Happy International Volunteer Month! The next spotlight in our Volunteer Series is the dynamic duo, Abbey and Patrick! This couple has given much of their time, energy, and heart to LightHouse and we are so thankful for their generosity – and their introduction to Enchanted Hills Camp is a pretty special one! Here’s more from Abbey and Patrick:
 
How did you first hear about LightHouse and how long have you been volunteering?
 
“We first learned about LightHouse by accident because we were looking for a place to have our wedding. A friend of a friend suggested Enchanted Hills Camp. We really didn’t know anything about the camp or its role within the blind community. The people we met at EHC were very welcoming and the camp was the perfect place for us to get married in the summer of 2014. We started volunteering at Enchanted Hills for the Adult Camp session, building tent cabins and tree planting, and then we started volunteering with LightHouse as well.”
 
Aside from your work at EHC, what kind of support do you provide as a Personal Service Volunteer?
 
Abbey: “We have each done personal service support by helping people read their mail, providing IT support and making ‘check in’ phone calls during the pandemic. I have enjoyed helping people with their ballots and making calls for voter registration.”
 
Patrick: “I recently worked in the MAD Lab embossing Braille business cards which I found challenging yet really interesting. I also helped with the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics.”
 
Do you have a favorite volunteer memory?
 
Abbey: “I really liked building the tent cabins at EHC to help restore camp after the Napa wildfires. Knowing what it looked like before, I knew it was really important to help the site become a safe and welcoming place again so camp could be held.”
 
What has volunteering with LightHouse and Enchanted Hills Camp taught you?
 
Patrick: “Volunteering at EHC Adult Camp was really our first experience working and hanging out with people who are visually impaired. It taught me how to interact with blind individuals in public settings and I have tried to share this basic knowledge with others. LightHouse and EHC are so fun and welcoming, we have really enjoyed getting to know the staff, volunteers and participants. We are lucky to have been able to join the community in our small way.”
 
We assure you both, Patrick and Abbey, that you are always welcome in the blind community and the support you two have provided to Enchanted Hills Camp and LightHouse programs is in way “small.” Thank you!
 
For more information about our LightHouse Volunteer Program, go to www.LightHouse-SF.org. Learn how you can become a LightHouse Volunteer or request a Personal Service Volunteer. 

April is International Volunteer Month, and every year we celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week, where we honor and recognize LightHouse volunteers for their dedicated efforts to our students and our organization. This year, Volunteer Appreciation week is April 17 – 24, but why wait? Each week this month, we want to celebrate the helping hands, the “second set of eyes” and unparalleled generosity, and the people without whom so many programs and services would not be possible – our incredible LightHouse Volunteers!
 
Meet Lauren, a LightHouse volunteer who began working with us in Spring 2021 at one of our COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics. Since then, Lauren has begun working as a Personal Service Volunteer and works with student, Judith.
 
What sort of support do you provide as a Personal Service Volunteer?
 
“Once a week I help Judith with tasks that are inaccessible for her. Sometimes that’s sorting mail or filling out tax forms. Other times we’re handling computer tasks or learning new assistive technologies together. We recently figured out how to use Seeing AI.”
 
What are some of your favorite memories working with LightHouse?
 
“When I first started, I brought some friends along to volunteer at the COVID clinics and got to see how that helped them bloom as allies. One memorable time was when I went to the San Francisco Public Library with Judith and together we learned to use a braille e-reader that the library had available for her. Another fond memory is the time I introduced Judith and my cat, Mr. Marshmallow. It was love at first sight on both sides and she asks about him every week!” 
 
What has volunteering brought to your life? What have you learned from the experience?
 
“We hit our one year mark working together this month, and at this point Judith is basically family. I don’t have grandparents left, so it’s wonderful to have an inter-generational connection developed through volunteering. I absolutely count Judith as a role model and aspire to be as brilliant, thoughtful, and self-sufficient as she is through life. 
 
“As someone in accessibility as a profession, I’ve gained so much perspective walking through parts of daily life with Judith. It’s helped me understand how tasks can be made accessible or inaccessible, and how much inaccessible systems affect independence. Understanding barriers that get in the way and also accommodations that work for Judith continues to teach me how I can be a more effective ally.”
 
Thank you, Lauren, for your time and dedication! You a truly a shining light in our organization!
 
For more information about our LightHouse Volunteer Program, go to www.LightHouse-SF.org. Learn how you can become a LightHouse Volunteer or request a Personal Service Volunteer.