MARCH 2008
Community Paper

Lighthouse Teens News

A group of teenagers who are blind or have very low vision were guests of honor at a dance hosted by about 20 Heart of Florida United Way volunteers in January.

The teenagers were from the Transitions for Teens program at Lighthouse Central Florida, a United Way agency that is based in College Park and provides free services to blind residents from all over Central Florida.

Transitions for Teens is one of a number of programs Lighthouse Central Florida offers to local adults, teens, children and infants and their families. Through Transitisons, high school students and recent graduates who are blind learn about job hunting, cooking, budgeting, and other skills they’ll need to be independent in a sighted world.
The United Way volunteers – staff members, family and friends – gave a total of about 150 hours to plan and host the party, which included refreshments, a photo area, a DJ and dance floor, and drawings for prizes. The party was at the United Way’s Dr. Nelson Ying Center on Traylor Boulevard.

Lighthouse Central Florida, on New Hampshire Avenue in College Park, provides free vision rehabilitation services to residents of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties and The Villages in Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. Lighthouse serves adults, teens, children and infants – and their families – as they seek skills needed to be successful in a sighted world. Programs include training and rehabilitation for adults, a summer program for teens, and in-home early intervention for young children. For more information, please visit www.lighthousecentralflorida.org