Friday, March 10, LightHouse CEO Sharon Giovinazzo and COO Brandon Cox welcomed 38 fourth grade students from Coastline Christian Schools in Bay Farms, Alameda for a tour of Sirkin Center.
“We loved welcoming our Alameda neighbors, the Coastline Christian Schools students and staff, to the Sirkin Center. Educating others about the wonderful work LightHouse does by providing opportunity and empowerment to the blind is an important part of our mission,” said Sharon Giovinazzo.
With guide dog Pilot by her side, Sharon led the children around the manufacturing floor of the Sirkin Center facility, as Brandon Cox and Spencer Meyers, LightHouse Industries Technical and Quality Director, explained the different machines and their functions. As cleaning products were being mixed and bottled and tissue rolls cut and packaged, the children learned from our dedicated team of blind and low vision staff at the Sirkin Center how the machinery and tools have been adapted to become accessible and efficient for the employees who operate them.
“It’s not every day we get to be in a manufacturing facility, so that itself was educational and fascinating!” said Coastline Christian Schools Educator, David Chiu. “On another level, the tour helped to further support our understanding surrounding individuals who navigate through life with disabilities. Part of our school’s goal is to cultivate leaders who are compassionate, resilient, and innovative. These are qualities we feel are exemplified in LightHouse and the community it supports/supports it. We hope this field trip will inspire our students as well as give them firsthand interaction with people and topics they study.”
At the Sirkin Center, we manufacture the highest quality eco-friendly cleaning products and tissue packets. Currently, we produce tissue packets which are included in MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) utilized by soldiers and firefighters in the field. We also sell commercial-size sanitary paper rolls for use at camps, schools, and other facilities, and a line of PRIDEClean chemical cleaning products. These products are non-toxic, contain no ammonia and no phosphates and are biodegradable. Producing and promoting the use of eco-friendly products is important to LightHouse Industries, and we enjoy sharing this message with our community. We are also very proud to produce Skilcraft products, which are partnered with the National Industries for the Blind and Ability One Commission – a program that supports LightHouse’s dedication to increasing employment for the blind and visually impaired.
“We are delighted to introduce the students at Coastline Christian Schools to intersection of STEAM career paths and accessibility for the blind community. We hope to inspire young minds to pursue careers in STEAM with a commitment to creating a more universal experience for their peers with disabilities,” comments Brandon Cox.
