The LightHouse is proud to present the second installment of its Future Leaders series with Transition Summit 2013. If you are between 16 and 25 years old, find out how you can THINK, TRAIN, TRANSFORM, and THRIVE during a three day intensive retreat. 

Transition youth listen to outdoor presentation at Enchanted Hills Camp

Is your vision preventing you from doing the tasks you use to do with ease? If you answered yes, then learn how you can change your life with a few easy-to-learn adaptive skills.

Many might say that chemistry is a visual subject, and thus, inaccessible to blind and visually impaired students. However, this is not true! Find out how blind and visually impaired students can sit side-by-side with their peers at school and perform cool chemical reactions! 

When: Friday, May 3, 2013 through Sunday, May 5, 2013

Where: Enchanted Hills Camp in Napa, California

Who: Up to fifteen blind high school students ages 14-18 will be selected to participate

Fee: Free

To read more, visit the LightHouse blog: http://bit.ly/chemcamp2013 

Teenager Xander Saravia holds paper cups while conducting an experiment

Need more information about chemistry camp? Participate in a phone conference on March 12 and find out all you need to know about chemistry camp.

LightHouse's Shen Kuan and Lisamaria Martinez (shown here reading about the bridge) were instrumental in developing the new tactile exhibition

With its tremendous 746-foot tall towers, sweeping main cables, signature International Orange color, and Art Deco styling, the Golden Gate Bridge is an experience for all the senses in color, light, and sound. A new exhibit about the physics, history and construction of the bridge has recently been erected at the San Francisco viewing point of the Golden Gate Bridge. LightHouse staff members Shen Kuan and Lisamaria Martinez consulted on the project, helping to create a tactile exhibit with braille descriptions prominently situated across from the new Golden Gate Pavilion. On February 22 they were invited to the bridge to test out their creation.

With more than 10 million annual visitors, the LightHouse is proud to be involved in this project to make the legendary Golden Gate Bridge accessible and awe-inspiring for low vision and blind visitors from around the globe.

Make a significant impact on a blind or low vision person's life by becoming a personal services/driver volunteer. Find out how.  

A Personal Services Volunteer and her client

Learn a myriad of handy tips and  tricks for ZoomText when you sign up for AI Square's ZoomText training on March 14 and 15. 

Last month the LightHouse, along with the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, was featured on the ABC7 KGO-TV show, Beyond the Headlines.  The segment on vision issues such as macular degeneration and resources for the blind and visually impaired aired on February 17.

To watch, go to the ABC7 KGO-TV archives page and look for the Vision Impairment, February 17, 2013 video.

Lion Dancer performs ceremonial dance in front of LightHouse clients and staff

On February 11, LightHouse ushered in the Year of the Snake with its first annual Chinese New Celebration. Festivities included Chinese food (with Braille fortune cookies), music, a historical and cultural presentation, and a very special Lion Dance performance by Kei Lun Martial Arts and Lion dance school.

On Saturday, January 26, the Ruby Red Girls (a branch of the Red Hat Society) raised funds for Enchanted Hills at an event they called Black Magic Woman, a Celebration of the 60s. The Ruby Red Girls usually wear the traditional red hats and purple attire for all Red Hat Society events, but this luncheon was a special black and bling costume event. The event honored member Joyce Cid, a blind Ruby Red Girl. Joyce looks forward to spending time at Enchanted Hills each summer to experience nature, recreational activities and camaraderie.  Ruby Red Girls' Queen Karen Keegan introduced Joyce and spoke about camp and Joyce's years of fund-raising for camp. In tribute to her fundraising efforts, the City of Martinez declared October 14, 2011 "Joyce Cid Day."  

Honoree Joyce Cid (left), sassy in her black beret, sits next to Ruby Red Girl Barbara Browne

Colleen Collins

Former nurse Colleen Collins, one of our Employment immersion clients, has recently been hired to work as AN Intake and Scheduling Manager for the home health agency American Care Quest in San Francisco. Read her story on our blog.

Did you know that our Adaptations store offers 30 different digital magnifiers, some that can fit in your pocket? Read about our newest digital magnifier that can be used to read the print on a receipt, newspaper, recipe on the back of a box, or even the latest Nora Roberts novel.

SmartLux Digital Magnifier

The schedule is up and reservations are going fast for our Summer Sessions at Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind and Visually Impaired. From babies to gray-hairs, there is a session designed for you! There is even a new session of Family Camp just for residents of Napa County! And after a few year's hiatus, we are bringing back the Deaf-Blind session! Learn about the different camp sessions this summer and make your reservation today!

Teenage camper plays guitar for Enchanted Hills audience

With the construction of a new Redwood Theater large enough to seat the entire population of camp, we are excited about the opportunity to offer all kinds of productions from skits to movies, presentations and musical performances.

Does your garage harbor a clarinet, guitar or ukulele gathering dust? How about  microphones and mic stands? Do some spring cleaning and make a donation to Enchanted Hills! Call 415-694-7365 or write us at giving@lighthouse-sf.org.

See the entire list of items we are seeking for camp: http://bit.ly/ehcwishlist.

Looking for a way to spend your summer? Consider spending it in Napa! Sign up to be a summer counselor at our beautiful Enchanted Hills Camp and devote time to changing the lives of hundreds of blind and low vision children as they gain confidence, explore new adventures and meet friends at camp.   

Planned giving and its many forms can be confusing. To make the subject simpler, we have launched a new series: Planned Giving 101, focusing on a few of the most common forms of planned giving. 

The Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) provides both a gift and an income. Many donors have found that a CRT is a great way to achieve their charitable goals while retaining an income for themselves and security for their families. Through a CRT you can convert appreciated, low-yielding securities or property into a sizeable income stream and at the same time avoid potential capital gains taxation on appreciated property.

A CRT provides an income for one or more named individual beneficiaries for a term of years or for life. The assets remaining when the trust ends will be disbursed to one or more charities. The grantor receives a tax deduction for the present value of the remainder interest to go to charity.

The LightHouse for the Blind has a variety of programs designed to help blind and low vision individuals live their life to the fullest. Through Enchanted Hills Camp, our employment immersion program for blind jobseekers, and all of our rehabilitative, engaging and healthy living programs we help those who are blind and low vision live with independence and confidence.

Planned giving sustains our programs for the future. Join us by including the LightHouse for the Blind in your estate plans. To request more information or notify us of your intentions, please contact (415) 694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.

Does your business or association need a place to come together to do team-building, make important decisions together  and be far away from the usual hustle and bustle? Consider Enchanted Hills Retreat in beautiful, rural Napa County. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, three delicious meals a day and comfortable accommodations in wine country while supporting Enchanted Hills Camp for the Blind.

The space is ideal for business off-sites, weddings, church groups, horse-campers, yoga retreats or other workshops. There are still dates free in September 2013, when the weather is warm and the grapes begin to ripen. To reserve Enchanted Hills for your group of 30 to 120 or get more information, please call (415) 694-7310 or go to www.enchantedhillsretreat.com.

Tall olive trees flank a path at Enchanted Hills Retreat