Lions For the Blind Project

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Lions For the Blind Project

• Located at

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired
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Lions Home for the Blind

• History
• The Lions Home for the Blind was incorporated on
  July 24, 1974 founded by Lion Oscar Vidal and
  other Lions from Cuba and South Florida.
• For 29 years The Lions Home for the Blind
  provided daily care for low-income blind persons
  living in Miami-Dade County.

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In 2006 Lions for the Blind moved its activities
to the modern facility of the Miami Lighthouse
for the Blind and Visually impaired
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Social Group Activities is a Lions Project

• As a result the Home was closed, the blind
  joined the Miami Lighthouse, and a special
  department for Social Group Activities was set
  up, headed by the same teacher who had been at
  the Home, Lion Nelba Gonzalez.

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• Lion Nelba studied in Cuba and got her degree in
  accounting in 1985. In 1990 she applied and got a
  position at The National Rehabilitation Center
  for The Blind and visually impaired in Cuba,
  where she was trained by Norwegian specialists
  in teaching blind and visually impaired people.
• This training qualified her to teach activities
  such as Orientation and Mobility, Personal
  Management, Braille system in Spanish and other
  skills that were needed to provide training in
  rehabilitation of the blind and visually
  impaired.
• In 1991, she received additional training in
  art therapy specializing in teaching arts and
  crafts to blind and visually impaired people.

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• When she left Cuba in 2004 she was hired by The
  Lions Home for the Blind and has continued to
  work with the blind and visually impaired at
  Miami Lighthouse.

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The move made it possible to expand from serving
25 primarily Hispanic blind adults to over 150
adults
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Lions for the Blind Project at Miami Lighthouse
serves people from all over the world living in
South Florida 70 Hispanic, 15 African American
and Haitian and 15 Others. This would not have
been possible at the old facility.
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• Lions for the Blind provide all the materials
  for the art classes and also sponsor field trips
  and social events for our blind clients.

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Lions for the Blind Project provides 8 hours of
daily activities for blind and visually impaired
persons
Ceramic Class
Painting
Arts and Crafts
Macramé
Jewelry
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Lunch and coffee break

• Exercise class

Music class
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• The Lions for the Blind Project also provides
  materials for classes during the summer months
  for children. This past year a ceramic pillar
  hand made by blind and visually impaired
  children's was created in honor of all Lions and
  entitled The art of love.

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• Low-income blind do not have access to as many
  social events as the sighted population so bingo
  parties, picnics, fieldtrips, health fairs, the
  Calle Ocho Carnival, Thanksgiving Dinner for 200
  persons and other community events including
  Coral Gables Spanish Heritage Festival are
  encompassed in the Project.

Social Group Activities clients interacting with
the community at Social Events
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• Each year Lions Project for the Blind
  co-sponsors the Lions White Cane Day celebration
  which includes a fund raising Walkathon on Calle
  Ocho, a section of which is closed off by the
  City of Miami Police and Fire departments for
  blind walkers and their supporters to raise
  awareness for the White Cane Safety Laws.

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• Lions Project for the Blind utilizes its
  501(c)(3) status to assist the Lions District and
  participating Clubs to obtain grants which they
  could not have obtained on their own. Among them
  each year multiple grants are received for the
  Back to School Project with Lions Project for the
  Blind assistance.

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• The newest annual event is a Sunday afternoon
  Dinner Dance for over 150. Lions Project for the
  Blind is the only entity in the county organizing
  social events especially for the blind.

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We invite you to visit
Lions for the Blind project is located on the
second floor of the Miami Lighthouse for the
Blind and Visually Impaired 601 SW 8th Avenue,
Miami Florida 33130 For more information
contact Lion Nelba Gonzalez Ph 305-856-2288
Cell 786-294-8912 Email ngonzalez_at_miamilighthouse.
org
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• Credits
• Text Lion Alan Campbel
• Photos Lion Cameron Sisser
• Animation Lion Nelba Gonzalez
• Music by Singer
• Natalia Sulca
• Blind graduate of the Miami Lighthouse
• Better Chance Music Production Program