InFocus
The newsletter of The
LightHouse for the Blind
and Visually Impaired
Winter 2008 | Volume 10, Number 1
Thank you for reading this newsletter. As a vital part of the blind and visually impaired community, the LightHouse is dependent on the gifts of our many supporters. Gifts, at any level, are always appreciated and have a positive affect on the community. An envelope is enclosed for your convenience.
For information about donating to the LightHouse, please call us at 415-431-1481 or e-mail us at giving@lighthouse-sf.org.
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Inside...
- “As I See It” by Anita Aaron
- Andrew Houghton
- DiversAbility Breakfast
- Insights Donors
- Insights Donors
- Annual Dinner
- Outreach to the North Coast and Marin
- Unsung Heroes
- In Memory
- Deaf-Blind Program Turns 6
- Give to the Deaf-Blind Program
Insights 2007 Reception and Patrons’ Dinner
ON OCTOBER 11th, over 400 people crowded into the lower level of San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery in City Hall for the 18th Annual Insights Opening Reception. Three artists were awarded the Elva Iacono Vergari Prize: Phoebe Barkan, Bruce Hall, and Michael Jameson. In addition to receiving a cash prize, these artists will exhibit a larger body of work at next year’s Insights. After the reception, Insights Underwriters, Sponsors, Patrons and artists gathered in City Hall’s South Light Court and were honored for their support at the Patron’s Dinner.
Photo Captions: Insights 2007 Reception and Patrons’ Dinner (see pdf for photos)
1. Artist Barbara Romain in front of her work
2. Artist Bruce Hall receives the Elva Iacono Vergari Prize from Elva Vergari
3. Artist Dominique Moody talks about her sculpture
4. SFAC Director Meg Shiffler and artist Kurt Weston
5. Patron’s Dinner guests: LightHouse Board member Jordie Welles with Insights Jury member Gay Outlaw
6. Bronze sculpture “Peer Support” by John Theiss
As i See It
By Anita Shafer Aaron
Looking Forward to a New Year
AT THIS year’s Annual Meeting – the 105th anniversary of the LightHouse – our Board President, Gil Johnson, paraphrased Nelson Henderson by saying, “The history of the LightHouse has been to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Looking toward 2008, we are mindful of how decisions made today will affect the services and programs we will provide for years to come.
In 2008 we will place our focus on employment opportunities for people with vision loss, expand and intensify our advocacy efforts with our partners in the blindness community and continue to bring education, training, information, and access tools to residents of Northern California.
The largest group of individuals experiencing vision loss is over the age of 65. This means people who have lived their lives with sight will be more likely to lose vision as part of the aging process than at any other point in their life cycle. Solutions for living with vision loss for all, regardless of age, economic status or cultural identity, is the LightHouse’s first and foremost priority.
Let us know if you need our support to assist with your adjustment to vision loss and let us know if you can assist us in supporting others. We’ll be here.
Anita Shafer Aaron,
Executive Director
A Memorable Visit from Andrew Houghton
AFTER THE breakfast mentioned below, our Digital Data Scan (DDS) operation was treated to a special visit from Andrew Houghton who stopped in after completing his breakfast keynote. DDS, which converts paper documents to electronic digital images, is one of three NIB new business sites.
Mr. Houghton met with LightHouse CEO Anita Aaron and the DDS document imaging team. This was Mr. Houghton’s first visit to any of the sites. During his visit, he witnessed the entire process, including document preparation, scanning, indexing, and final conversion to CD or DVD, plus the quality checks that occur throughout the process. Mr. Houghton said he was very impressed with the team and their output.
DiversAbility Breakfast Celebrates its Third Year
OCTOBER IS National Disability Employment Awareness Month. To honor this, the third annual DiversAbility breakfast was held on October 2nd at the San Francisco War Memorial Building. As an important part of the mission of the LightHouse is to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind and visually impaired, this breakfast was attended by staff members of the LightHouse. Also in attendance was Insights artist Virginia Knepper Doyle, whose collage paintings were on display in the room.
The theme this year was “Valuing the Employment of People with Disabilities,” highlighting the idea that hiring people with disabilities is a creative way for employers to meet the demands of today’s workforce requirements.
The breakfast sponsor, the JOBS Group (www.jobsgroup.org), is an alliance of prominent organizations in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, as well as State and Federal agencies, all dedicated to job training and placement for persons with disabilities. The LightHouse actively participates in this alliance and offers employment opportunities to people with visual impairment through its two employment programs, LightHouse Industries and Digital Data Scan.
Keynote speeches were delivered by Mr. Phil Ginsburg, Chief of Staff, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Office and Andrew Houghton from Washington DC, the first civilian Chairperson of The President’s Committee for Purchase From People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled. The President’s Committee is an independent federal agency that oversees National Industries for the Blind (NIB) which provides employment opportunities to those with vision impairment by securing Federal contracts for products and services. The LightHouse is a member of NIB, our employment programs are overseen by the President’s Committee.
Insights Donors
WE GIVE our thanks to the following donors who helped make INSIGHTS 2007 a great success.
Underwriters
AT&T
Golden Gate Bank
Guide By Cell
San Francisco Arts Commission
San Francisco Magazine
Sponsors
Envision
RL & Associates, Inc.
Patrons
Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Barkan
Arthur and Barbara Beato
Brad "Rocky" Bertetta
Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation
David and Judy Chan
Joseph Chan
George Clark and Thomas Moore
Dairydell Canine
Damian Fagan
Nancy and Joe Foss
James and Julie Graziani
Paul Guidi
Carl and Carolyn Janson
Gil and Beverely Johnson
Skot Jonz
Barry D. Knox
Kathleen Knox
Nicole Lange
Barbara and James Lassen
Ellen Lord
Marilyn Lord
Harry and Emma Mar
Howard Maull and Glady Lou Lytle-Maull
John H. Maxson
Christina and William McNair
Leslie Murphy
David Perry
R.V. Kuhns & Associates, Inc.
Gary Schnitzer and Sandra Wilder
Anita Shafer Aaron and Robert Scott Aaron
Todd Stevenot and Anne Sandbach
Jordana Welles and Julie Ray
Keith Williams and Bathsheba Malsheen
Vita Zavoli and Frank Welte
Mimi and Robert Abington
The Winifred and Harry B. Allen
Foundation
John W. Bacon
William Barker
Fred A. Barsuglia
Mrs. Edward Charles Bassett
Imogene Beckwith
Mayetta Behringer
Brian and Cindee Beirne
Barbara Benjamin
Fred and Bonnie Jean Bertetta
John and Elizabeth Bird
Mildred Bloom
Hazel and Armand Bolino
Neil H. Brandt
Elizabeth Brown
Standarlee Brown
Anselmo and Alma Caballero
Warren Cassidy
Andrea Cercos
Frank and Georgia Chiappellone
Simon Chiu and Christine Chan-Chiu
Sam M. Corritore
Bernard Damele
Edward and Doris Daner
Amelia De Bono
Adoracion Delgado
Gina di Grazia
Gay P. Diers
Daudee Douglas
Winifred Downing
Mike Ednoff
Stanley R. Farber
Lewis J. Feldman
J. Pat Geis
Barbara L. Gray
Hall Realty
Karen Ho
Rosemary and Daniel Kaplan
Agnes Labadie
Harry and Gene Lewin
Scott and Theresa Merrick
Mary A. Montgomery
Florence M. Paraventi
Cynthia Popper
Richard M. Russ
Fred Seronick
Hugo Shane
Stephen and Joanne Shapiro
Timothy and Mary Sheehy
Joseph P. Simini
Gerald G. Stangl
Walter Swan, Jr.
George and Nola Theobald
Francis W. Thorn
TrendMedia
H.G. and Barbara Von Dallwitz
Joseph and Margaret Ward
Robert A. Whyte
Robin Wright
The LightHouse Salutes Recreation Department at 105th Annual Dinner
The LightHouse celebrated its 105th birthday at the Annual Meeting dinner on November 29th at the Concordia-Argonaut Club in San Francisco. Liam Mayclem, Emmy Award-winning TV host and producer for CBS-5 TV's Eye on The Bay, was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
During the dinner we honored Ben Oude Kamphuis, Recreation Director at Project Insight, a program of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department that provides recreation, social and cultural activities for blind and visually impaired people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The LightHouse works closely with Ben, and warm words from LightHouse clients and colleagues reflected the respect Ben has in our community. We also paid tribute to three leaders and activists in the blind and visually impaired community who passed away this year: Jewel McGinnis, Frances Neer and O.J. May (see below).
Board president Gill Johnson introduced the members of the Board. Later, Board member Keith Williams presented the Josephine Rowan Award to Joyce Cid, a member of the Enchanted Hills Camp Advisory Committee and to Leslie Murphy, a LightHouse Board member, for their outstanding contributions to the agency. Between the two of them, they have raised an impressive $28,000 for the LightHouse.
Three-man singing group SDK entertained with gusto, at one point inspiring the rambunctious audience to form a conga line. The crowd grew quiet to hear a moving live performance of “Amazing Grace”, recorded by Grammy Award winning artist Stevie Wonder and Nashville singer/songwriter Sara Beck at the O.J. May memorial, a private service held at Enchanted Hills Camp in October.
Coincidentally, exactly 105 people attended this celebration of the LightHouse’s 105th year!
Photo Captions: 105th Annual Dinner (see pdf for photos)
1. Ben Oude Kamphuis receives award from LH Director of Community Services Tony Fletcher
2. Joyce Cid with award
3. Leslie Murphy receives award from Keith Williams
4. LH Board President Gill Johnson and dinner host, Eye on the Bay’s Liam Mayclem
Outreach in the North Coast and Marin
THE LIGHTHOUSE connects people living with vision loss with the services and information that can enable them to live independently, while at the same time raising the awareness level of the general public about vision loss. The team at the LightHouse of the North Coast has made such an energetic effort to reach the geographically spread out region of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, it can seem that they are in many places at one time. During the months of September and October 2007, a staff of four, spearheaded by North Coast outreach consultant Kathleen Adkins, made a total of 21 outreach visits throughout both counties, reaching a total of approximately 1,467 people. While numbers don’t say everything, they do speak to the commitment of the team to get out into the community and spread the word about services.
The position of outreach consultant has been so successful in the North Coast that the LightHouse has hired a new outreach consultant in Marin to do similar work in Marin and Napa Counties. The LightHouse of Marin is pleased to welcome Theresa Rowland to the outreach team. Theresa will be attending relevant health and resource fairs as well as targeting community organizations, including senior centers, assisted living facilities, hospitals and ophthalmologist offices. Ophthalmologists are a particularly important link to ensuring a seamless integration of services between the diagnosis of visual impairment and the rehabilitation training and services the LightHouse provides.
Unsung Heroes – Nancy Yates
WHILE RIDING the bus past our Van Ness location, Nancy Yates often noticed the yellow awnings of the LightHouse. One day, wanting to expand her contribution to the community, she walked through our door and asked how she could help. We have kept her busy ever since that day in 1996! Nancy currently serves on our Marketing and Development Committee and teaches yoga through our Adult Education and Recreation program. Of her experiences with the LightHouse and our clients over the years Nancy says, “It gets better and better. It’s the greatest gift in my life.” Nancy feels honored to be a part of our team, and we are honored to have her on board!
In Memory
IN 2007, the LightHouse lost many friends who had a great impact on our programs and those whom we have served over the years.
Elaine Forman
A long-time LightHouse Volunteer, Elaine was active in the early days of our Youth Services program, as well as in our adult Education and Recreation program, calling bingo games and getting prizes donated.
Kendall Jones
Enchanted Hills Camp (EHC) counselor and volunteer across three decades. Kendall spent his last summer with us at EHC in 2007, enjoying camp with his wife, Marlene, a long-time camper.
Beryl Knighton
Insights artist and Adult Education and Recreation Volunteer. Beryl’s artwork is vibrant, full of life and the expression of hope. Several of her works were displayed as part of the 2007 Insights exhibition in City Hall.
O.J. May
EHC Resident Director for 11 years. A single mother of five, O.J. was an adventurous spirit and a great steward of the camp – instilling the same thirst for independence in blind and visually impaired campers as she did in her own children.
Jewell McGinniss
LightHouse staff member in our Rehabilitation Services Department and co-founder of Broadcast Services (now known as Access to Information Services – AIS). Jewell served on the Paratransit Coordinating Committee in the very early days of paratransit and created the California Council of the Blind.
Frances Neer
Created a lecture series dedicated to providing information for people new to vision loss. Her dedication to the LightHouse fostered an intergenerational commitment to the organization: Frances’ granddaughter Christine served as an EHC counselor, an art instructor and as the Adult Education and Recreation coordinator.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of these dear friends. We will honor their commitment to the LightHouse and their legacy of volunteerism by continued excellence in the services we provide.
LightHouse Deaf-Blind Program Turns Six
Since 2001, Sook Hee Choi has run the Deaf- Blind program at the LightHouse. Choi, the LightHouse Deaf-Blind Specialist, has helped over 150 clients by providing information on resources and training in areas such as communication skills, employment skills and orientation and mobility. And, each summer, she runs the Deaf-Blind session at Enchanted Hills Camp, a session that is unique because each camper must be paired with a volunteer who is fluent in sign language.
Choi, deaf since the age of six due to Meningitis, recognizes the challenges deaf-blind people face everyday. “The community often has a difficult time understanding what deaf-blindness means,” she says. “People who are blind can express what they want because they can say what they need and hear what others are saying. People in the Deaf-Blind community are often left behind because they don’t always know what is going on around them, and they can’t express themselves through speech. However, like the rest of us, they want to work, have friends and live independently.”
“The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even heard, they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is committed to helping people in the Deaf-Blind community live independently by providing services in communication, employment and orientation and mobility and programs such as Enchanted Hills Camp Sessions. However, these programs and services can only continue with the help of our donors.
Please help us by making a contribution. Call us at 415-431-1481 or e-mail us at giving@lighthouse-sf.org.
LightHouse InFocus is published quarterly by LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Board of Directors
Gil Johnson- President
Ed Zaik - Immediate Past President
Todd Stevenot - Vice President
Arthur Beato - Vice President
Harry Mar - Vice President
Carl Janson - Treasurer
Jordana Welles - Secretary
Anita Shafer Aaron - Executive Director/CEO
David Chan
Joseph Chan
Margie Donovan
Julle Down
James Graziani
Rebecca Handler
Dana Hooper
Kathleen Knox
Barbara J. Lassen
John Maxson
Leslie Murphy
Gary Schnitzer
Keith Williams
Vita Zavoli
Contributors
Anita Shafer Aaron
George Clark
Ellen Lord
Andrea Ogarrio
Kari Orvik
Gayle Uchida
Jennifer Yeagley
Layout - Krista Wissing
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, LightHouse of Marin and LightHouse of the North Coast provide solutions for those living with vision loss. Drawing on over 100 years of service to the blind and visually impaired community, the LightHouse offers crucial services for those with vision loss. Our goal is to help each one of our clients achieve independence in their lives.
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
214 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone (415) 431-1481
Fax (415) 863-7568
TTY (415) 431-4572
www.lighthouse-sf.org
Alternative formats are available for LightHouse publications, including the LightHouse InFocus, in braille, audiotape, on disk in generic text format, e-mail or on our website, www.lighthouse-sf.org.
