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Giving Tuesday

Little Learners Mom: Amy’s Story

Little Learners Mom: Amy’s Story

For this year’s Giving Tuesday, LightHouse is raising money for our Little Learners program, which serves blind and low vision children from ages 0 to 3. We’re sharing stories sent to us by families who have been served by the Little Learners program.

Here is a story from Little Learner’s Mom, Amy:

“Our son was diagnosed with achromatopsia as an infant. His visual impairment is a genetic disorder in which the cones of his retina are not functioning so it makes him very photophobic. Our son also has nystagmus (abnormal eye movement), no color vision and very little depth perception.

“Our family is so lucky to receive services from Little Learners! Our Little Learners Specialist Gail has experience working with young children who have achromatopsia, which is awesome because it’s such a rare condition. Gail provides us with support at our son’s ophthalmologist appointments- she asks questions that we wouldn’t know to ask. She also helped us with getting our son the right type of glasses and tints.

“Our world is so color-based and Gail has helped us understand that even though our son knows the names of colors, he doesn’t actually see them, that he only sees shades of gray. Since our son doesn’t see depth very well, things like stairs and curbs are very challenging to navigate so Gail taught him to tap with his toes so that he will know there’s a step.

“In addition to teaching my husband and I how to help our son learn about the world around him, Gail has dropped off toys and games that she thought would be helpful with strengthening our son’s vision. She gives us wonderful ideas, great advice and really empowers us to advocate for the best possible care and services for our child within the medical and educational systems”

Make a Giving Tuesday Donation

Little Learners Mom: Shruti’s Story

Little Learners Mom: Shruti’s Story

For this year’s Giving Tuesday, LightHouse is raising money for our Little Learners program, which serves blind and low vision children from ages 0 to 3. We’re sharing stories sent to us by families who have been served by the Little Learners program.

Here is a story from Little Learner’s Mom, Shruti:

“This summer, we had the life-changing experience of attending the Little Learners Family Camp held at LightHouse’s Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind in Napa. Our toddler was diagnosed with cerebral visual impairment (CVI) when she was an infant.

“At camp, we got to meet other Little Learners families who have a young child who is blind or has a visual impairment, and hear about they helped their child learn about the world around them. We valued the opportunities to talk with Camp counselors who also were blind and they helped us learn more about CVI and shared about their journeys learning about the world around them and how they got to where they are now.

“There was a sense of community and of belonging as we built new friendships during the Little Learners Family Camp weekend. Camp was such a special and memorable, fun-filled time for our entire family! Our daughter’s favorite activities at Camp were fingerpainting and getting to interact with several dog guides. My husband and my favorite activities were tie-dying shirts and paddle-boating on Lake Lokoya. Most importantly of all, we got to bond as a family, learn from other families and Camp staff and deeply enjoyed experiencing all the camp activities held in the beautiful redwood forest campgrounds.”

Make a Giving Tuesday Donation

Donate to LightHouse Little Learners today for Giving Tuesday

Donate to LightHouse Little Learners today for Giving Tuesday

 Baby boy is laying down next to ABC Braille blocks. He is wearing a onesie that says "Yes, I'm blind" in print and "and inspirational" in Braille dots

Today is Giving Tuesday! All donations received today will go to our LightHouse Little Learners program! We launched Little Learners just over a year ago, and so far, this program has benefited over 100 families of babies who are blind or have low vision or cerebral visual impairment (CVI) throughout the  Bay Area and Central Valley. 

“My 16-month-old son was born with a visual impairment. We are so very grateful for Little Learners and our LL Specialist Kristi, who has become part of our family. My son loves Kristi and when he hears her voice, he gets very excited!” says Little Learners mom, Jackie.

Our goal is to raise $75,000 for LightHouse Little Learners. To support this wonderful program and help make a difference in a little one’s life, you can make a Giving Tuesday donation to LightHouse Little Learners here or text “littlelearners” to 50155. Let’s make this #GivingTuesday our best one yet!

Make a Giving Tuesday Donation

Donate to LightHouse Little Learners this Giving Tuesday!

November 29 is Giving Tuesday! This year all donations  received on Giving Tuesday will go to our LightHouse Little Learners program! We launched Little Learners just over a year ago, and so far this program has benefited over 100 families of blind, low vision, and cerebral visual impairment (CVI) babies and toddlers throughout the  Bay Area and Central Valley. But don’t just take our word for it! You can read about seven different families’ experiences below. To support this wonderful program and help make a difference in a little one’s life, you can make a Giving Tuesday donation to LightHouse Little Learners here or text “littlelearners” to 50155.

Stories from the Families of LightHouse Little Learners

“Our 18-month-old daughter has CHARGE syndrome and we got connected to LightHouse Little Learners through our local regional center. Having a child who has a visual impairment and several disabilities, my husband and I had no idea how to help our daughter or how her growth and development would be impacted.

“Our Little Learners Specialist Gail has helped our child and our family so much that we consider her our guardian angel. She partners with our daughter’s Physical Therapist and makes recommendations about play-based activities that will improve her visual development. We were originally told by the doctor that our daughter basically doesn’t have an optic nerve and that was terribly difficult to hear.  But Gail was very encouraging and has so much knowledge and experience from her decades of working with young children who are blind or have low vision. She gave me and my husband tips and suggestions on how to help our daughter learn, play, and thrive. 

“Gail gives us peace of mind and is an incredible partner to help us navigate this journey with our daughter.  Since Gail has been working with our daughter, she is now able to use her existing vision to see things, do things and reach for her toys and other objects.  Having Gail in our corner to educate us, empower us, and encourage us has been life changing.  My family is so fortunate to be able to receive these services from LightHouse Little Learners to help us navigate life and figure things out for our daughter and our family.” ­

– Little Learners Mom Meg

Photo 1:8-month-old baby girl sits on a bed and is smiling

Photo 2: Mom and baby smile in matching black cat Halloween costumes

Photo 3: Family portrait of Mom holding LightHouse Little Learner in her lap and Dad sits with two boys in a garden

“This summer, we had the life-changing experience of attending the Little Learners Family Camp held at LightHouse’s Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind in Napa.  Our toddler was diagnosed with cerebral visual impairment (CVI) when she was an infant. 

 

“At camp, we got to meet other Little Learners families who have a young child who is blind or has a visual impairment and hear about they helped their child learn about the world around them.  We valued the opportunities to talk with camp counselors who also were blind, and they helped us learn more about CVI and shared about their journeys learning about the world around them and how they got to where they are now.

“There was a sense of community and of belonging as we built new friendships during the Little Learners Family Camp weekend.  Camp was such a special and memorable, fun-filled time for our entire family!  Our daughter’s favorite activities at camp were finger-painting and getting to interact with several guides dogs. My husband and my favorite activities were tie-dying shirts and paddle-boating on Lake Lokoya. Most importantly of all, we got to bond as a family, learn from other families and camp staff and deeply enjoyed experiencing all the camp activities held in the beautiful redwood forest campgrounds.”

– Little Learners Mom Shruti

Photo 1: LightHouse Little Learner sits in between her parents on a peddle boat at EHC

Photo 2: Mom hands her daughter a paintbrush with pink paint on it

Photo 3: Dad sits at a picnic table holding his daughter and smiling

 

“My son was only several months old when he was diagnosed with a visual impairment. I was devastated when I found out and feeling hopeless. Then I got connected to Little Learners Specialist Elizabeth. Elizabeth taught me helpful skills like baby massage to help my son with his body awareness – this also helps me bond with him as well. When Elizabeth comes to our home, she does fun activities with my son that engages and strengthens his fine motor skills and sensory awareness.

“In addition to our home sessions, after every ophthalmology appointment my son has, Elizabeth goes over the doctor’s summary report with me and explains what the doctor is saying since I don’t understand the medical terms.  She also assessed our home environment and helped us make it more accessible for my son.

“I don’t know what I’d do without Elizabeth! She knows when I am feeling overwhelmed and helps bring a sense of calmness and peace to me.  Her insight, advice, and expertise are invaluable. My family is so lucky to be able to receive these services from LightHouse Little Learners to help us navigate life and figure things out for my son and our family.”  

– Little Learners Mom Mais

Photo 1: Little Learner  Specialist, Elizabeth, sits on the floor with her student and holds a sensory board up to the little boy

Photo 2: Little Learner is exploring a bag of bright blue shapes on a light-up board

Photo 3: Elizabeth and the little boy play with sensory toys

 

“My 16-month-old son was born with bilateral microphthalmia and was diagnosed recently with optic nerve hypoplasia. We are so very grateful for Little Learners and our LL Specialist Kristi, who has pretty much become part of our family. My son loves Kristi and when he hears her voice, he gets very excited. 

“The medical appointment support that Kristi provides is so important.  Kristi asks questions that I forget to ask (or don’t know to ask) during my son’s ophthalmology appointments.  She also provides me with helpful resources such as a beginner’s guide for parents about learning Braille as well as raising a child who has a visual impairment. 

“My son and I look forward to the weekly Little Learners Sensory Playgroup Kristi leads which features different topics and activities such as body awareness through music and movement, creating a Braille cell by placing eggs into a muffin tin, and exploring concepts of fast and slow movement and sound by comparing different sound shakers. In addition to being so much fun, the Little Learners Playgroup has been a source of additional support for me as I have gotten to meet other parents who share a similar journey of raising a child who is blind or has low vision. Kristi has taught me how to best support my son as he learns about the world around him and has shown me strategies and tips on how to motivate him.” 

– Little Learners Mom Jackie

Photo 1: Little Learner is laying next to Braille ABC blocks and is wearing a onesie that says “Yes, I’m Blind” in print and in Braille dots

Photo 2: Mom holds 16-month-old baby boy’s hands as he stands at a pumpkin patch

 

“Our daughter was diagnosed with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, and we got connected to Little Learners through the regional center. Our family has been very grateful for the services and support we have received from our Little Learners Specialist Cristina.  Cristina has taught me and my husband how to help our toddler discover the world around her by making sure our home environment was set up appropriately and how to engage with her through tactile and sensory activities.  Cristina would also go with us to doctor’s appointments to help us understand what the doctor was telling us about our daughter’s diagnosis and treatment. 

“Before being in the Little Learners program, our daughter wasn’t grabbing or holding onto objects, we couldn’t get her to look at anything, and she would cry a lot.  With Cristina’s expert guidance and caring support, our daughter is developing so well and doing so many things nowadays. She is very attentive, very happy, very curious, looks at people and objects, turns the pages in her books, and tries to do a lot of things with her hands. We are so grateful to be in the Little Learners program and especially grateful for Cristina.” 

– Little Learners Mom Amalia

Photo 1: A family portrait of Dad holding Little Learner, Mom and big brother stand beside them at a park

Photo 2: Baby girl sits wearing a pink top with a rainbow and pink glasses, she has a pink bow in her curly hair

 

“Our toddler has minimal vision and wears a pacemaker, so having our Little Learners Specialist Jeri in our lives has been not only life-changing but lifesaving. Jeri helps us navigate the overwhelming at times and celebrates the triumphs with us at other times.  Jeri’s warm and comforting presence, combined with her guidance and support makes us feel like everything is all-doable. 

“Having Jeri’s decades-long expertise, knowledge and experience helping young children who have a visual impairment has been a game-changer.  We have learned so much about how our daughter’s vision loss impacts her growth and development. Jeri has also taught us how to be our daughter’s advocate with the medical and educational systems to ensure that our child accesses the best possible care and services. 

“Jeri also coaches us on how to motivate our daughter to try new things, new activities and new experiences like Little Learners Family Camp held at LightHouse’s Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind in Napa.  The population of families raising a child who is blind or visually impaired is not a large one so Little Learners Family Camp was such an important experience for our family. We got to meet other families and bond over challenges overcome, successes celebrated, and lessons learned. We especially loved getting to talk with camp counselors who shared with us the blindness services/resources they benefited from. 

“Little Learners is truly a fantastic program for infants and toddlers, but we have to tell you that it is truly the best resource for parents!” 

­Little Learners Mom Amanda and Dad Hunter

Photo 1: Dad and Little Learner look at different plants on a light-up board

Photo 2: Little Learner sits with Mom and Dad on the couch and is holding a paper crown

Photo 3: Mom and daughter pose together at Enchanted  Hills Camp, Little Learner is holding a stuffed animal

 

“Our son was diagnosed with achromatopsia as an infant. His visual impairment is a genetic disorder in which the cones of his retina are not functioning, so it makes him very photophobic.  Our son also has nystagmus (abnormal eye movement), no color vision and very little depth perception. 

Our family is so lucky to receive services from Little Learners! Our Little Learners Specialist Gail has experience working with young children who have achromatopsia, which is awesome because it’s such a rare condition. Gail provides us with support at our son’s ophthalmologist appointments- she asks questions that we wouldn’t know to ask.  She also helped us with getting our son the right type of glasses and tints. 

Our world is so color-based and Gail has helped us understand that even though our son knows the names of colors, he doesn’t actually see them, that he only sees shades of gray.  Since our son doesn’t see depth very well, things like stairs and curbs are very challenging to navigate so Gail taught him to tap with his toes so that he will know there’s a step.  

In addition to teaching my husband and I how to help our son learn about the world around him, Gail has dropped off toys and games that she thought would be helpful with strengthening our son’s vision. She gives us wonderful ideas, great advice and really empowers us to advocate for the best possible care and services for our child within the medical and educational systems.” 

– Little Learners Mom Amy

Photo 1: LightHouse Little Learner sits outside in his pajamas and roasts a marshmallow at a campfire

Photo 2: Toddler boy stands in between Dad and Mom and is smiling

Photo 3: Little Learner climbs a tree and has a big smile on his face

To make a Giving Tuesday donation, click here  or text “littlelearners” to 50155.

Support LightHouse Little Learners this Giving Tuesday, 11/29

Support LightHouse Little Learners this Giving Tuesday, 11/29

Tuesday, November 29 is Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity for people and organizations to transform their communities. This year, we are raising money for our LightHouse Little Learners. which recently celebrated its first anniversary.
 
Little Learners serves the youngest members of the blind and low vision population from ages 0 to 3 and their families. Here is just one account of the impact our Little Learners team is having on one family.
“My 16-month-old son was born with bilateral microphthalmia and was diagnosed recently with optic nerve hypoplasia. We are so very grateful for Little Learners and our Little Learners Specialist Kristi, who has pretty much become part of our family. My son loves Kristi and when he hears her voice, he gets very excited. 
 
“The medical appointment support that Kristi provides is so important. Kristi asks questions that I forget to ask (or don’t know to ask) during my son’s ophthalmology appointments. She also provides me with helpful resources such as a beginner’s guide for parents about learning Braille as well as raising a child who has a visual impairment. 
 
My son and I look forward to the weekly Little Learners Sensory Playgroup Kristi leads, which features different topics and activities such as body awareness through music and movement, creating a Braille cell by placing eggs into a muffin tin, and exploring concepts of fast and slow movement and sound by comparing different sound shakers. In addition to being so much fun, the Little Learners Playgroup has been a source of additional support for me as I have gotten to meet other parents who share a similar journey of raising a child who is blind or has low vision. Kristi has taught me how to best support my son as he learns about the world around him and has shown me strategies and tips on how to motivate him.”
 
Stay tuned for more information about how you can support LightHouse Little Learners on Giving Tuesday, or, if you can’t wait until then, you can donate right now, and choose Little Learners from the dropdown list.
 
Our littlest people thank you!

Giving Tuesday is Here! Help Make Enchanted Hills Camp More Accessible and Sustainable.

Giving Tuesday is Here! Help Make Enchanted Hills Camp More Accessible and Sustainable.

Please join LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Enchanted Hills Camp on Tuesday, November 30 for Giving Tuesday, and help us meet our accessibility and sustainability goals!

This year the funds we raise on Giving Tuesday will go towards the purchase of two wheelchair accessible electric vehicle shuttles for Enchanted Hills Camp as a part of our larger vision to make EHC fully accessible and carbon neutral by 2030. The shuttles will be charged on site by our own solar array.

Donations will also go towards camperships to send 40 kids who are blind or have low vision to Enchanted Hills Camp next year.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that kicks off the charitable season and end-of-year giving, and harnesses the generosity of people from around the world to bring about real change to the communities they know and love.

This is a philanthropic movement that connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. LightHouse joined the Giving Tuesday movement in 2016 and continues to receive many very generous gifts from our diverse group of donors, volunteers, staff, board members and friends.

Please take part in this year’s Giving Tuesday on (or before) November 30 and consider a gift to Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. We sincerely thank Waymo for jump starting our 2021 Giving Tuesday with a very generous donation of $10,000.

Donate here to support LightHouse and Enchanted Hills Camp.

Giving Tuesday is Coming! Tuesday After Thanksgiving You Can Make EHC More Inclusive

Giving Tuesday is Coming! Tuesday After Thanksgiving You Can Make EHC More Inclusive

Please join LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Enchanted Hills Camp on Tuesday, November 30 for Giving Tuesday, and help us meet our accessibility and sustainability goals!

This year the funds we raise on Giving Tuesday will go towards the purchase of two wheelchair accessible electric vehicle shuttles for Enchanted Hills Camp as a part of our larger vision to make EHC fully accessible and carbon neutral by 2030. The shuttles will be charged on site by our own solar array.

Donations will also go towards camperships to send 40 kids who are blind or have low vision to Enchanted Hills Camp next year.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that kicks off the charitable season and end-of-year giving, and harnesses the generosity of people from around the world to bring about real change to the communities they know and love.

This is a philanthropic movement that connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. LightHouse joined the Giving Tuesday movement in 2016 and continues to receive many very generous gifts from our diverse group of donors, volunteers, staff, board members and friends.

Please take part in this year’s Giving Tuesday on (or before) November 30 and consider a gift to Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind. We sincerely thank Waymo for jump starting our 2021 Giving Tuesday with a very generous donation of $10,000.

Donate here to support LightHouse and Enchanted Hills Camp.

Thank You for Supporting Us on Giving Tuesday

Thank You for Supporting Us on Giving Tuesday

Hooray! Well done! Thanks to the unwavering support of our generous donors, staff and Board members, we raised over $110,000 and exceeded our goal on Giving Tuesday.

 The Giving Tuesday thermometer above shows $112,657. This is 112% of the goal reached.

Thank you for joining the #GivingTuesday movement to help protect Enchanted Hills Camp. Funds raised this year will purchase a much-needed tractor for Enchanted Hills and send 50 kids to Camp next year.

We are grateful for your connection and commitment.

Photo of Green John Dear tractor moving cut trees

Thank you to the over 150 people who contributed to our Giving Tuesday campaign 2020! You enabled us to buy a tractor for Enchanted Hills to reduce fire hazards and send 50 blind kids to camp. What a tremendous outpour of support for our community.

Special thanks to:

Jennison Asuncion
Janette Barrios
Marilyn Brown
Jennifer and Ken Bunt
Sandy Cademartori
Lisa Carvalho and David Mager
Johnny Dadlani
Michael and Leslye Dellar
Chris and Rosa Downey
Engineering350
Nancy Foss
Jonathan Funk
The Herbst Foundation
Humanware
Drew Kebbel
Tony Keyser
Jerry Kuns
Barbara Lassen
Eric and Jaclyne Mah
John and Cindy McGaffey
Jane Micks
Geoffrey Murray
Michael Nunez
Luciana Profaca
Sharon & Richard Sacks
Kurt Scheidt
Michelle Touw
Walter E & Barbara A Bauke Foundation

Donate to Enchanted Hills Camp

Join the #GivingTuesday Movement on November 28 to Rebuild EHC

Join the #GivingTuesday Movement on November 28 to Rebuild EHC

Join the #GivingTuesday movement on November 28 and donate to rebuild Enchanted Hills. Help us reach our $10,000 goal to rebuild one of the 10 cabins lost.

The holiday season is about giving, and this year we’re participating in Giving Tuesday, a one-day annual movement to spread the spirit to charitable organizations like LightHouse.

A view through the gutted staff house at Napa County's Enchanted Hills Camp.
A view through the gutted staff house at Napa County’s Enchanted Hills Camp.

In 2017, more than ever, we need your year-end charitable contributions. As many of you know, LightHouse suffered the greatest loss of our history this past year to our beloved Enchanted Hills Camp in the wake of the California wildfires. This year, we turn our Giving Tuesday efforts toward rebuilding EHC. Join the #RebuildEHC movement and make a tax-deductible donation to help us reach our goal of raising $10,000 on November 28, to contribute to the material cost of each of the 10 cabins we lost in the fire.

Over 40,000 organizations including small businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and major corporations in 98 countries have joined the #GivingTuesday movement over the last four years. Mark your calendars for the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to help us reach our goal.

Donate to #RebuildEHC

You can also support our fundraising efforts by sharing our Rebuild EHC page on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtags #GivingTuesday and #RebuildEHC. In your post, tell why YOU decided to support our efforts to Rebuild EHC better and stronger.

Thank you so much for your support.