Lighthouse BigBend

LBB’s Transition Group enjoying game night with Monopoly!

LBB's Transition Group had a tour of Valencia College yesterday which was a great time to practice their orientation and mobility skills in a new environment.

Monday, June 24th is the last day to RSVP for the June COMS (Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist) Saturdays.

COMS Saturdays will help you safely and independently navigate your home and community due to low vision. You will learn orientation and mobility skills and your family and/or friends are welcome to attend and learn sighted guide techniques to assist you!

Community partners, direct service providers, and those in the community interested in learning are welcome to join us. If this date does not work for your schedule, training will continue throughout the year on the last Saturday of each month.

LBB's Transition Group (ages 14-22) left yesterday for the 2024 Transition Camp in Orlando. We are excited for the many things they will and learn and of course all of the fun activities they will enjoy!

LBB's office will be closed Wednesday June 19th in observance of Juneteenth.

LBB is proud to see our clients become independent by providing vision rehabilitation services to our clients from birth to seniors.

Early intervention, early learning, and specialized education helps toddlers, children, and teens with low vision and blindness develop the vital skills to benefit them for a lifetime. Seeing a child with vision loss learn how to navigate, read and write, and achieve major milestones alongside their sighted peers is definitely worth celebrating. During , we also thank and celebrate the talented, skilled, and compassionate professionals who provide these services that transform lives every day!

During , June 10-16, please help us spread the word about life-changing Vision Rehabilitation programs with anyone you know with vision loss, family, and friends. Learn more, read inspiring stories, and obtain vital resources at bit.ly/VRW2024. Access the Toolkit at bit.ly/VRWToolkit

VisionServe Alliance

Terrence Snider has been a familiar face at Lighthouse of the Big Bend (LBB) for many years. He became a volunteer first working within the Children’s Program. Later while he was enrolled full time at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, he was hired as a part time employee. Although a part time employee, he gave full time effort in all that he touched. His role expanded to our Transition Program (teens ages 14-22), and he quickly became a reliable and trustworthy voice.

Working alongside Sharon Scherbarth Simmons (Teacher of the Visually Impaired and Certified Orientation and Mobility Instructor), Terrence gained valuable hands-on experience. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Health Science in December 2023, LBB offered him a full-time position as a Program Specialist leading the Transition Program. This opportunity will enable him to continue the important work he has already been doing.

Terrence will be expanding his education to serve our clients and begin the graduate program in the FSU Visual Disabilities Program starting in Fall, 2024.

When asked about his role at LBB, Terrence said, “being able to assist those in need and instruct them has been a blessing and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so every day.”

Happy Weekend! A few more pics from this week’s Youth Camp! So sorry we missed a few for the group pic😔 Make sure you scroll to the end for the fun group shot😉

Thank you Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind for sharing these images that depict different visual impairments.

Blindness is a spectrum.

Many people think blindness means seeing complete darkness, but that’s not always true.

In honor of Visually Impaired People Day, we’re bringing light to how individuals who are blind or have low vision perceive the world. Check out our latest blog post to learn more about these unique perspectives by clicking here: https://www.guidedog.org/gd/events-and-news/what_do_blind_people_see_.aspx

The image is a grid of six different types of vision loss. Using a black lab guide dog in their harness, the images are covered to show how a person would see with a specific type of vision loss—the top row from left to right shows age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. The second row, from left to right, is diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, and neurological visual impairment.

Busy day at LBB' Youth Summer Camp!

Free Food Distribution in partnership with WTXL Tallahassee on June 10th beginning at 10 am at the FSU-FAMU College of Engineering to help families as they recover from the May 10th tornados. First Come, First Served!

Yesterday’s Youth Camp at LBB was another full day including using senses to taste drinks and desserts, practice interview skills with future TVI’s (Teacher of the Visually Impaired) from FSU’s Visual Disabilities Program (practice communication, interview, and social interaction skills), Tally Cat Café (community integration with sensory), Chick-fil-A (community integration and orientation mobility skills).

LBB's Youth Group Summer Camp is off to a great start with tie dying t-shirts and aprons - everyone is all smiles😀

Special shout out to Dr. Eileen Iglesias Bischof and the FSU Visual Disabilities Program (Florida State University College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences) for joining us this week to learn and work with the students.

We always look forward to having the group in the office all week - lots of great energy and laughter!

RedEye Coffee graciously hosted LBB’s Transition Program students for an engaging day of learning. LBB collaborated with RedEye Coffee to provide a work-based learning experience for our Transition students. Under the guidance and direction of RedEye staff members Max and Curtis, students learned about the coffee bean roasting process. Starting with the green beans in a bag fresh from the farmer, grinding and then bagging the roasted beans. Students learned about the steps to get a bag of coffee on the shelf. Each student ground their own bag of coffee to take home with them.

LBB students learned about the many different types of coffee drinks that are served at RedEye Coffee. Then each student had the opportunity to make drinks for each other. Each drink was made with a proprietary recipe exclusive to RedEye Coffee and students did an excellent job of following instructions and communicating with staff and each other.

Do your business a favor and give our Transition students a chance to learn YOUR business. Sponsor and host a work-based learning experience at your office, retail space, warehouse, or wherever you do business. Contact Terrence Snider at [email protected] for more information.

COMS Saturdays will help you safely and independently navigate your home and community due to low vision. You will learn orientation and mobility skills and your family and/or friends are welcome to attend and learn sighted guide techniques to assist you!

Community partners, direct service providers, and those in the community interested in learning are welcome to join us. If this date does not work for your schedule, training will continue throughout the year on the last Saturday of each month.

Join the Blindness and Mental Health Summit offered by Accessible Pharmacy on Friday, June 14 at 12:00 PM EST.

Celebrating our CEO’s 1 year anniversary🎉 Thank you Kristina Wilfong Torrance for your leadership this past year and for many years to come!

Florida’s 2024 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday begins Saturday June 1 and continues through June 14. This is the time to buy your disaster preparedness supplies exempt from sales tax.

For the Florida Department of Revenue 2024 Florida Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers click here, https://bit.ly/3yAWSVc

For more information:
List of tax-free items can be found at FloridaRevenue.com/DisasterPrep
Disaster Supply Kit checklist FloridaDisaster.org/Kit

LBB wishes you a happy and safe Memorial Day.

Happy Friday!

Please support LBB programs and services by purchasing your tickets to the Tallahassee Beer Festival! Profits from the Festival go to local organizations including LBB😊

Click on the link below to go to the website and select the “unlock” option to enter our organization’s code LBB which is how we earn credit.

https://tlhbeerfest.com/

Mark S. Earley, Supervisor of Elections for Leon County, encourages voters to request Vote-by-Mail ballots for the 2024 Primary and General Elections. “The 2024 Primary and General Elections are fast approaching, and I want to ensure that all Leon County voters are Election Ready,” said Supervisor Earley. “By submitting your Vote-by-Mail ballot request now, you can ensure you will receive your ballot for these important elections.”

The Elections Office has redesigned the Vote-by-Mail ballot envelopes used in Leon County. These updates include free return postage, the latest United States Postal Service recommendations for election mail, and recent changes in Florida law. Voters can view the new envelope design at LeonVotes.gov/Ways-to-Vote/New-Vote-by-Mail-Envelopes.

Voters with questions are encouraged to contact the Elections Office by email at [email protected], or by phone at (850) 606-8683, Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Winn Dixie is making it easy to support LBB! Visit the Tallahassee South Magnolia Drive Winn Dixie in May and purchase a reusable bag and they will donate $1 to LBB!

Thank you, Winn-Dixie for supporting LBB's mission!

The Employment Virtual Conference Talent Actualized! Conference is tomorrow starting at 9:00am. Make sure you're registered to participate by visiting:
https://flfcic.cbcs.usf.edu/webinars.html to register and download the year's agenda.

Launch to Success: Technology - A Gateway to Employment⁠
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST⁠
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