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Youth

LightHouse News

The Freedom of Riding

Jacob and his dog Gibson hanging out on a couch
Fourteen-and-a-half year old Jacob Obeso of San Leandro is stoked to be a stoker for his second Cycle for Sight ride, a signature fundraiser benefiting Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind where he has participated as a camper for several summers. This Saturday, Jacob and his dad Robert will be pedaling 25 miles along the scenic roads of Napa as one of 40 tandems and 2500 cyclists.

Jacob’s mother Martha told us that tandem cycling was one of the very few things her son could do when he began to lose his vision. She said, “He couldn’t do a lot of sports and athletics but we got him to ride bikes. He liked it. I kept looking for things he could do and I found Cycle for Sight. The first year, my kids and I rode 15 miles. Jacob was really psyched to have so much support from the family. This year he’ll be riding 25 miles with my husband, no hesitation on Jacob’s part. Bike riding is a sense of freedom for him.”

Jacob is a freshman in high school. He has been attending Enchanted Hills Camp for a handful of summers now and, like so many blind campers before him, has benefited greatly from the transformative camp experience. Martha says, “Camp has completely changed Jacob’s attitude. He found other kids that he could relate to and now he is far more comfortable with his visual impairment. He loves EHC. The counselors are just fantastic and many are great blind role models.”

His love for camp and his need to feel free while biking are two reasons why Jacob and his family are riding this Saturday in Cycle for Sight. The Obeso family is hard at work raising money to help blind youth of all ages experience the magic of Enchanted Hills Camp. For 64 summers, Enchanted Hills has been a place where blind children and adults learn, grow and discover a new sense of self-confidence and freedom.

You can help Jacob and his family raise money for Enchanted Hills Camp by going to our
donation page and selecting Cycle for Sight as your giving designation. Be sure to put Jacob’s name in the “in honor of” field.

For more information about Cycle for Sight or Enchanted Hills Camp, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org or call 415-694-7319.

Ride on!

LightHouse News

Attitude is Everything

Kate Williams of San Francisco is taking on a personal challenge this year at Cycle for Sight, the signature ride benefiting Enchanted Hills Camp. She will be riding 15 miles on a tandem bike, and this ride will be her first significant spin since 1997 when she began losing her vision. Kate, who is a grandmother, said, “I want to prove to myself I can do it. I did the Avon Breast Cancer walk before and I thought I couldn’t do that either. The first year I almost didn’t.” But why wouldn’t you do what you like and what you want to do.

Kate is the program manager for the LightHouse Employment Immersion Program, which helps dozens of blind people find competitive work every year. When asked why she wanted to finally get back on the horse, she said, “it just seemed like the right thing to do. LightHouse always fundraises for various programs, and I want to participate and give back. Plus, there’s a social aspect to it.” Kate advises that, “Attitude is everything, so today, be sure you pick a good one.”

It is with this intrepid attitude that Kate and her Pilot will hit the roads of Napa on Saturday, April 26 to help raise money for Enchanted Hills Camp, a program of the LightHouse for the Blind. For 64 summers, Enchanted Hills Camp has been a place where blind children and adults learn, grow and discover a new sense of self-confidence and poise.

If you’ve decided today to have an attitude of giving, donate to Cycle for Sight and support Kate William’s fundraising campaign. Simply go to our donation page and
select Cycle for Sight as your giving designation. Be sure to put Kate’s name in the “in honor of” field.

Join Team LightHouse today! Register at www.cycle4sight.com and ride with Team LightHouse. For more information, or to sign up as a tandem pilot or stoker, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org or call 415-694-7319.

Ride on!

Profile of Kate Williams

LightHouse News

Who Knew That Giving Could Be So Energizing

This will be LightHouse Board member Chris Downey’s third year in a row to participate in Cycle for Sight. Chris tells us why supporting Enchanted Hills Camp in this way is so important to him.

Q: How old are you?
A: I’m a 6 year old blind kid trapped in a 51 year old body.

Q: What city are you from?
A: Piedmont.

Q: Which route will you be taking?
A: All the way – 50 or bust!

Q. What motivated you to ride this year and in the past?
A: The LightHouse was central to my rehabilitation from sight loss and it has remained central ever since. Now I’m in the “give back” phase as I fully appreciate the significance of the programs at the LightHouse and its Enchanted Hills Camp. As a Board Member, I’m absolutely thrilled by the direction and energy of the organization and want to do all that I can to maximize its potential in service of its current and future clients. Beyond that, I want to support its growth as “the place to be” for the Bay Area’s community of blind and visually impaired.

Q: What is your connection to Enchanted Hills Camp?
A: I’ve never been lucky enough to be an EHC Camper but have had numerous opportunities to stay overnight at camp for events as a member of the Board. Consequently, my relationship is primarily as a supporter and cheerleader.

Q: What is your connection to the LightHouse?
A: I started as a client in 2008, became a Board Member in late 2009 and have served as a Vice President since 2012. Closer to the heart, however, I’m truly grateful to the LightHouse for all it has done for me and my family since becoming a part of this incredible family.

Q: Any words of wisdom?
A: 1) If on the road heading down Mt. Veeder on the morning of April 26, watch out for the screaming tandem.
2) If blind and pointing downhill on Mt. Veeder and the sweat gets in your eyes, just close them and refer others to the initial “words of wisdom”.

Q: What is your fundraising goal?
A: My big audacious goal is $3,000. This is a significant reach due to other commitments over the next month but I’ll do my best to push for it.

Can you help Chris “give back”? $3,000 can send 3 blind youth to Enchanted Hills Camp this summer where children learn, grow and discover a new sense of self-confidence and poise.

Be a cheerleader like Chris. Be part of the community of supporters who believe in the significance and impact that camp has had on hundreds of blind youth for 64 summers. It’s simple. Go to our donation page and select Cycle for Sight as your giving designation. Be sure to put Chris’s name in the “in honor of” field.

You too can ride! Join Team LightHouse by registering at www.cycle4sight.com and ride with Team LightHouse on Saturday April 26. For more information, or to sign up as a tandem pilot or stoker, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

Ride on!

Chris standing next to one of his tandem pilots

LightHouse News

Dream Big and Ride in This Year’s Cycle for Sight

Profile of Sergio

24-year-old Sergio Lopez, from Fremont, California, is riding in this year’s Cycle for Sight – a fundraising bicycle ride benefiting Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. This is the second time he has ridden, and with each mile he pedals (25 miles this year), he will be raising money for a worthy cause.

“I am always looking for ways to challenge myself and had never been on a tandem bike before participating with Cycle for Sight.” says Sergio. “Not only does this ride present an opportunity for me to try new things and challenge myself but it’s a great feeling to work for such a good cause. The money I raise contributes towards one of the places which have made an impact on my life.”

A second year student at Ohlone College who is getting ready to transfer to SFSU, Sergio has been volunteering and working at Enchanted Hills Camp since 2010. Last summer, he worked as the assistant camp director. When asked to share a few words of wisdom, he said, “When you dream, dream as big as you can. Regardless of any circumstances, any dream can be achieved with enough motivation and determination. Try new things and make the best out of life.”

If you are ready to dream big, try new things and make the best out of life, consider riding in this year’s Cycle for Sight on Saturday April 26, 2014. Riders have the chance to ride 15, 25 or 50 miles down the majestic roads of Napa, alongside 2,000 other cyclists raising money for a worthy cause.

Join Team LightHouse today! Register at www.cycle4sight.com For more information, or to sign up as a tandem pilot or stoker, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

If you can’t ride but wish to support a rider, donate to Sergio Lopez’s fundraising campaign. Simply go to our donation page and select Cycle for Sight as your giving designation. Be sure to put Sergio’s name in the “in honor of” field.

Ride on!

LightHouse News

Meet a Blind Rider in This Year’s Cycle for Sight

Jack and his pilot on a tandem

Jack Veliquette, 17, from Windsor, California, is taking on the challenge of Cycle for Sight for the second year in a row. He’s upping his game and instead of riding 25 miles like he did last year, he’ll be riding 50 – tackling the slopes of Mt. Veeder.

This high school sophomore has been a camper at Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind since he was seven years old. Last summer, he gave back to the camp that he loves by becoming a counselor in training (CIT). He intends to be a CIT again this year.

When asked what motivated him to ride and raise money for Enchanted Hills Camp, Jack said, “Tony asked my mom if I’d be interested. I said ‘I’ll give it a shot.'”

Support Jack Veliquette in this year’s Cycle for Sight by donating to his campaign. Simply go to our donation page and select Cycle for Sight as your giving designation. Be sure to put Jack’s name in the “in honor of” field.

Join Team LightHouse this year on Saturday April 26! Register at www.cycle4sight.com. For more information contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Ride on!

LightHouse News

LightHouse Hosts Boisterous Braille Challenge

Last month young budding braillists from all over Northern California converged at the LightHouse for the most important braille competition to be held all year.

Twenty K through 12 kids, with their families there to cheer them on, put their braille skills to test in a variety of competencies including; Reading and Comprehension, Speed and Accuracy Proofreading, Spelling, and Chart and Graph Reading.

The Braille Challenge is a two-part contest for K-12 youth who read and write braille. It is a unique academic competition designed to encourage and reward students for emphasizing their braille reading and writing skills. In addition to the competition, the event included an “Amazing Race: LightHouse Version” a hands-on tech workshop and resource fair, as well as a self-defense demonstration and workshop for the children by 1-Touch Self Defense. Overall, it was a fun-filled day promoting the importance and value of Braille literacy.

LightHouse would like to thank the following for their very generous collaboration and support:

Braille Institute of America, California School for the Blind, Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Junior Blind of America, Humanware, Seedlings, California Council of the Blind (San Francisco and Silicon Valley Chapters), Beulah Reamer Legacy, National Braille Press, McKenzie by Sew-On, Subway, Stephen Gray, Richard Warner from 1-Touch Self Defense, our wonderfully dedicated volunteers, Keynote Speaker Hoby Wedler, all of the TVIs who taught, supported, and encouraged the contestants, and of course, our amazing Braille Challenge contestants.

Congratulations to our Braille Challenge 2014 Top 3 Finishers in Each Division!

Apprentice
3rd- Josephine Fatuesi
2nd- Theresa Liu
1st- Luke Phillip Pilar

Freshman
3rd- Mario Chitwood
2nd- Monserath Espinola
1st-Patricia Figueroa

Sophomore
3rd- Kaitlyn Austin
2nd- Nikhil Dadlani
1st- Ethan Fung

Junior Varsity
2nd- Alexia Arriola
1st- Sean McGee

Varsity
2nd- Connor Wong
1st- Santiago Hernandez

 

First Place Winner in the Varsity Division, Santiago Hernandez smiles while holding his trophy

Theresa Liu

LightHouse News

Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind is Hiring!

Enchanted Hills is hiring camp counselors for the summer sessions for blind campers. For 64 years Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind has hosted hundreds of blind California youth and adults in summertime camp sessions. Sprawling across 311 idyllic acres on Mt. Veeder in Napa, Enchanted Hills Camp is a place for blind children to explore and create, gain courage, try new things, learn about the environment and make lifelong friends. The wooded camp offers all the usual summertime activities from swimming to horseback riding, from sports to art. But beyond the fun is a powerful agenda – to increase the self-confidence and self-respect of campers who may often have no other time in the year to meet blind friends and role models who are successful and living an actualized life.

Camp runs from June 23 through August 3. If you are interested in having a fun filled summer at a storied camp, applications are now available. Let us hear from you soon. For further information contact Tony Fletcher, Enchanted Hills Camp Director at (415) 694-7319 or afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

Camp Counselors and Staff

LightHouse News

“Becoming a Strong Leader”

LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco is proud to present the third installment of its Future Leaders series with Transition Summit 2014: Becoming a Strong Leader. Adhering to our 4T Philosophy: THINK, TRAIN, TRANSFORM, and THRIVE, LightHouse’s Youth Services Program is once again offering this intensive three day workshop to blind and low vision youth and young adults between the ages of 16-25 who are enrolled with the Department of Rehabilitation.

Building upon skills and concepts introduced at Transition Summits 2012 and 2013, this exciting three-day workshop at our beautiful Enchanted Hills Camp promises to be another enriching and educational experience for anyone interested in learning the skills necessary for vocational, academic, and personal success. Participants will explore, discuss, and engage in a wide variety of fun, yet meaningful and relevant interactive activities covering such topics as: leadership, management, supervision, ethics, strategic planning, advanced problem solving and critical thinking skills, advanced interpersonal skills, mentoring and more. Transition Summit 2014 is an important event you don’t want to miss!

**Applications from prospective candidates are currently being screened. Priority will be given to participants who attended Transition Summits 2012 and 2013. However, previous attendance is not a prerequisite to apply. Space is going fast with only 10 slots still available.

When: Friday, April 11th through Sunday, April 13st 2014.
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp in Napa, California.
Cost: There is no cost to apply for the summit, however; a referral and authorization from your Department of Rehabilitation counselor will need to be submitted with your application. Individuals who are not Department of Rehabilitation clients may apply for a scholarship.

For more information please contact: Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org, or (415) 694-7372.

LightHouse News

New Youth Program Class: Cooking 101: Mastering the Basics

LightHouse is pleased to announce a new cooking basics class for blind and low vision youth under the age of eighteen. Whether you are interested in cooking tasty treats, simple side dishes and snacks, or festive full course meals, this class is intended for blind and low vision youth aspiring to competence and confidence in the kitchen.

Upon completion of the course, students will have obtained the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to independently prepare and cook just about any meal their taste buds desire.

Each lesson will focus on a particular type of cooking or cooking appliance (i.e. stove top, oven or grill). Students will be instructed on safe and sanitary practices and techniques.

This fun and informative class will meet at LightHouse headquarters (214 Van Ness Avenue, SF) from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month. Classes will be limited to 6 participants, all participants must RSVP. For more information or to RSVP 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
What: Learn to cook tasty treats for yourself, your friends and your family
When: 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Third Saturday of the month

  • April 19: Cooking with a Stove – French Toast & Bacon
  • May 17: Cooking with an Oven – Pizza
  • June 21: Cooking with a Grill or BBQ – Chicken, Potato Salad & Baked Beans
  • June 21: Family Meal – BBQ feast prepared by youth

Where: Lighthouse Headquarters located at 214 Van Ness, San Francisco, CA 94102
Waiver: Each participant must submit a LightHouse Youth Program waiver form, if they have not done so for a previous outing or event.
Cost: FREE for low vision and blind youth
RSVP: Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org. or (415) 694-7372.

An array of colorful vegetables – carrots, tomatoes, garlic, onion, herbs with a cruet of olive oil

LightHouse News

The Funniest Valentine’s Day Dance . . . Ever!

Whether you’re a romantic at heart, or just want to have a blast hanging with your BFFs as you dance the night away, come join us for what promises to be a fun and festive evening. Bring a friend, sweetheart or special someone to share in Valentine’s Day themed food, sweets, music, games and memorable moments. There will also be a very special guest appearance by Cupid himself. The party begins at 5:00 p.m. and will wrap up at 8:00 p.m.. Valentine’s Day themed attire is strongly encouraged.

For more information or to RSVP please contact Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at (415) 694-7372, or by email at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org. Please RSVP by February 10, 2014.

Who: Low Vision or Blind Youth and a Guest (Ages 13 – 24)
What: Valentine’s Day Dance
When: Saturday, February 15, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse Headquarters @ 214 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Waiver: Each participant must submit a LightHouse Youth Program waiver form, if they have not done so for a previous outing.
Food: Provided by LightHouse. Please include any food allergies when you RSVP.
RSVP: Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org or (415) 694-7372.