Donor Spotlight

By Doris Murphy and Ted Prim

Our donors are exceptional people, each with their own extraordinary reasons for contributing to our work. Below is a fascinating story about a most unexpected donor.

Wilbur Elam was born on September 23, 1919, in the railroad town of Roseville, California. He was destined to face a variety of challenges and health problems throughout his life. He almost died at birth and was mentally impaired as a result. A crossed eye condition caused double vision until he received appropriate treatment in his 20’s. He also endured the then unknown condition of dyslexia. Not surprisingly, life at home and school was difficult because people did not understand Wilbur’s challenges.

Even though he never learned to read, he joined the Southern Pacific Railroad Company as a laborer where his physical strength and willingness to work served him well. He was so strong he could close the doors of a boxcar alone, and he was known for his speed in single-handedly paper-lining a sugar car faster than other two-man teams. Mr. Elam joined SP in 1941 and worked there for the next 38 years. When Mr. Elam’s father died in 1971, he took care of his mother until her death in 1980. Since 1996, Elam has had heart problems and is under the care of his good friend, Doris Murphy.

Recently, Mr. Elam decided to contribute to the Society for the Blind by signing over his life insurance policy. After experiencing visual difficulties for most of his youth, Mr. Elam wanted to help out others with vision loss. With the generous contributions from Mr. Elam and our other donors, Society for the Blind continues to provide top quality training to visually impaired individuals throughout Northern California.

Thank you Wilbur Elam!

 
Board and Executive Director
Back Row: Kevin Duggan, John Kosbau, Steven Scott, Paul Carver, Palmer Lee, Michael Moore; Front Row: Paul Peterson, Sailaja Cherukuri, Monica Hart, Doris Flint, Bob Pugh, Stephen Lerner

Staff Corner:
Russ Sheehan

By Ted Prim

     If you drop into the Society on any weekday, you may hear the melodic strains of a guitar coming from the teaching kitchen. This is Russ Sheehan, Independent Living Skills instructor, serenading a student who is learning by doing.
     “Learning to be an independent blind person is 10% technique and 90% attitude,” says Sheehan. “My job is to help my students to understand that they can accomplish anything they want. Once they have that belief, I can help them develop a technique to make it happen.”
     Training blind people to be independent comes naturally to Sheehan, who has been visually impaired since birth. He was raised in Detroit, Michigan, as part of an active family. Ever since he can remember, Sheehan has been involved in outdoor activities. Fixing race cars and motorcycles was a part of his life from infancy -- he first wielded a welder’s torch at age 5. After college at Lake Superior State, Michigan, Sheehan attended Louisiana Tech and obtained a Masters Degree in O&M.
     “As a blind person, you can’t get boxed in by sighted people’s expectations,” Sheehan warns. “My job is to motivate my students to have confidence in themselves and find their own path.” We at the Society think we have found a wonderful pathfinder, and those who have had an opportunity to learn from him agree!
 

Standout Student:
Thelma McDaniel

By Ted Prim

     When I first met Thelma McDaniel, and asked how she was, she responded “Blessed.” And so she is! Thelma is a cheerful and confident retired nurse. For the past 25 years, she has been battling glaucoma, a disease which caused her to slowly lose her vision.
     About a year and a half ago, Thelma received one of her greatest blessings. Someone she met while waiting for her glasses to be adjusted told her about Society for the Blind. “I still had some vision then,” said Thelma, “But I could also see into the future well enough to know that soon I would lose all of my sight. If I hadn’t found the Society, my life would be completely different. I didn’t want to move, and I didn’t want to be dependent on others.”
     She accomplished her goal of retaining her independence by immersing herself in a variety of Society programs. She began with the Independent Daily Living Skills class. Once she picked up some tips on how to use the senses of touch, smell and hearing to assist in the cooking process, she was ready to go. As a test of her cooking skills, she whipped up spaghetti with home-made sauce and several sides for 30 Society staff and board members.
     Thelma’s fire for independence was fueled in part by watching her parents deal with their vision loss. Her mother became increasingly helpless as her disease progressed. “I didn’t want to become like my mother,” said Thelma, “I still have too much living to do.”
     As Thelma muses about the recent changes in her life, she focuses on the attitudes of many sighted individuals. “You can’t get locked up by their expectations. They want to protect you, but it can prevent you from living your life.”
 

Upcoming Events

July 7, August 4, September 1:
Blindness Discussion Group
1-4PM at the Society

July 15 – July 24:
Summer Youth Retreat

July 15 – July 16 and July 22 – July 23:
“Taking on the Task of Living”
Senior Event

August 14 – August 20:
Senior IMPACT Retreat

October 8:
Blind Olympics

For additional information on these events,
Please visit www.societyfortheblind.org