The Year: circa 1964 The People: Norm Kaplan, founder of Foundation for the Junior Blind, which is now Wayfinder; a client of the organization; and famed actress June Lockhart, who was an early member of the Honorary Board of Directors The Moment: A celebration of White Cane Day.
Meet an Inspiring Wayfinder Family “Tatsiana is a joy,” says Pam Chapin, program director and vision impairment specialist with Wayfinder’s Blind Babies Foundation program in Northern California. “No one can meet her without falling in love with her.” “I love Pam,” says Tatsiana, mother of Sofia, who was in our Blind Babies Foundation program for…
Regina is an extraordinary mom. She learned at an early age that she would not be able to give birth to children of her own. But she wanted a family. And she wanted to help children in need. Now Regina is foster mom to three children with special needs: two teenage sisters and a 10-month-old…
#WayfinderInternship @Cleanlogic Wayfinder is so grateful to companies like Cleanlogic! They partner with our Transition Services program to provide meaningful internships to teens and young adults who are blind or visually impaired. Debbie (center) interned at Cleanlogic this summer. “Despite the barriers I’ve encountered as a visually impaired individual, I have acquired the skills and…
Making a difference is important to you. Charitable giving is an important part of your life and your values. Like many people, you want the valuable work of Wayfinder Family Services to thrive into the future. The good news is, you don’t have to be Warren Buffett or Bill Gates to start a meaningful philanthropic…
Welcome Isaias, the newest student in Wayfinder’s Special Education School! His happiness and good nature draw everyone to him. Isaias has multiple disabilities, including vision impairment, and uses a wheelchair. His parents, Hector and Marian, chose Wayfinder’s school because it could meet their son’s different needs. “The school has more therapists in-house who can help…
Shane Aguilera got an early start on his achievements. At age 2, he began playing the piano. He started competing in the Wayfinder Paralympics (previously named the Junior Blind Olympics) when he was just 6 years old. He added guitar-playing to his talents, as well as composing his own music. And he released a solo…
“That’s not for me,” Virginia remembers thinking when she heard a radio ad encouraging people to become foster parents. “Then I felt guilty.” She asked God to give her a sign if he wanted her to be a foster parent. “The next day, I saw a great big sign saying ‘become a foster parent’ as…
Wayfinder’s Camp Bloomfield transforms the lives of children and teens with vision loss. Camp builds friendship, confidence and independence. That’s what Camp Bloomfield did for Evelyn last year. Evelyn lost her sight when she was a year-and-a-half old due to cancer in both eyes. Maggie, Evelyn’s mother, admits to being protective of Evelyn that after…
The Year: 1958 The People: Founder, Norm Kaplan, camp staff and campers gather for fun. The Moment: Children play beep baseball during the first camp held at Camp Bloomfield. Read the rest of our New Heights newsletter.
