This monthly newsletter highlights upcoming LightHouse events and classes plus the latest trends in technology, advocacy and other issues of interest to our community. To access this week's events by phone, call 415-694-7325.
A monthly schedule of LightHouse events and classes so you can plan ahead.
Healing Sound Bath
Friday, March 13, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Photo: Meditation bells resting on a table
A sound bath is a gentle, yet powerful, experience for the mind and body. The sounds are created by a variety of instruments, including tuning forks, gongs, a shruti box, Himalayan and crystal singing bowls, chimes, and rain makers. The aim is to invite deep rest and relaxation into the body and mind. Light refreshments will be served before the session. This event takes place at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. RSVP right away for this free event to Amber Sherrard at asherrard@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7353, feel free to bring a friend but let us know if you do-the more the merrier. Calendar Link
What could be more Californian than Levis? Find out with our audio described tour all about Levi Strauss at the Contemoary Jewish Museum
You are invited to the Contemporary Jewish Museum to experience the exhibition "Levi Strauss: A History of American Style" on a free descriptive access tour. In 1873, at the height of the gold rush, Levi Strauss & Co. obtained a U.S. patent with tailor Jacob Davis on the process of putting metal rivets in mens' denim work pants to increase their durability. It was the birth of the blue jean. Featuring over 200 items from the Levi Strauss & Co. Archive, Levi Strauss: A History of American Style represents the largest public display of the company's archival materials ever assembled. This exhibition tells the distinctly American story of Levi Strauss, a Jewish immigrant, businessman, and philanthropist whose lifelong commitment to family and civic life were fundamental to the history of San Francisco. The LightHouse visit to the museum is on Thursday, March 26, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. RSVP by March 19 to Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316. Calendar Link
Pastries & Planned Giving
Saturday, March 28 from 10:30 to Noon
Photo: A blank check
Learn the basics of planning your legacy and making things easier for your family. Mr. Kevan Warren is a Trusts and Estates Attorney in Albany, CA who specializes in tailoring comprehensive estate planning documents and advises trustees and executors on the administration of a descendant’s estate. Join Kevan to get started on your own legacy giving plan. Pastries and light refreshments will be served.
Pastries and Planned Giving
Saturday March 28 at 10:30
LightHouse East Bay Suite 110 in the Ed Roberts Campus at 3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley (directly above the Ashby BART Station)
Can’t attend? Let us know if you’d like a LightHouse Estate Giving Guide or information on joining the LightHouse Legacy Society. Contact Jennifer Sachs at 415-694-7333 or jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org
Hands On Series: Spring Cleaning
March 9, from 10:00 a.m. to Noon or
March 10, from 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Enchanted Hills Camp employee Linda Fonseca uses large print note-taking tools to write about the 79th anniversary of Enchanted Hills Camp event -photo by Sarika Dager
The Hands On Series of workshops are designed to give practical experience completing tasks and mastering skills. Each workshop will have a theme linked to Independent Living Skills. In March, the Hands On workshop will be all about the secrets of a stress-free spring clean. Explore ideas and methods for organizing and sprucing up your surroundings this Spring. We will cover labeling methods, and participants will create a DIY cleaning spray. Future Hands-on topics will include: note taking, house hold projects, make-up, container gardening and meal prepping.
When & Where
Monday March 9 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at Lighthouse East Bay at 3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley
OR
Tuesday March 10 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco
Below is your full round up of classes and activities happening at the LightHouse in March.
Health and Wellness Programs
Let’s Go Rock Climbing!
Friday, March 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Calendar Link
We are partnering with Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) to go rock climbing at Iron Works. We are leaving from and returning to the lobby of Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley at 3075 Adeline Street. No experience is necessary, but an RSVP is required. Space is limited.
The cost of the climb is $10. RSVP to Amber Sherrard at asherrard@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7353.
Cardio Kickboxing Class
Saturday, March 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Calendar Link
This class is a full-body, strength and endurance building workout that will get you stronger, leaner, and moving faster. This class takes places At LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. RSVP for this free class to Amber Sherrard at asherrard@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7353.
A Tandem Bike Ride with BORP
Saturday, March 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Calendar Link
We are partnering with Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) to go tandem cycling. We will meet at the Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley at 3075 Adeline Street at 10:00 a.m., and head to BORP for a fun tandem bike ride. We will provide the tandems, helmets, and pilots. All we ask for this free ride is that you RSVP to Amber Sherrard at asherrard@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7353 so that we can match you up with the perfect bike and pilot. Any fitness level is welcome.
Stress Reduction and Meditation
Wednesdays, March 4, 11, 18 & 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Calendar Link
Each Wednesday morning, we offer a series of short, meditation-based practices for relaxation and stress reduction. Instructor Jeffrey Schneider has more than 40 years of meditation and teaching experience. It is a drop-in class where everyone is welcome to attend as little or as often as they like. Join this free class in the 11th floor Fitness Room.at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. RSVP to Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
Stronger Seniors
Wednesdays, March 4, 11, 18 & 24 from 11:00 a.m. to Noon. Calendar Link
Get stronger, improve your balance, and increase your energy and fitness through our Stronger Seniors exercise class. Join us for this free class on the 10th floor at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. RSVP to Amber Sherrard at asherrard@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7353.
Yoga for Every Body
Restorative and calming class: March 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Engaged flow: 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. Calendar Link
If you experience challenges with balance and mobility, yoga can assist with increasing your strength and tone, providing you with the confidence in your daily life. No experience with yoga is necessary.
Pick your pace: the 4:30 class is restorative and calming and the 6:00 class is a more engaged Hatha flow. Classes take place at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. Meet in the 11th floor Fitness Room, bring $10, wear comfortable clothes that move and don’t hang too much. For more information contact Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
Youth and Adult Programs
Youth Employment Series (YES)
Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29 Calendar Link
Join the LightHouse Youth Employment Series for our March weekend empowering blind/low vision youth with the confidence and today's skills to thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops. Young people ages 16 to 24 are invited to this weekend where they will cook, debate, and actively travel through their journeys of transformation into rising leaders as they sharpen their contemporary power and access skills - the 4 C's (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication). This will take place at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco.
YES workshops are monthly weekend-long learning experiences focusing on vocational enrichment, employment readiness skills, and alternative techniques.
The weekend is spent learning from blind and low vision mentors and engaging in creative hands-on activities which further support you to explore and achieve individualized and professional aspirations.
If you’re interested please:
1. Contact your Department of Rehabilitation counselor to discuss workshop attendance and authorization.
2. Confirm attendance with Ann Wai-Yee Kwong, Transition Program Specialist, by email at youth@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7328.
If you have any questions or would like to pay for your participation in the workshop, please contact youth@lighthouse-sf.org. Each workshop costs $950 to attend for the entire weekend. Please note, space for this program is limited and workshop attendance must be confirmed one week prior.
Education and Training
Hiring Fair for Enchanted Hills Camp Summer 2020
Saturday, March 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Do you have a strong work ethic? Are you enthusiastic and committed to providing opportunities and challenges for others? Then come and spend part of your summer helping at a camp for young people and adults who are blind at our unique place nestled in an idyllic setting among the hills of Napa.
Since 1950, the San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind has hosted thousands of blind youth and adults in summertime sessions at our Enchanted Hills Camp.
What’s the job? Your job will be to make sure campers grow in their own potential while at the same time have a summer experience which is powerfully fun and engaging. Camp counselors are part of a 20-person counseling team. We will train you, feed you and put you up in good quarters for the six weeks of service. Training begins Sunday, June 16 and you will finish work on August 4, 2020 with roughly $2,400 in your pocket. There are also interesting and rewarding volunteer opportunities available.
Come along to the Camp Hiring Fair and meet current and previous campers, as well as camp staff and find out about the range of activities and experiences Enchanted Hills Camp has in store.
Where: LightHouse Headquarters: 1155 Market Street, San Francisco.
When: Come by any time on Saturday, March 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
RSVP by email to Ed Garcia: EGarcia@LightHouse-sf.org
Monday, March 2 through Friday, March 13 Calendar Link
We offer an innovative and groundbreaking way of including students both within the Bay Area and those living in other parts of California the same immersive experience.
How? For the first 5 days of the program, all students attend virtually through the Zoom computer platform. Then, the next week, students travel in to LightHouse Headquarters in San Francisco to attend classes at our state-of-the-art facility. They overnight in fully equipped dormitories on-site. This program takes place the first two weeks of every month in 2020, except July. Classes take place Monday through Friday.
For more information please contact: eiteam@lighthouse-sf.org, Kate Williams - Director, Employment Services 415-694-7324 or Wanda Pearson - Employment Immersion Coordinator 415-694-7359.
So you Think you Want a Guide Dog?
Thursday, March 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Are you curious to learn more about guide dogs but don't know where to start? This workshop will cover how to decide if a guide dog is right for you, what skills you need before applying to schools, common misconceptions about guide dogs, how to pick a guide dog school, what to expect during the application process, and how to best prepare for school once you are accepted. This workshop takes place at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. Please RSVP to Katt Jones at kjones@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7364 and include your preferred format for receiving workshop materials (Braille, electronic, or large print with preferred font size).
Free Access Technology Training
Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Bring your own device to our Weekday Access Technology Training sessions. Training and support in VoiceOver (for iOS), speech programs including NVDA and JAWS, braille displays, Victor Reader Stream, and assistance with downloading and using apps like KNFB Reader and Be My Eyes. To reserve a spot, contact Shen Kuan at skuan@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7312.
Tech Together
Tuesday, March 10 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Tech Together is a monthly technology learning group of blind and low vision users. Each session will be facilitated by LightHouse Access Technology specialists at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street on the 10th floor, but the content of the event is for the participants to decide on for themselves. Come with ideas on topics and bits of news and software you want to share with your friends. This group is free and open to all, but a current LightHouse waiver is required. To make sure you are registered as a LightHouse student, contact Erin Lauridsen at elauridsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7368.
Knitting at LightHouse Headquarters
Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19 & 26 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon Calendar Link
Every week, our knitters gather on the 10th floor of LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco, to share their purls of wisdom and get in the loop on each other’s latest project. To reserve a spot in this free group, contact Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
ASL/VIP Tactile Expressive Arts
Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19 & 26 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon Calendar Link
Join our community of Deaf and blind/low vision adults and enjoy specialized sensory activities, gardening, cooking, exercise, music, cultural arts and more, all led by instructors fluent in ASL and trained to ensure you have a free, safe, fun and rewarding experience. This exciting program is brought to you in proud partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. For more information or to RSVP, contact Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
Cookin’ for a Crowd
Friday, March 20 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Interested in scaling up your kitchen skills? Nothing pushes your culinary capacity like prepping a meal for dozens of folks. Every month we need to feed our hungry bingo masses and there’s nothing like learning by doing. RSVP to Serena Olsen solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or by phone at 415-694-7316. Join her in the 10th floor kitchen at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco.
Arts, Entertainment and Social
The Holman Prize for Blind Ambition 2020
Applications close Sunday, March 15 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Calendar Link
People who are blind or have low vision worldwide who have a dream are all eligible to apply for the Holman Prize for blind ambition, which awards up to US $25,000. Send questions to holman@lighthouse-sf.org. Visit holmanprize.org/apply to apply.
Spanish Group for Blind/Low Vision Spanish Speakers
Tuesday, March 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Calendar Link
Come and join the Spanish Group for Spanish speakers who are blind or low vision on the 10th floor at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street, San Francisco. The group leader is Anabella Denisoff. This group is primarily for persons 55 years and older. To RSVP contact Jeff Carlson at 415-694-7314.
Loteria (This is a Spanish speaking program)
Tuesday, March 17 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Lotería is a traditional game from Mexico, similar to bingo, but using images. We have made cards accessible in braille and large print. Come join us for an evening of free, fun and good company at LightHouse Headquarters 1155 Market Street on the 10th floor. To RSVP contact Esmeralda Soto at esoto@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7323.
30% & Growing
Thursday, March 19 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Location: Bierhaus at 360 40th Street, Oakland
Your LightHouse crew will be lurking in the Mission this month. These are no carnival sausages, my friend, Rosamunde throws down only the most moral of meats; grass fed, free-range, no hormones, antibiotics, or preservatives. The curated beer menu is updated weekly with a selection of quality craft beers. Now all you need is some awesome company to share the experience with, and your 30% crew has you covered. RSVP to Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
Dinner & Bingo
Friday, March 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Enjoy a community dinner and lots of rollicking bingo fun on the third Friday of each month at the LightHouse Headquarters 1155 Market Street, San Francisco on the 10th floor. RSVP by noon on the Tuesday prior and $7 covers your dinner (RSVP later or not at all and your dinner is $10). Braille and large print bingo cards make bingo accessible for everyone. To RSVP contact Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
The Business of Blindness: Coffee with Mike Cole
Mondays, March 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 from 9:30 a.m. to Noon Calendar Link
What does it really mean to be blind or have low vision? Mike Cole leads a weekly forum on a variety of topics. There's always a lively crowd gathered on the 10th floor at LightHouse Headquarters at 1155 Market Street. So grab a cup of coffee and a seat at the table. For more information on this free gathering or to RSVP, contact Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316. Not able to join us in person? You can now call in to participate live:
dial 929-436-2866 and enter meeting ID 692 100 581 when prompted.
Raycast
Mondays, March 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Calendar Link
Student Volunteer Ray Marcus entertains the Monday masses with various selections of podcast curiosities at this free gathering on the 10th floor at LightHouse Headquarters 1155 Market Street. RSVP to Serena Olsen at solsen@lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7316.
Under Our Roof
LightHouse policy always makes meeting space available to any blindness-related group free of charge. Though these meetings aren’t official LightHouse programs, we offer notice of them as a service to those wishing to know more about options available in our extended community.
National Federation of the Blind San Francisco Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, March 10 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Calendar Link
The National Federation of the Blind is a nationwide community of members that believe blind people can live the lives they want. Join the San Francisco Chapter for our monthly meeting, the second Tuesday of the month, where we’ll enjoy a light dinner and chat blindness issues and advocacy. For more information, visit nfbcal.org or email ms.christina.daniels@gmail.com.
California Council of the Blind San Francisco Chapter Meeting
Saturday, March 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Calendar Link
California Council of the Blind San Francisco Chapter meets on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on the 10th floor of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, San Francisco. Visit the event website for more information.
LightHouse Core Classes
To take classes in the skills of blindness or learn how to work with low vision, email info@lighthouse-sf.org or call 415-431-1481.
Events Hot-line:
Want an easier way to access a list of our weekly events? Each Friday we update our events list which can be heard by calling our telephone info line at 415-694-7325.
