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The Vision Center News Letter
April 2007
!Here's the latest from the Low Vision Center!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Spring Fund Raiser: Our fundraisers are critical to providing our capability to serve our communities. Our 6th Annual Spring Fundraiser will be May 3, 2007, at the Buena Vista American Legion Hall, 338 North Railroad St. We'll have LIVE music entertainment with the Harmonizers barbershop quartet, a solo vocalist, and instrumental music. The Silent Auction always features fabulous items at ridiculous prices – jewelry, crafts, gift certificates, decorator items, etc. The dinner menu is Beef Stroganof and Vegetarian Lasagne, with all the fixin's.
WHEN: Thursday May 3, 2007 Doors open at 5:00 PM
WHERE: American Legion Hall, 338 North Railroad St, Buena Vista
How Much: Adults $12.50, Children 6 to 12, $6.00, Children under 6 $FREE.
Get tickets at the door or from Center volunteers.
Braille Class: John Hanigan is beginning a class in Braille for a person in Salida. If anyone is interested in participating, please call the Center for more information.
Gold Rush Booth: Look for our booth on Main Street during Gold Rush Days in Buena Vista. We'll have demonstrations and information for anyone interested in vision problems.
Radio Reading Service of the Rockies: We're planning to sponsor another RRSR seminar in Salida, later in the Summer. The response to the 2006 seminar was good, and since that seminar the RRSR has become available in Salida. Watch for more info in the Summer Newsletter!
SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER:
Talking Label Readers: The Low Vision Center acquired and placed several devices for use (free) by visually impaired persons. The hand held devices read the barcodes on cans, boxes, and most anything that has a bar code label. The barcode reader clearly speaks the name of the item, the size, and other information - providing a degree of independence for the visually impaired shopper. The Center has provided this Reader at ALCO and City Market in Buena Vista; and at Wal-Mart and Safeway in Salida. We are considering where to place a fifth Reader. Suggestions are welcome. For information on how to participate, contact the Center at 395-4270. The Mountain Mail newspaper had a front-page story about this program, which is the first of its kind in the USA.
Mobile Low Vision Center: We're expanding our services by providing a mobile support service for visually impaired individuals who can't travel to the Buena Vista Center. We've acquired additional tinted glasses, magnifiers and other demonstration items, duplicating the resources in our Buena Vista location. The new items are organized into kits to be taken to other towns and remote locations.
WEB Site: We have a new WEB site, which is linked from the BV and Salida Chambers of Commerce. Our URL is AVLVC.com
Channel Nine health Fair: We supported the annual Health fair in BV and Salida, demonstrating some of the resources available to visually impaired individuals.
Gadget of the Week: The Mountain Mail newspaper has graciously published an article a week dealing with aids for the visually impaired. These have ranged from high-end electronic devices to simple magnifying glasses. Watch for these articles weekly.
AVLVC Officers: Our officers and Board members are:
Carolyn Hayes, President
Bill Stoothoff, Vice President
John Cameron, Secretary
John Hanigan
Priscilla McKinley
PERSON of the MONTH:
Bill Stoothoff came to be a volunteer at the Low Vision when his wife Maggie became a client of the Center as a result of her macular degeneration. Coincidentally, since his retirement in 2004,Bill has been diagnosed with controlled glaucoma. Bill works with the other Center volunteers, helping especially with computer-related tasks.
NEW NEWS:
Volunteers: In 2006 volunteers donated over 2,500 hours of free service to the Center. Fantastic!
But – with our expanding focus, we need more volunteers! Some work can be done at home, a few hours a week. We also need volunteers at the Center, again a few hours a week would be a great help. If you're interested, please call!
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