Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc.

To provide vision rehabilitation and eye health services that promote independence, to educate professionals, and to conduct research in related fields.
 

601 Southwest Eighth Avenue, FL 33130 · Ph: 305.856.2288 · Fx: 305-285.6967 · info@miamilighthouse.org 

     
 
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 Upcoming Events

March 14, 2010
Third Annual Miami Lighthouse Dog Walk

April 28, 2010
Music Under the Stars...Bon Appétit Miami
 

     
 
 

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Miami Lighthouse Presents Third Annual Dog Walk
To Raise Awareness of Guide Dogs

Walkers and their dogs, including guide dogs, other service animals and regular pet companions, will walk to support Miami Lighthouse Sunday, March 14 at the Shops at Midtown Miami at 3401 N. Miami Avenue.

Walkers are welcome with or without dogs. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10, followed by lots of fun events and music by our Miami Lighthouse musicians. On-site registration is $20. Download a registration and pledge form here.

Miami Lighthouse prepares blind and partially sighted people who plan to use guide dogs by providing Orientation & Mobility training; successful completion of this training is a prerequisite for attending guide dog school. Miami Lighthouse Board Director Carol P. Russo pioneered the Dog Walk and has chaired the event for three years.

We are grateful to sponsors PetSmart, Shops at Midtown Miami, The Standard Chartered Private Bank, Dunkin Donuts, Turner & Associates LLP, Frances T. King Insurance Agency, artist Romero Britto, Susan Conroy Design, OPCA, Banfield Pet Hospital, Starbucks, OXXO, Humana, Mac Parking, Azul Optics and New York Life.

Miami Lighthouse Receives Third Consecutive Four-Star Rating
from Charity Navigator

Miami Lighthouse has received its third consecutive 4-star rating, the highest rating possible, from Charity Navigator in recognition of its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances.

The notification letter states: “Only 13% of the charities rated by Charity Navigator have received at least 3 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America."

To view the full press release and the award letter from Charity Navigator: click here

NEI Award to Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children's Vision Program

The Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children’s Vision Program received one of the select national 2020 Healthy Vision Community Awards from the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institute of Health. The competitive award will provide funding to educate M-DCPS parents, counselors and teachers about the importance of early eye care by community optometrists and comprehensive eye examinations for school children who fail their school vision screening. The intended outcome of the award is to improve the return rate of parental consent forms since our network of optometrists must have a signed consent form before providing an eye examination. Last school year, the Miami Lighthouse Heiken Program provided nearly 5,000 needy children with comprehensive eye examinations and glasses when prescribed.

Miami Lighthouse Annual Board Meeting

The Board of Directors of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Inc. held its annual meeting at the Key Biscayne residence of Michael Silva, Esq., on January 27th. Mr. Silva has served in several Board governance roles for Miami Lighthouse, previously as Board Performance Oversight and Monitoring Committee Chairman and as Treasurer.

The fifty attendees at the annual meeting included Board Directors, Honorary Directors, members of the Heiken Children's Vision Program Advisory Committee, the senior leadership team of Miami Lighthouse, and Miami Lighthouse friends including the legendary Henry Stone, a former client and producer of 23 Gold and Platinum albums. Click here to read more.

Miami Lighthouse Hosts
Miami Ophthalmological Society December Meeting

On December 10, 2009, the Miami Lighthouse hosted a meeting of the Miami Ophthalmological Society. Attendees were welcomed by CEO Virginia Jacko and Dr. Henry Trattler, Executive Director of the Miami Ophthalmological Society, and heard a testimonial from MLB low vision client Wendell Beard.

Miami Lighthouse to Expand Music Inclusion Program
with John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Grant

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired will expand its nationally recognized Music Inclusion Program for young adults to include both sighted and blind talented adults, with a $125,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The Knight Arts Challenge is a five-year, $40 million initiative to help bring the South Florida community together through the arts.

The Knight Foundation award will be augmented by matching funds from the Children’s Trust and an anonymous philanthropist to double the program’s capacity to generate quality music. The enhanced music production program will enable more talented community vocalists and musicians to perform in the Lighthouse’s state-of-the-art Henry and Inez Stone music production studio.

President and CEO Virginia Jacko stated, “We look forward to the community enjoying beautiful music by both sighted and visually impaired performers working together.” Click here to read the full press release; click here to view a Channel 10 news piece about the Miami Lighthouse Henry and Inez Stone Music and Sound Studio.
 

We Did It!

$1.5 million was raised for the Incentive 1:1 Challenge announced one year ago. We are truly grateful to all the donors who participated in the match as their investment in Miami Lighthouse programs was doubled, and this helped us maintain our programs during difficult economic times. Our client participation is growing dramatically. For example, Blind Babies grew from a caseload of seven to a caseload of 98 since inception just six years ago. Our seniors have more than doubled in our SGA program, and the number of low-income schoolchildren needing our free eye care has grown from 2,500 the first year of our program merger in 2007 to almost 5,000 in the last school year. We could not meet this growing demand without our community’s investment. Thank you!
 

Miami Lighthouse Board Director Bruce Winick
Honored by the University of Miami

Bruce Winick, Esq. has been appointed the Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein Distinguished Professor of Law at his law school, the University of Miami. He also has been named as Director of the law school's new Therapeutic Jurisprudence Center, a branch of legal and interdisciplinary scholarship that Mr. Winick pioneered. To learn more about Mr. Winick, please visit his website at www.brucewinick.com.
 

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Ophthalmologists Visit Miami Lighthouse

Over 40 Ophthalmologists from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute gathered for an informative evening at Miami Lighthouse on August 26th. Moving testimonials were given by Gert Stein and Furious Berrain, both former clients and current volunteers at Miami Lighthouse. In addition, Dr. Sander DuBovy, Miami Lighthouse Board Director and Dr. Craig McKeown, Miami Lighthouse Heiken Children’s Vision Program Advisory Committee Member, spoke to guests about their involvement with the Lighthouse. Following the program, guests received personalized tours of the modern 37,000 square foot facility and our variety of programs. The event was hosted by Eduardo C. Alfonso, Professor & Chairman of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and Virginia A. Jacko, President & CEO of the Lighthouse.
 

Federal and State Legislators Visit the Miami Lighthouse

U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Visits Miami Lighthouse

On July 2nd, U.S. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen visited the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind summer camp where she watched the children performing their daily chores and participated in their camp activities. To read U.S. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen press release, please visit http://ros-lehtinen.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=499. To read an article by U.S. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen featured in Diario Las Americas, please click here.

Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation Luncheon

Twenty legislators and their representatives were greeted by Board Director, State Representative Yolly Roberson, Chairman Owen Freed, CEO Virginia Jacko and others as they jointly toured the Miami Lighthouse facility and mobile eye care units. Pictured above: State Representative Richard Steinberg; State Representative Julio Robaina, CEO Virginia Jacko, State Representative Yolly Roberson, State Representative Luis Garcia and State Representative Ronald Brisé.
 

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind received five commendations with its five year
accreditation renewal from
The National Accreditation Council (NAC) for agencies serving people with blindness or
visual impairment.
For more information, click here.
 



 



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