The BVIC will hold its Annual Meeting February 15, 2005, 1:00 p.m. at 225 Laurel Avenue, Pacific Grove. All are invited to attend.
A number of local people have formed an ad hoc volunteer organization to show support for our troops in Iraq & Afghanistan. Several times per year they collect cards, letters, & small gifts & send them to central points overseas for distribution. They’ve had some wonderful feedback from individual soldiers indicating that this is very meaningful to them.
The BVIC has agreed to be a collection point for CARDS & COCOA FOR THE TROOPS. On your card, write a short note giving some insight as to some good things from home & that we appreciate the their efforts.
In addition to cards they encourage small gifts, e.g., gum, beef jerky, ground coffee, wet wipes, candy, disposable cameras, phone cards, socks, gloves, instant soup, & COCOA (in summer Kool Aid). Sorry no homemade foods. All items should be in their original wrapping. If you include them in the envelope with a card, seal it with tape to keep the goodies inside.
The next shipment will be for Easter (items needed by March 4th). This is strictly a private operation. Postage is paid through monetary donations. For Christmas 2004, 1757 lbs. of goodies were sent at a mailing cost of $1,388.77. Any donations are appreciated & go directly to the Troops with no administrative costs. Checks should be written to Cindy Stanley with Troops written in the memo. Thank you for your consideration.
Chariots for Charity, our Vehicle Donation Program is alive and well. Under the direction of Russ Hatch, the Old Capitol Lions Club continues to manage the program. They handle the sale of the vehicle, evaluate it, and have it safety checked. They make it as saleable as possible consistent with Blue Book values, investing money and time for every vehicle accepted. This benefits all those involved. Vehicles are sold on the donor’s behalf and the resulting funds benefit the Old Capitol Lions Club’s work with the BVIC.
1986 Toyota Supra -2 door sports coupe 2.8 liter, 6 cylinder, Automatic, Top end being rebuilt, Don’t buy this for your kid, Way too fast! Asking $2,500.00
Call Russ Hatch 659-5360 or BVIC 649-3505 for information
As I entered my son’s church I placed my cup under the spigot of one of those coffee bottles which keep the contents warm. I vigorously pushed the top button which was supposed to make the coffee come out of the spigot. Nothing seemed to happen. Actually something was happening, the spigot faced the other direction and the coffee was going all over the floor. Yes, Mr. McGoo eyesight got the best of me again. Anyone have a McGoo embarrassing moment that will give others some laughter? Please email Fredm7777@comcast.net.
We are proud to announce VISTA, a new project inspired by Dr. Andrew Wodecki & Moonset Yu PhD. Visually-impaired children should all be given a chance to achieve their personal educational goals. With the aid of assistive technology and optical devices, a child with low vision has a better chance of succeeding in a normal school-learning environment.
VISTA (Visually Impaired Student Technology Assistance) was formed to provide technological assistance to visually-impaired students in the Monterey and neighboring counties. Through collaborative efforts and local giving, the VISTA program will utilize personnel, services and technology provided through the Low Vision Clinic at the BVIC, to individually assess the specialized needs of each child. An allotment of funds for each child will help bridge the gap between what technological assistance the child has been given and what devices they still may need. Donations for the VISTA Program can be made by sending your tax-deductible check to the BVIC.
This year we are happy to announce that the Spring Tea Luncheon is scheduled for Saturday, March 19. Our next Blindfold will have all the details. It’s a good idea to call the BVIC now so we can save a spot for you at this lovely affair.
February marks the beginning of our annual Membership Drive. This year we are sending out membership letters. Please make this a spectacular drive by sending in you membership as soon as you receive your letter. And please let others know about the work that we do. Membership is not only for people who receive our services, but also those who believe in what we do.
Support Group- The group normally meets on the 2nd Monday of the month from 5:00 to 6:30 at the BVIC. Please call us for info & to confirm time & date.
Robin Whiteley, our new Rehab Specialist, has a New Year’s tip to share. Organization as the old saying goes, “is a place for everything & everything in its place.” The reward of organization is less frustration. It takes some time to organize, but is worth the rewards. Start with one area and then move on.
Check out our new & improved BVIC Website. RampWeb helped us design and implement a more accessible website. There is even a “customize this site option” that allows the user to select features like color of text & background, text size, & image display choice. It was designed to be compatible with JAWS & screen readers. There is also an option for a Spanish version.
New findings from a study of retinal degenerations at Harvard Medical School have lead to a revised therapeutic regimen to slow vision loss associated with retinitis pigmentosa. Combining vitamin A palmitate with a diet regimen involving omega-3 rich fish resulted in a 40-50% reduction of visual field sensitivity loss per year for patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa. For specific details please log on to http://www.blindness.org/research.asp and scroll down to New Findings Lead to Revised Therapeutic Regimen to Slow RP. Click on the link for the article. Or you may obtain a copy of the article by contacting Jeannie at the BVIC.
The Center will be closed on Monday, February 21st in observance of Presidents Day.