Posts Tagged ‘Community’

Calling All Seniors and People with Disabilities!

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is having an important hearing on your needs.
Monday May 21 at 10:00 a.m.
San Francisco City Hall Board of Supervisors Chambers

Come hear a presentation on the 2010 census that explains the needs of our seniors and people with disabilities in San Francisco. Hear the City discuss why the need is increasing more rapidly than ever. Find out what the City’s plan is to address the growing number of people who want to age in the community. Come testify to the impact of the budget cuts we have endured over the last 5 years.
This is your time to let the legislators hear from you.

For more information, call James Chionsini (415) 703-0188 ext 304

Blind Parents: Be Empowered!

Join the National Federation of the Blind of California blind parents group for their first-ever seminar. This seminar promises to be informative and interactive. You will:

When: Saturday June 9, 2012 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: California School for the Blind Theater, 500 Walnut Avenue, Fremont, CA 94536

For more information or to RSVP please contact Angela Fowler via email at: fowlers@syix.com or call 530-902-0987. Lunch will be provided. Childcare will not be provided.

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind of California please visit: www.nfbcal.org.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission recruiting to fill Policy Advisory Council

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, MTC, is now recruiting for four vacancies on its Policy Advisory Council. Currently, there are three positions open for either a senior, disabled or low-income representative in San Francisco, Sonoma and Marin counties. In addition, there is one at-large position open for either a business or environment representative from any of the nine Bay Area counties. Information on the Council and its requirements, as well as the application can be found on the MTC website.

The deadline for all applications is Wednesday, May 9th.

For more information contact:

Pam Grove
Public Information Officer
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
510.817.5706
PGrove@mtc.ca.gov

Attention Adult Campers! A Few Places Left for our Enchanted Hills Camp Adult Session

Join us for our June 30 to July 5 Adult Session. We’ve got a full schedule of entertaining social and recreational activities in store including champagne tasting and participating in the city of Napa 4th of July parade. For more information or to register, contact Rich Russo at rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Getting Ready for Summer – Volunteer Day at Enchanted Hills

On a mild, dry day in in early April, in between spring storms, twenty-five enthusiastic volunteers and staff members rolled up their sleeves to work on several important maintenance projects at Enchanted Hills. These projects are part of the work that goes in year-round to keep camp in good shape for Enchanted Hills Retreat attendees and campers.

This special group included some eager young people, members of Napa area Key Club International, the high school student organization sponsored by the Kiwanis. Theresa Comstock, the current president of Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa, supervised the youngsters in their work.

The energetic team dug in to protect our campground by clearing scotch broom, a tenacious weed that is a fire hazard. They also trimmed and re-positioned beloved blackberry bushes, the fruit of which will be used this summer for jam and blackberry pies. Volunteer Steve Erdmann and his group planted two new oak trees in lower camp while other projects included prepping recycled building supplies, repairing wooden fences, cleaning the pool and splitting wood for the campfires our campers enjoy so much.

Upon arrival, staff and volunteers were treated with homemade scones and fresh coffee. Later staff members James Griel and Natalie Davis provided a delicious sandwich bar luncheon. Camp Director Tony Fletcher said, “Volunteer workdays allow us to accomplish so many tasks that we normally don’t have the people-power to accomplish. Even more important is that we end up making connections with our volunteers who then come up with ideas for improvements and innovations that will help us all year-round.”

A Tribute to James Macchi

On March 16, 2012, 67-year-old LightHouse friend and senior client James Macchi passed away quietly in his home leaving behind his wife of fifteen years, Marsha Macchi, as well as many close friends.

His widow Marsha regaled this writer with happy memories about their life together. Much of what she said made me smile and wish I had known James better, while the love they had for each other stood out as an overriding theme and an example to all married couples. Marsha said, “We made a commitment from day one not to divorce. We swore to work things out. [We always said] if we tended to the garden then we could keep the weeds out.”

Speaking of tending gardens, Marsha talked at length about James’ enthusiasm for gardening. Each week he participated in the LightHouse Gardening Program, nurturing the growing plants and making good use of the harvest when they were ready. According to Marsha, he relished using flowers from the garden to make beautiful flower arrangements and was equally interested in using the vegetables he helped to grow in delicious home-cooked meals.

Although not an early adopter, James was very open to the way in which accessible technology could enhance and fit into his life. He also loved to read braille; so much that he considered himself an “advocate” for the use of braille. When introducing himself to a group, he liked to declare, “My name is James Macchi. I’m a braille-a-holic and proud to be a braille-a-holic.” (As an avid braille reader myself, I say that anyone who claims to be a braille-a-holic is pretty cool in my book.)

James passing was unexpected and he will be sorely missed by all of us at the LightHouse. Here’s what a few staffers had to say about him:

Community Services Program Coordinator Molly Irish said, “He made friends very easily. He hung out with Don Lewinski and Barney Howell mostly and they talked about anything and everything. It was fun listening to them and sometimes you just had to laugh with them. James could also sing; he had a nice singing voice. He would sing with the band. He enjoyed life to its fullest.”

Beth Berenson, coordinator of our Technology Seminar series, said, “I could count on James to get excited about our tech seminars – he was always one of the first to sign up. But more than anything, I always noticed the love between him and Marsha – they were devoted to each other.”

Social Worker Jeff Carlson said, “It was my privilege to have James as one of my longest running LightHouse clients. Above all, James was a kind and gentle man who was respectful toward his fellow clients and LightHouse staff. James worked hard to do the right thing.”

And from LightHouse CEO Bryan Bashin, “James was an articulate and longtime member of many of our senior programs, and his passing leaves a big gap. James attended every Dialogue with the Director meeting since I have been at the LightHouse, and was a loving advocate and kind friend to me personally. In our last meeting James told me about his working at LightHouse Industries at least back into the 1970s and I marveled that the LightHouse and James had touched each other’s lives for forty years and more. James has many friends and it is hard to imagine senior activities here without him.”

A New Building for Building Employment in the East Bay

In the most ambitious building project in a generation, the LightHouse has purchased a massive new employment and training building in the East Bay. The 3 million dollar San Leandro complex is seven times the footprint of our San Francisco Headquarters building and when finally built out will employ up to 60 blind workers, supervisors and teachers. When built out more blind employees will be working at this single building than at any other building in California.

How the LightHouse found, secured and outfitted our new employment building is a study in collaboration and community connections. Over the last two years we identified an opportunity to expand our existing product line by collaborating with other partners, requiring a building quadruple the size of the one we’ve operated – and paid monthly rent for — in West Oakland for 23 years. We set competing teams of commercial real estate brokers scouring the East Bay looking for sites that were close to BART and AC transit and yet still in a 24-hour safe location.

For a year we found many good commercial buildings but none which were affordable and yet safe. Eventually Tim and David Tran, our commercial brokers from Fremont’s Ivy Group began literally knocking on doors of quality commercial buildings which weren’t even listed for sale. That’s when they met Charles Travers who owned the building we have just purchased at 14680 Washington Avenue in San Leandro. Mr. Travers bought the building with his father four decades ago and over the years has housed many light industrial tenants. One of the building’s claims to fame is that it was the site of the original Shakey’s Pizza restaurant.

Mr. Travers immediately saw the public spirit of our project – building a place where blind workers can perform on federal and private contracts with a wide variety of products and services. Before long he was visiting our existing West Oakland factory, armed with power meters to ensure that our machinery could operate on the electrical power of the proposed new building. It turns out that Mr. Travers is a lifelong philanthropist, serving on the UC Berkeley Foundation, the Commonwealth Club Board of Directors, and with deep interests in the SPCA and other worthy causes. As we got to know one another in the spirit of philanthropy, Mr. Travers made an outstanding tax-deductible charitable donation by lowering the purchase price of the building by $550,000. This was the first of a string of many of his kind contributions to our effort, from replacing a roll-up door to painting and repairing a myriad of small details – all without charge. This month we took possession of the building and moved our 23-year factory operations into it in record speed.

Help and donations from the wider community are now pouring in. As Levi-Strauss remodeled its San Francisco headquarters they donated about $100,000 worth of high-end office furniture to the new building, instantly outfitting a half-dozen offices, and the break room, conference center and file storage. The City of San Leandro is constructing an accessible pedestrian signal at a nearby corner to aid in crossing busy Washington Avenue. Various energy conservation organizations and contractors in San Leandro are interested in helping with energy-efficient lighting and installing additional skylights. And many business people have expressed interest in joining a new Community Advisory Council for the San Leandro employment center. Things have never looked so bright for such operations.

LightHouse staff planned, coordinated and executed to make the move possible. Plant manager Skip Foster devised innovative ways to move dozens of tons of machinery, raw materials and storage racks and place them in an efficient manner in the new location. LightHouse IT Manager Brian Hardy spent days wiring up telephone and internet connectivity in the half-acre building, consuming a half-mile of cable and mounting conduit and cable runs two stories in the air from the cab of a cherry picker. And LightHouse Chief Operating Officer Jerry Bernstein coordinated a small army of painters, carpet installers, locksmiths, plumbers, carpenters and others to do the initial build-out and habitability of the site. Congratulations to all who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in our first month of operation.

The new building is as long as two football fields and sports a unique Filipino restaurant at one end. On Friday and Saturday nights the place is full of people enjoying karaoke with its own dance floor, full bar and 260-seat capacity. Beyond the restaurant are a series of five large industrial bays, each one containing small business offices. The 26-foot high ceilings give the complex a lofty appearance and will be ideal for massive storage of raw materials and inventory.

So what’s the plan after our move-in is complete? Partnering, partnering, partnering. The LightHouse is in active planning with the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind to bring new types of manufacturing to San Leandro. Seattle Lighthouse has a half-century of experience with producing demanding products for the federal government, the Boeing Company and others and will share its industrial development and management with us in San Leandro. The National Industries for the Blind (NIB) organization is also exploring ways it can support new government and private contracts in our space. We’re also partnering with other private firms and organizations to bring an accessible contact center to the building. And we may find new opportunities to connect with Bay Area high-tech firms to jointly produce goods or services direct from our new location. That connectivity will be a hallmark of our San Leandro operation, and if you know of a business opportunity please don’t hesitate to contact us directly to make the connection.

The vast space will also make possible new teaching and training opportunities. We are exploring uses of the building from traditional tech training to after-school tutoring and art studio possibilities. The open-ended nature of so much space has sparked the imagination of our rehab and community services staff and we’re certain we can build innovative programs there which match our community’s real needs.

We still need many things and many partners. We’ll need painting contractors to do new painting of our concrete floor. We’ll need a community organization to build a lovely outdoor protective enclosure for employee guide dogs. We’ll want the services of carpenters, plumbers, and people familiar with industrial processes. And in particular we are looking for several donated large box vans with which we can haul supplies and equipment.

By purchasing the building the LightHouse underscores that we will be vigorously in the employment business far into the future, and our strong footprint in the East Bay is a natural reflection of the fact that for many decades the majority of LightHouse training clients actually live there. Look ahead for a grand Grand Opening party in the fall of 2012!

Calling All Musicians

Do you sing or play an instrument?  Would you like to play with other musicians in and around our community?

If your answer to these questions is yes then come on over to the LightHouse and jam with us. Even if you only know a few chords or can only hum a few bars, we can make beautiful music together. Whatever you play and however you play it, we’d like you to join us.

When:  Fourth Thursday of the month (beginning April 26^th), 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Cost:     Nothing, this is a free event  (just bring your instrument or voice)
Who:    Anyone between the ages of 16 to 55

For more information, contact Brandon Young at byoung@lighthouse-sf.org  or 415-694-7372.

Wine Appreciation with Sommelier Roy Austin

Visually impaired sommelier Roy Austin will share his impressive and extensive wine knowledge in this series of classes. He will introduce students to the nuances of wine and winemaking through a perfect blend of tastings, education and humor. Wines produced in California will be the focus of this first series of classes.

Dates: The first meeting is on Thursday, April 12. Subsequent classes are on the second Thursday of each month, through September 2012
Time: 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters

In addition to developing a deeper appreciation for the art of wine by exploring a wide array of vintages, regions and varietals through monthly tastings, this class is also an opportunity for adults between the ages of 21 to 50 to mingle amongst fellow connoisseurs.

For more information about the classes and applicable fees, contact Brandon Young, Community Services Coordinator, at 415-694-7372 or byoung@lighthouse-sf.org, or John Liang, Director of Community Services, at 415-694-7334 or jliang@lighthouse-sf.org.

Make Your Reservation for Provider’s Weekend: May 18–20

Back by popular demand! Please join LightHouse for the Blind for Provider’s Weekend, held at our beautiful Enchanted Hills Retreat in Napa.

The purpose of this weekend is to bring together a diverse group of professional service providers working in the field of blindness to exchange ideas and build a network. You will have the opportunity to stay in a lakeside cabin, the lodge or one of our fully accessible cabins next to the dining hall.

When: May 18–20, 2012
Where: Enchanted Hills Retreat

In addition to discussing philosophies, trends and issues we face in providing services for people with visual impairments, you can enjoy the heated swimming pool, a lake for boating, trails for hiking and savory meals provided by a wonderful kitchen staff. You’ll learn from your peers, relax in a natural setting with many recreational opportunities and, most of all, YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME! For information and reservations contact Tony Fletcher at 415-694-7319 or afletcher@lighthouse-sf.org.