Dining in the Dark!
Flexible: 2022
What’s better than a nice brunch after a long work week? Help the Teens in the Saturday Youth Transition Program prepare and eat a real NYC Brunch, with a fun twist! Volunteers will work with a group of teens to prepare different courses of a New York brunch! During this event, the teens will learn about the components of a brunch, how to prepare a room for a meal event, how to set the table and how to lead conversations during a social gathering. The event will also function as a fun test of low vision eating skills, as the teens, plus any volunteers who want to join, will be blindfolded for the meal. This will simulate the experience of the wildly popular “Dining in the Dark” series, and help the teens practice the eating and dining skills they will have learned in our program. Bring your appetite and witty repartee!
Financial Contribution: $700 (meal components)
Volunteers Required: 10
Date: TBD2022
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Dining Etiquette, Making a Good Impression
Summertime, Weekdays; School year, Saturdays – Flexible Dates
What’s better than a nice lunch after a long work week? Help the teens in the Saturday Youth Transition Program learn the rules of a dining experience, then support them as they put the lesson into practice. You will conduct a training session on the rule of dining (curriculum included) complete with interactive opportunities for role playing. Then, using human guide techniques, accompany the teens to a location for a dining experience. During this event, the teens will learn about the components of a meal, how to set the table and how to lead conversations during a social gathering. The activity will help the teens practice the eating and dining skills they will have learned in our program. Bring your appetite and witty repartee!
Financial Contribution: $1500
Volunteers Required: 10
Date: October – May Saturday’s only; Summer Monday – Friday
Time: 10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Host a Tour of Your Company for Teens!
Saturday’s October – December 2022 and April –May 2023 ; Weekdays Summer 2023
Open a world of new career possibilities for the students in the Saturday Youth Transition Program! We invite you and your team to organize a tour of your company that will create awareness of the different of occupations it takes to run your business. Give our students an opportunity to experience your work environment, hear about the different jobs known and unknown that it takes to run the business. Finally share the skills and course work necessary to succeed. The event will include time for icebreakers and lunch, where there will be an opportunity for one-on-one interactions with the teens.
Financial Contribution: $600-800 depending upon location (transportation and/or lunch) flexible
Volunteers Required: TBD by group
Date: Flexible.
Time: 9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Your company
Fall Festival ~ Seniors
October 21-27, 2022
Celebrate the beauty of fall with our Adult Day Health Care program! You will host a series of activities that reflect the season and encourage creativity, movement, and intellectual stimulation. Your team will lead the program participants in activities that include pumpkin decorating, seasonal trivia, games and more.
Financial Contribution: $1000
Volunteers Required: 15
Date: October 21-27, 2022
Time: 9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street @ West End Avenue.
Tandem Ride With a Teen who is Visually Impaired!
Saturday, May 2023
The Youth Transition Program supports teenagers 14 – 18 years of age who are visually impaired. The participants are provided with opportunities for personal growth and increased self-sufficiency with activities that refine independent living skills. We created this opportunity to give the gift of a bike ride to a teen with vision loss. The Tandem Ride event encourages the spirit of teamwork, lifts up the importance of physical activity and creates new possibilities for what can be done by a person who is visually impaired. Volunteer participants will learn sighted guide techniques and how to ride a bike in tandem. Prior experience riding a bike is required.
Financial Contribution: $2500
Volunteers Required: 15
Date: Saturday, May 2023 (date is flexible)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Central Park and TBD.
Spa Day for Our Older Adult Clients
(TBD) 2022
When you are an older adult with vision loss and chronic conditions, anytime is a good time for a spa day! We are creating an integrated volunteer day of pampering and are asking for your support to help make this event a reality by providing a team of volunteers to serve as sighted guides, host activities and serve refreshments between spa appointments and more during a day of beauty and wellness.
Financial Contribution: $600
Volunteers Required: 12
Date: 2022 (TBD)
Time: 9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue
Halloween Party ~ Seniors
October 31, 2022
Have a ghoulish good time with our adult program participants as a sponsor for the annual Halloween Party! You will host spooky activities, provide light refreshments, dance with them on the dance floor, judge the costume contest and more.
Financial Contribution: $1000
Volunteers Required: 10
Date: October 31, 2022
Time: 9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Locations:
- Manhattan GuildCare, 250 West 64th Street @ West End Avenue.
- Albany/Latham GuildCare, 30Century Hill Drive, Suite 2, Latham NY 12110
- Niagara Falls GuildCare, 4520 Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
- Buffalo GuildCare 1170 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209
Tandem Ride with a Teen who is Visually Impaired
Saturday, 2022
The Youth Transition Program supports teenagers 14 – 18 years of age who are visually impaired. The participants are provided with opportunities for personal growth and increased self-sufficiency with activities that refine independent living skills. We created this opportunity to give the gift of a bike ride to a teen with vision loss. The Tandem Ride event encourages the spirit of teamwork, lifts up the importance of physical activity and creates new possibilities for what can be done by a person who is visually impaired. Volunteer participants will learn sighted guide techniques and how to ride a bike in tandem. Prior experience riding a bike is required.
Financial Contribution: $2200
Volunteers Required: 15
Date: 2022 (date is flexible)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Central Park TBD
Got Talent? How About Entertaining Seniors?
Date is Flexible
Is there a dancer, singer or other performer in you yearning to break free? This may be your chance. We are interested in having an integrated variety show for our Adult Day Health Care Program. Our clients will perform as well. Your team needs to come ready to perform. We can arrange a two hour show in the morning or a one hour show in the afternoon with time before and after to interact with the seniors, event set up, event breakdown and if necessary escorting seniors around the venue.
Financial Contribution: $200 (Flexible)
Volunteers Required: 8 -15 depending upon the number of performances.
Date: Flexible
Time: Either 9:30 am – 1:00 pm or 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue
Take A Teen Who is Visually Impaired Bowling
November 2022 – May 2023
Join a group of 23 teenagers who are visually impaired or blind for an afternoon
bowling! After receiving a short training on sighted guide techniques, you will assist. Lighthouse Guild staff by guiding the teens from Lighthouse Guild to the bowling alley. You will be paired with a teenager for the trip to the bowling alley, during bowling and on the trip back to Lighthouse Guild for dismissal. You will share a pizza lunch with the teens at the bowling alley.
Financial Contribution: $2300
Volunteers Required: 12
Date: TBD Saturday (November 2022 – May 2023)
Time: 9:00 am – 2:45 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street @ West End Avenue
Lighthouse Guild Annual Holiday Celebration
December 2022
Make the Holiday season brighter for the participants in our Saturday Youth Programs and Adult Day HealthCare Programs. We invite corporate and community volunteer groups as well as individual volunteers to sponsor a student or senior and provide a personalized gift package for each.
The candidate’s identifying information is provided at the time of sponsorship. To sponsor a student or senior, contact Renita Carter at CarterR@lighthouseguild.org .
Date: December 2022
Place: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Park Outing for Young People with Vision Loss
May 2023
In The Saturday Youth Skills Program boys and girls ages 6 -13, who are blind or partially sighted, come together to learn, play and socialize through the Lighthouse Guild Saturday Youth Skills Program for School-Aged Children. Activities, ranging from adaptive computer training to table games, to parent and peer counseling — as well as local trips — are designed to help youngsters achieve greater academic, personal and social success in their mainstream schools. Join a group of 30 youths who are visually impaired or blind for a walk to Central Park and engage them in activities such as kickball followed by lunch. Assist Lighthouse Guild staff by guiding the teens from headquarters to the park using sighted guide techniques, physically demonstrating body movements, assisting with lunch distribution and cleanup and escorting the group back to headquarters. If you have any special skills or hobbies that might make a fun group activity such as drum or guitar playing, we look forward to hearing them!
Financial Contribution: $700
Volunteers Required: 10
Date: Flexible on a Saturday
Time: 9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Celebrate International Culture Day!
May 2023
Celebrate diverse cultures with our Adult Day HealthCare Program! Our Adult Day Health Care program provides support to people with vision loss and chronic medical conditions. The support includes companionship, activities, nutrition, healthcare and therapy. A team of volunteers is needed to support this event by running the activities that celebrate various cultures including those of the program participants. and helping to engage the clients in the different activities.
Financial Contribution: $700
Volunteers Required: 12
Date: May 2022
Time: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm or (9:30 am – 1:00 pm)
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Teach Teens to Dress for Success Professional Attire Fashion Show / Try-On Event
January – May 2023
We need a team of volunteers to find creative ways to explain attire guidelines (formal, semi-formal, business, business casual, and casual) to our teens in the Saturday Youth Transition Program. At the conclusion of the event, the teens should know the difference between the different categories and have an opportunity to see/touch, try on or see a fashion show of the different categories for a work environment. Use the lunch break as an opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with the teens. This is an ideal opportunity for an organization with image consultants as a part of their team.
Financial Contribution: $600 (transportation and lunch)
Volunteers Required: TBD by group
Date: Flexible;November – April 2022 – 2023
Time: 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Location: Your company or on site at Lighthouse Guild
Spring Awakening with the ADHC Program
(Flexible) April 2023
It spring, when the trees are blooming and spirits are reborn! It is a good time for a special day to revive the spirits of our clients in one of our programs! To celebrate spring let’s revive spirits for the season with games, trivia and a planting session for the participants in the Adult Day Health Care Program
Financial Contribution: $650
Volunteers Required: 15
Date: April 2022 (Flexible)
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm or 9:30 am – 2:30 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Career Services Mock Interviews
May, October & December
Our Career Services program provides training and assistance for people who are visually impaired and looking for a job. An important part of this service is preparing clients for the interview including practicing traveling to an unfamiliar location for the interview. We are looking for a group of corporate volunteers who are willing to conduct mock interviews for these program participants at their place of work. Each session consists of approximately five participants. At most we would require one staff person per student for the mock interviews which would take no longer than 30 minutes each. At most 6 staff members or at least 2 or 3 staff persons would conduct more than one interview. The event can end with a 30 minute debrief for a greater learning experience. The students would be accompanied by 2-3 Career Services Counselors.
Financial Contribution: None
Volunteers Required: 6
Date: 4 times annually
Time: TBD
Location: Your corporate office
Teen Empowerment Conference
November 2022 – May 2023 (Flexible Saturdays)
A diverse team of corporate professionals will lead a series of 45-minute workshops for visually impaired teens on a variety of topics that will empower them in three ways. They will: 1. be able to find more value in their academic work, 2. begin to prepare for the work world and, 3. develop a foundation for a financially responsible life. The topics will include:
- Financial readiness. The components of a paycheck and the need for a budget. (2 volunteers)
- Mock interviews, the right and wrong things to do during job interviews. (4 volunteers)
- The world of work. How the classes you take now lead to careers. (3 volunteers)
- Workplace attire; what’s right, what’s wrong. (4 volunteers)
- Selling yourself, how to create your elevator speech. (4 volunteers)
Financial Contribution: $1,070
Volunteers Required: 17
Date: Flexible:
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street at West End Avenue.
Create Activity Boxes for Seniors (Virtual or On-site, Albany. Niagra Falls, Buffalo)
Flexible 2022-2023
We all know how the pandemic has changed how we interact and engage with one another. While others are loosening guidelines, restrictions for vulnerable populations like seniors, are still in place. The Lighthouse Guild Adult Day Health Care program provides support to vulnerable people with chronic medical conditions and functional vision impairment. The support includes companionship, activities, nutrition, healthcare and therapy in the form of engaging activities. Activities that come with restrictions as well. To ensure that we can still create fun activities while ensuring social distance, we would like to create activity boxes for the Adult Day HealthCare Program participants. A team of volunteers is needed to create these activity boxes for the 34 program participants in Albany/Latham, New York, 76 program participants in Buffalo, New York or 46 program participants in Niagara Falls, New York. The boxes will ensure that each participant has their own resources to be fully engaged in activities. Volunteers will receive an orientation that will raise awareness about the importance of the mission of Lighthouse Guild. The orientation includes human guide training that will enhance volunteers’ ability to be an advocate for people with vision impairment.
Financial Contribution: $ 2,500
Volunteers Required: 15-25
Date: Flexible in person or virtual 2022
Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm or 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm (flexible)
Locations:
- Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street @ West End Avenue.
- Albany/Latham GuildCare, 30Century Hill Drive, Suite 2, Latham NY 12110
- Niagara Falls GuildCare, 4520 Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
- Buffalo GuildCare 1170 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209
Senior Program: Casino Game/Craft Day for Seniors
Flexible 2022-2023
The Adult Day Health Care Program of Lighthouse Guild needs a team of 10 volunteers to help our visually impaired senior citizens by engaging them in activities that create physical, mental, and creative stimuli. The Adult Day Health Care program provides support to people with a diagnosed chronic medical condition, and a functional vision problem. The support includes companionship, activities, nutrition, healthcare and therapy. We need a team of volunteers to assist the staff create a special day and manage a combination of activities which physically, mentally and creatively challenge them as well as gives them that special day to look forward to. We would like to have a casino game day complete with horse racing, roulette, black jack and the like. For the program participants. The activity would take place between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm.
Financial Contribution: $700 (appx)
Volunteers Required: 12
Date: Flexible
Time: 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Locations:
- 250 West 64th Street @ West End Avenue, New York, NY 10023.
- Albany/Latham GuildCare, 30Century Hill Drive, Suite 2, Latham NY 12110
- Niagara Falls GuildCare, 4520 Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14305
- Buffalo GuildCare 1170 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209
Senior Olympics
May 2023
The Adult Day Health Care Program would like to have a Senior Olympics. This will be a day of fun activities of various levels where seniors will compete with their peers. The Adult Day Health Care program provides support to people with a diagnosed chronic medical condition, and a functional vision problem. The support includes companionship, activities, nutrition, healthcare and therapy. A team of volunteers is needed to support this event by running the activities and coordinating the competitions and the awards ceremony.
Financial Contribution: $ 600
Volunteers Required: 12
Date: May 2023 (date is flexible)
Time: 9:30 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Lighthouse Guild, 250 West 64th Street @ West End Avenue.
Bring Our Reading Program to Your Location
Weekdays/On Going
Do you want to bring an on-going service opportunity to your company? The Reading Services Program is looking for locations for visually impaired adults to Do you want to bring an on-going service opportunity to your company? The Reading Services Program is looking for locations for visually impaired adults to have 1- or 2-hour reading sessions with a volunteer. The mission of this program is to ensure that printed material-for personal, educational or professional use is accessible to people who are visually impaired. The client will provide the reading material. The content can range from personal mail to newspapers, magazines, mail books, and textbooks, class notes and research materials and a wide variety of business documents. To participate, the company must provide a private space for the reading pair to read that is available at the same time each week. Access to a computer, printer or WiFi is ideal. The minimum commitment is at least six months.
Visionary Partner Program
Lighthouse Guild’s Visionary Partner Program offers numerous levels by which corporations can have an immediate, positive impact on the lives of people who are visually impaired. For more information about this program, please contact Cheryl A. Pemberton Graves at Gravesc@lighthouseguild.org . Examples of these opportunities can be found below.
- Music Education with Lincoln Center for the teens in the Saturday Youth Transition Program – Through musical performances Lincoln Center Education’s mission is to enrich the lives of students by providing opportunities for engagement with the arts onstage, in the classroom, digitally, and in the community.
Donation: TBD
- Youth Programs – We welcome corporate sponsorship and participation for recreational, cultural and educational activities during the hours of 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, on Saturday that support the programmatic agenda of developing well-rounded, confident and independent teens . Past events have included Tandem Bike Rides, Career Prep workshops and bowling outings.
Contact Cheryl A. Pemberton-Graves to register your corporate team and identify an available activity GravesC@lighthouseguild.org
More Information
For more information about the Visionary Partner Program, please contact Cheryl A. Pemberton Graves at gravesc@lighthouseguild.org.
Thank you for your generous corporate and volunteer support!