Independence for the Blind
Eye Ball 2012
The Eye Ball 2012 date has been set. Please see the attached Eye Ball Flyer. Check back often for more information!
Teens Learn Job and Life Skills During Summer Transition Camp in Pensacola
Thirteen participants of Independence for the Blind of West Florida participated in the 2011 Summer Transition Program: a two-week overnight camp for teens followed by a two-week internship at various job sites. The purpose of Summer Transition is to give each student training that will prepare them for life after high school as they transition into adulthood. Also extremely important is the teens learn how to socialize and interact with their peers, and Summer Transition gives them this opportunity through a variety of fun educational activities. By the end of the experience all of the students have not only learned important skills ranging from slicing vegetables with a knife to preparing a resume for work, but they also have made new life-long friends.
The theme of Summer Transition this year was "Who are the people in my neighborhood" and the students learned what agencies and organizations are available in communities throughout Florida to assist individuals. Some highlights from the camp were visiting Ft. Pickens on Gulf Islands National Seashore, the T.T. Wentworth Museum, Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front hotel to learn about jobs in the hospitality industry, riding the Pensacola Beach Trolley, meeting the Pensacola Lions Club and the Pensacola Beach Optimist Club, attending Bands on the Beach at Casino Beach, and touring the WEAR Channel 3 news studio to learn about jobs in the entertainment industry.
Because each student stays overnight for the two-week camp, IB West counselors are able to truly learn how the students function in their daily home lives and thus can give more appropriate, intensive training in areas such as washing clothes, cleaning a bathroom, using the stove and oven to safely prepare meals, as well as job skills training in career exploration, mock interviews, writing resumes, and college preparation. The teens were also given the opportunity to get plenty of exercise participating in water sports such as paddle boarding, swimming, boogie boarding and jet skiing.
After the two-week camp concluded, each student was placed in different job sites in their own communities, dependent upon their current skills sets, abilities and interests. Some students worked in warehouses moving and organizing materials, while others worked in offices answering phones, typing documents, and stuffing and addressing envelopes for mail outs. One of the most important lessons the students learned was that no matter what type of career you pursue, good communication and teamwork skills are a must. A heartfelt thank you is extended to the following job sites who opened their doors, and hearts, to our students: Bay Area Food Bank in East Milton, Boys and Girls Club in Pensacola, Calhoun County Extension Office in Blountstown, Chautauqua Learn and Serve Charter in Panama City, First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, Independent News in Pensacola, Manna Food Pantry in Pensacola, N.B. Cook Elementary School in Pensacola, and United Way of Santa Rosa County in Milton.
Independence for the Blind has an Angel in Our Midst
Independence for the Blind has some amazing people on its' staff, but recently one in particular, Micki Weidbrauk, was cuaght the attention of our local TV station, WEAR, for their community program titled Angels in our Midst. This weekly vignette highlights the good work and extra care people in our community make in supporting others. Please follow the link to the clip that ran on the 6PM news on 25 July 2011.
http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/features/angels/videos/vid_214.shtml
From our experience Micki is an amazing woman. She was a volunteer here at IB West for several years before we hired her as a Marketing Coordinator. She has done a fantastic job the past year plus promoting both IB West throughout our ten county district. She has gone to just about every hospital, eye doctor's office, most eye clinics, many schools, assisted living facilities, tax offices and numerous other businesses to make them aware of who we are and what we do. She has also been our representative to several health fairs, aging councils, and similar events.
Most important, however, is the care and consideration Micki has for our clients and the blind community is general. She genuinely has their best interest in mind and it is evident in everything she does. What was highlighted in the WEAR TV segment was her job coaching three of our Transition Program Teenagers who were doing their Summer Work Experience at Manna Food Pantry here in Pensacola. These three teenagers are fantastic people, but their blindness is not their only challenge, so we were not sure how well they would do in this type of working environment. However, we are proud to say that under Micki’s tutelage they excelled and impressed everyone at the Food Pantry. Their production rate for packing meals for the homeless was well above the average for the variety of groups that volunteer or work there. These three teens in particular, and IB West as a company, have been asked to come back and do this again next year.
Micki truly personifies what Independence for the Blind is all about, good people who dedicate themselves to help make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you Micki.
Independence for the Blind's New Billboard
Take a look at our new billboard located on the corner of 9th & Bayou in the Publix shopping center parking lot. Funding for the billboard was received from the Florida Division of Blind Services Clear Vision for the Future – Public Awareness Grant.
