone is right for you? Do you really need one of those newfangled smart phones? What are your choices when it comes to smart phones?
Braille is for Everyone, Yes, Even You
When: Thursday, June 25, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Light refreshments will be served
An empowering workshop introducing you to braille and showing ways you can incorporate it into your daily life such as labeling, organizing your home or reading a book without your eyes.
For more information and to RSVP to any of these workshops please call Beth Berenson at 415-431-1481 or email at info@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
Online registration is about to close but don’t despair – you can still register for Cycle for Sight in person and ride with Team LightHouse.
Same day registration will be available onsite Saturday morning beginning at 7:00 a.m. and closing at 10:00 a.m. Festival tickets can be purchased at registration tables and at the festival entry opening at 11:00 a.m. Join 2,000 cyclists and get fit while supporting Enchanted Hills!
The ride starts and finishes at Justin Siena High School, 4026 Maher Street – Napa, CA 94558, where the Cycle for Sight Wine and Music Festival will take place.
If you have questions, contact Tony Fletcher via email at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.
Do your employees need to get away from the daily grind, to take a step back and get to know each other bond and reinforce trust?
Take your business or group away from the desk and digital distractions and give them a chance to focus on work group cohesion, brainstorming and decision making. Get some real work done at Enchanted Hills Retreat.
For just $40 per person you can utilize our meeting spaces, enjoy a homemade lunch, coffee and snack service in a peaceful and beautiful place. And yes we have Wi-Fi, should you decide you really need it. In between meetings your colleagues can take a hike or just enjoy sitting in the sun. While our retreat gets booked for weekends months in advance, there are week-day openings for a single day retreat every month. Imagine all you could get done in a day at Enchanted Hills. And there’s an additional bonus to using Enchanted Hills Retreat: reinforcing the values of philanthropy. The facilities rental fees you pay will benefit the life-changing programs of Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind.
Are you looking for an offsite location for 30 to 120 people? Reserve now by calling (415) 694-7310 or visit www.enchantedhillsretreat.com.
In early March members of our Youth Program and their families from around the Bay Area gathered to participate in the first Family Game Night of 2015. The evening was filled with good old-fashioned fun that had each family working as a team. There was a mummy race, a paper airplane throwing contest, a frozen t-shirt race, a cotton ball scoop race, Tactile Twister and more. The evening finished up with families facing off in the egg drop competition.
If you’d like to learn about LightHouse Youth programs or be included in the next Youth Leaders Summit, as a student or as a mentor, please contact Jamey Gump, Youth services Coordinator, at 415-694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
Did you know we have a Youth Program eNewsletter? If you are a blind or a low vision youth, or the parent of someone who is blind or low vision, you need to sign up for it! This is the email that will tell you all about the LightHouse social, recreational and educational outings and adventures we offer each month, just for blind and low vision youth. You’ll also hear about scholarship and other youth related educational and leadership opportunities. To sign up for our Youth Program Newsletter, or for more information about the program, please contact Jamey Gump, Youth services Coordinator, at 415-694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
Each week students and friends of the LightHouse are fulfilling a long-standing desire to honor those from the LightHouse family that we’ve lost. LightHouse Students Janice Leong, Elisa Serafini, Liz Klein, Diep “Marie” Vuong along with Molly Irish, LightHouse Community Services Coordinator have begun work on the Memory Quilt, which will memorialize LightHouse students, teachers and volunteers who have passed on.
Molly told us, “A couple of years ago the students and I were talking about what we could do to commemorate the people we have been connected to here at the LightHouse, who have passed on. We have a list of about 50 people who have passed in the last 20 years. It will take a few months to finish.”
Each square of the quilt features hand-stitched concentric squares of fabric, each square a different color. White clouds will be sewn onto the quilt and the names of all those honored will be written on the clouds. When it is done, the quilt will proudly hang at our San Francisco Headquarters office for all to reflect on and enjoy. A braille list of names will be available.
You are warmly invited to help us make the Memory Quilt. The group meets Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon at LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters. For more information contact Molly Irish at mpearson@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7320.
We still have a few openings for blind and low vision campers in our Summer 2015 sessions. This summer we’ll offer the most loved traditional camp activities you won’t want to miss, such as hiking, swimming, boating, nature programs, arts and crafts and more. We also have fresh sessions such as Music Academy, a new science-rich track during teen session and our very first Horse Camp (see below).
Sign up online using one of the applications on the Enchanted Hills page of our website. For a hard copy of the application, please contact Taccarra Burrell at ehc@old.lighthouse-sf.org.
