Donate

GIVE THE GIFT OF HOPE

Losing your eyesight is one of the most traumatic experiences that could happen to a person. 

Imagine if you woke up one morning and could not  see anything. 

What would you do?  Where would you go for help?

Independence for the Blind of West Florida and the Florida Division of Blind Services are here to offer support and guidance to those who are experiencing vision loss.  All the services offered at Independence for the Blind are free of charge, and WE NEED YOUR HELP IN FUNDING OUR PROGRAMS!

By donating to Independence for the Blind you are helping hundreds of visually impaired and blind individuals living throughout Northwest Florida.  You can make a difference in someone's life by contributing as little as $10 a month. 

What will my gift help fund?

  • Hours  of instruction in reading &  writing Braille, labeling techniques, & safe food preparation.
  • Summer Transition, a 16 day summer camp for blind and visually impaired teenagers.
  • Monthly recreation & leisure activities for blind and visually impaired  teenagers.
  •  Orientation and Mobility training, which gives blind people the skills & confidence to safely travel in their surroundings.
  • Assistive technology instruction in computer skills & screen-reading software.

 

Ways you can give to Independence for the Blind:

  • Purchase a memorial brick in Jean's Garden  
  • Purchase a leaf, acorn, or rock for The Giving Tree in the lobby of the C.W. Gemmill Learning Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
  • Purchase a Braille Charm from Susan Campbell Jewelry.
  • The next time you renew your license plate, purchase a State of Vision License Plate plate, $19 will be donated to IB West
  • Attend the Eye Ball in March of each year
  • Purchase raffle tickets for the Angels on the Beach Getaway in May or June of each year

  • Make a cash donation to the organization to assist in training supplies and operating expenses

  • Purchase items listed on our wish list-see below.

    • Our Wish List

    • A car or a contract with a rental car agency for outreach and itinerate services
    • Gas cards for transportation (we serve a ten county area and much of our training provided is at the clients’ homes or in their communities)
    • New or slightly used CCTVs, computers, laptops, digital recorders, and tape recorders
    • Blank tapes
    • 20/20 pens
    • Bump dots
    • Talking watches and clocks
    • New Perkins Braille typewriter paper
    • Slate and styluses and paper
    • Large print reading materials and books on tape/cd for Library of Hope
    • Four large bookshelves for the Library of Hope
    • Arts and craft supplies
    • Writing guide kits
    • Canes (both support and long folding)
    • Cooking class supplies (food-list of meal plans can be provided, cleaning supplies, utensils, pots and pans, cutting boards)
    • 3 Murphy beds and bedding for each for training
    • Lifetime round tables for classes and support groups
    • 2 big screen T.V.s for classes
    • 2 LCD projectors and portable projection screens
    • Copy/ printer paper
    • Ink Cartridges (HP Black 96, HP Color 97)
    • Basic office supplies (pens, paper clips, push pins, tape, staples, scissors, post it notes, CD-R’s for training, manila folders)
    • Plain white polo short sleeved shirts, size S, M, L, XL, XXL, and XXXL
    • Paper towels, toilet paper, air freshener

     

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF INDEPENDENCE FOR THE BLIND.  IT IS CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE.

 

~TOGETHER, WE ALL CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE~