Horizons for the Blind Posts

Horizons for the Blind will participate with thousands of other non profits on #GivingTuesday. Please consider making your donation on November 28, 2017. Donations may be made through our DONATE button located on the Help Horizons menu tab at the top of our website and at the bottom of our website.

Horizons for the Blind celebrated turning 40 in style! This special milestone was held on March 11, 2017 at the Boulder Ridge Country Club. The evening  buzzed with excitement and was attended by Horizons staff, family, friends and members of the community. This has been a whirlwind of a year so far.

Image: Founder and Executive Director Camille Caffarelli stands behind a podium as she addresses the guests of our 40th dinner celebration.

Friday, October 07, 2016
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Horizons for the Blind
125 Erick Street, A103
Crystal Lake, IL
Directions

Price: $35.00 to $40.00 —$35 Advance Reservations. $40 At The Door.

Horizons for the Blind will be hosting our 2nd Annual Wine and Beer Tasting fundraiser on Friday, October 7th from 6:00PM – 9:00 PM.

Our event will feature a variety of wines and beers for sampling. Non–alcoholic beverages and appetizers will also be served. A live auction will take place during the event with thousands of dollars in items up for bidding. Advance reservations are available for $35. At the door pricing is $40. Proof of age will be required. The event will take place at Horizons for the Blind. To make an advance reservation, contact Michelle at 815-444-8800.

Contact Info
Lisa Dahlke
Horizons for the Blind
lisa.dahlke@horizons-blind.org
815-444-8800

Beginning this month, Horizons will be the new producer of DIALOGUE, a quarterly magazine published by Blindskills. We are proud to announce this new relationship, because DIALOGUE is a flagship publication for the blind and visually impaired community. The fact that Blindskills chose Horizons as its new producer speaks to the quality reputation Horizons has within our community.

DIALOGUE is primarily written by and for visually impaired people. It has been published for over 50 years. Every issue includes tips on adapting to life with low vision, techniques for easier daily living, career interviews, recreation and sports, technology reviews, and descriptions of new products and services designed for people with visual impairments

The quarterly issues of DIALOGUE are available in braille, large print, cassette, digital cartridge, and email formats.

A sample issue of DIALOGUE may be obtained free of charge. For a copy, to obtain pricing information, or to place a subscription order, simply contact Blindskills Inc. at 503-581-4224 or via Email to request one

Update:

Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam visited Horizons for the Blind recently. Congressman Roskam met with the Board of Directors and Executive staff and then toured the facility. The staff also met with the Congressman who fielded questions about social security, accessibility for people who are blind and visually impaired and a variety of other topics.

Horizons is excited to announce that it will be hosting the Hon. Peter Roskam of the US House of Representatives for a tour and town hall meeting on August 18. We were contacted by Rep. Roskam’s office, inquiring if we might be interested in such an event. Naturally, we are very thrilled. It is great to have an opportunity to show what we are all about at Horizons.

The congressman’s visit is scheduled to last about an hour. We will give him a tour of our facility and he will have the opportunity to meet with Camille and some board members. There will also be a full staff meeting, with opportunities for all to address questions to Rep. Roskam.

Horizons is pleased to begin processing statements for several new companies in the financial services and communications sectors in the next few weeks. Horizons has long supported many of the largest financial services and communications companies in the United States, giving us particular expertise in these areas. The processing of customer statements and correspondence for these new clients will be phased in over the next several weeks.

When asked about the new clients, Camille Caffarelli, Horizons Executive Director, said, “We have a lot of experience working with the banking and communications industries. We do work for a substantial number of clients in many industries. Mostly I am proud that they put so much trust and confidence in us to prepare their braille, large print, and audio formatted statements.”

Does Caffarelli see any impact on the rest of Horizons current clients?  “Not really. We are always up to the task of adding new clients. We have handled new business practices before and our staff is extremely professional.”

What Caffarelli is most proud of is Horizons’ ability to provide work for blind and visually impaired employees. Over half of Horizons’ staff is made up of people with disabilities.   Nationwide, the unemployment rate for visually impaired adults is about 60 percent.

The names of the particular clients are withheld from our public announcements. This is in respect for the confidentiality of our clients and the privacy of their customers.

Asked why Horizons did not identify the new clients specifically Caffarelli said, “I wish we could. It would be great if we could name all the large companies we do work for. But, we respect the extremely confidential nature with which they treat their customers. Knowing that they trust us with that, is far more important than name dropping.”

This represents a great opportunity for Horizons to consolidate its position as a leading provider of transcription services to the financial industry. Horizons has other financial institutions evaluating its operation and hope to add more of them in the coming months.

Horizons for the Blind sponsors the Weekenders, an outreach social group for people who are blind and visually impaired. Each month, The Weekenders travel throughout Chicagoland to seek out interesting and engaging activities in the area. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and make friends.

The group is open to the public, we encourage you to join us and invite your friends as well. Call Terri at 708-705-8720 or 815-444-8800 to ask about joining. Dues for The Weekenders are $10 a year. The following details are also available on the telephone information line, 815-444-8800 ext. 4.

Here are the most recent upcoming events, to see more go to the Full Weekenders Calendar.

January Event
Date and Time: Friday, January 26, 2018 at 5:30 PM
Activity: Ranalli’s of Andersonville
Where: 1512 W. Berwyn, Chicago
Details: Food will be off the menu. Transportation will not be provided for this event.
Cut off date: Monday, January 22. If attending, contact Jess at 815-444-8800 x232.

February Event
Details coming soon!

For suggestions, questions or comments regarding the Weekenders group, or to make reservations for events, call 815-444-8000 or 800-318-2000  To hear this information on the telephone information line, call us at 815-444-8800 ext. 4.

Want to see what else is coming up? Check out the Full Weekenders Calendar.