Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2018-2019 | Page 61

Society for
the Blind
F
ounded in 1954, Society for the Blind
empowers individuals living with
low vision or blindness to discover,
develop and achieve their full potential.
This nationally recognized agency serves
children, youth, families, individuals and
seniors in many vital ways.
The Society’s offerings include medical
services through their Low Vision Clinic;
classes on orientation and mobility; Braille,
independent living skills and assistive
technology; the Senior IMPACT Project
geared toward people ages 55-plus who
are losing vision; and their CareersPLUS
Youth program to provide career-readiness
to teens and young adults with vision loss.
“Exciting new opportunities include
expanding our CareersPLUS Youth
program to middle schools and getting
our new mobile Low Vision Clinic on
the road, thanks to a generous gift of a
custom equipped van from VSP Global,”
says Liz Culp, Resource Development
More than
what you see
Director. “We’ve also launched the public
phase of our $5 million Vision 2020
campaign to raise sustaining funds as the
number of people with low vision grows
exponentially.”
The Society is working at capacity to
serve just more than 5,000 people per
year, yet there are 100,000 people with
low vision in the Sacramento area. The
Vision 2020 campaign has already raised
$3 million toward building capacity to
reach more rural areas, expand onsite
Low Vision Clinic services, update
infrastructure, and launch an endowment.
Several local businesses have
contributed to the Vision 2020 campaign
through in-kind and financial gifts,
including VSP Global and its donation of
the new mobile Low Vision Clinic. “VSP
Global is honored to support Society for
the Blind in increasing access to eye care
and other critical services for those with
low vision throughout Northern California,”
SOCIETYFORTHEBLIND.ORG
says Les Passuello, senior vice president at
VSP Global and Society for the Blind board
member.
“We invite more businesses to
partner with us through Vision 2020 and
support their employees, both current and
future, who will experience vision loss in
their lifetime,” concludes Shari Roeseler,
Executive Director.
profile generously sponsored by
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