Society for the Blind Receives $25,000 from M&M Whitmire Family Foundation

Grant will help seniors with vision loss remain active and independent

Society for the Blind recently received $25,000 from M&M Whitmire Family Foundation in Granite Bay to provide classes and training for seniors with vision loss and blindness. The grant will fund the group’s Senior IMPACT Project that empowers people age 55 and older with alternative, non-visual techniques and skills that enable them to perform day-to-day tasks and activities so they can maintain or increase independence.

“Our Senior IMPACT Project is life-changing for the growing number of seniors in the Sacramento region who find themselves losing their vision and are unsure of how to continue living independently,” said Shari Roeseler, executive director, Society for the Blind. “Increasingly, more seniors

Students in Society for the Blind’s Senior IMPACT Project enjoy a meal after learning to cook in the group’s new teaching kitchen, one of the skills funded by a grant from M&M Whitmire Family Foundation.

The Senior IMPACT Project includes an eight-day retreat offered monthly at Society for the Blind that gives seniors an immersion experience where they learn alternative techniques and skills to travel safely, efficiently and independently. They practice alternative techniques and use adapted tools to perform tasks of daily living including cooking, cleaning, shopping, home maintenance, organization, personal finance and more. They learn how to use the latest in assistive technology to operate computers and mobile devices for home, school and work, and they learn Braille. Participants receive individualized attention from instructors and mentors who are blind or low vision, and they have the opportunity to join in discussion groups with peers on issues around vision loss and participate in community activities. For those unable to attend retreats, Society for the Blind sends instructors to their homes to teach skills and offer resources. The Senior IMPACT Project includes monthly peer support groups for English and Spanish speakers and workshops throughout the year.

“On behalf of the M&M Whitmire Family Foundation, I would like to thank Society for the Blind for letting our foundation be a part of such a great organization,” said Jessika Cano, director of senior outreach at the foundation. “Blindness comes in various degrees and knows no discrimination. It is something that all can experience in some degree, and something we can adapt to and still have productive and great lives. Society for the Blind makes this possible by having amazing programs and a wide range of tools with great employees and volunteers willing to teach. Thanks again to Society for the Blind for continuing their support and care within our community now and in the years to come.”

M&M Whitmire Family Foundation’s mission is to assist children in need and senior care within the Sacramento area.