Society for the Blind Receives $10K From City of Roseville

The City of Roseville’s Citizens’ Benefit Fund has granted $10,000 to Society for the Blind in Sacramento to support its Roseville Low Vision Clinic and provide transportation for Roseville seniors with vision challenges to attend workshops and retreats.

“Transportation is the number one barrier that people living with low vision or blindness face when pursuing resources, instruction and support, especially crossing county lines,” said Shari Roeseler, executive director, Society for the Blind. “We are so grateful to the City of Roseville for helping us keep our doors open at our Roseville Low Vision Clinic and helping us make sure residents have transportation to our workshops and retreats in Sacramento.”

Society for the Blind’s satellite Roseville Low Vision Clinic is open two days a week at 1830 Sierra Gardens Drive, but with this grant plans to increase its hours. Last year, the Roseville clinic saw 151 patients and had a month-long waiting list. This year, staff expects to see 300. The grant also will provide more than 400 rides for Roseville residents ages 55 and up to attend Society for the Blind’s workshops and retreats in Sacramento. The organization has four upcoming events, including a health and wellness seminar in July and retreats in August, September and October. For more information about the Roseville Low Vision Clinic, contact Chelsea Gray at cgray@societyfortheblind.org. For more information about transportation services, contact Pat Duffy at pduffy@societyfortheblind.org.

This is the 23rd year that the City of Roseville has awarded grants from the Citizens’ Benefit Fund, which was established with funds generated from interest earned on the invested proceeds from the sale of the former Roseville Community Hospital with the purpose of improving the quality of life for the citizens of Roseville. Since 1994, the City of Roseville has awarded $14.9 million to local nonprofits. The Roseville Grants Advisory Commission, consisting of City Council-appointed Roseville citizens, annually reviews grant applications and makes recommendations of grant awards to the Roseville City Council. For more information about the Roseville Grants Advisory Commission and city grant funds, visit www.roseville.ca.us/grants.

For 60 years, Society for the Blind has created innovative ways to empower individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential. Society for the Blind has grown from a dedicated group of volunteers that included the Lions Clubs of America to a nationally recognized agency and the only rehabilitative teaching center for a 26-county region of northern California. The nonprofit provides low-vision eye care, life and job skills training, mentorship, and access to tools to maintain independence for 6,000 youth, adults and seniors experiencing vision loss each year. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.societyfortheblind.org.