The Guideway A Publication of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind Volume 61 No. 3 Using More Than Vision to Inspire How can a blind teacher teach art? That was the question that confronted Jessica Jones, a New York City public school teacher, when she suddenly lost her sight five years ago. Now Jessica is a full-time instructor at the Lavelle School for the Blind, not only working with children who are blind or visually impaired or other special needs, but inspiring them too. Jessica was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when she was 7 years old, and had always managed the disease; in 2002, however, she suffered a detached retina. A series of surgeries over the next eight months was unsuccessful in restoring her vision; today, she is able to see light and shapes, and intense colors only. Even after she had undergone orientation and mobility training, Jessica was never comfortable with using a cane. “My big fear was that people would be watching me, and I would not be aware of them,” she says. This fear kept her all but housebound for two years. But all her doubts vanished after she got her guide dog from the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. “I had been going for O&M training when a sighted friend of mine found [the Foundation’s] flyer,” she says. She took this as a sign, applied, and completed her training in 2004. Jessica says that she bonded with her black Labrador Retriever immediately. “I had no idea how good my life would become,” she enthuses. “My life changed immediately.” With her guide dog by her side, Jessica was no longer afraid to go outside. “He brought me confidence,” she asserts. A Foundation trainer came to see how they were working after the new team returned home; this follow-up is an important part of the Foundation’s aftercare support. With her newfound self-assurance came the desire to get back to the classroom, back to doing what she loved. “I started working immediately,” she says, with after-school art programs and part-time jobs. She also got involved with a low-light photography class through the Seeing With Photography Collective, a New York City group of photographs who are blind, visually impaired, and sighted. Together with another Collective member, Jessica taught low-light photography, and after observing the art therapist at the Jewish Guild for the Blind, she decided that when she went back to teaching full-time, it would be with young people who were visually impaired. In 2006, a cold call to the Lavelle School for the Blind in the Bronx got her the chance to create an art program that would run three days a week. The program was a success, and Jessica was hired, becoming the first blind teacher at the school. (Just this year, the school hired its second blind instructor.) “The students are amazing,” she says, and everyday they learn something new. “This is why I teach,” she adds. Jessica has shown them that being visually impaired doesn’t mean they can’t accomplish anything they set their minds to, and she loves it when they ask, “We can do that?” Jessica asserts that people who are blind can create art in many different media. “Painting and drawing can be very tactile too,” she says. “For some students, tactile feedback is necessary when creating; these students need an end result such as a clay, wood, or papier-mâché sculpture. For others, a tactile result is not necessary,” she continues. The sensation of dragging a marker across paper can often be satisfying enough. In fact, she adds, because many students who are blind experience the world through their fingertips, they do not enjoy feeling paint, clay, or other materials on their hands – the wet medium comes between them and their “eyes.” A paintbrush loaded with paint is much better than finger painting; by painting circles, hitting the paper with the paintbrush, the artist is creating a very accurate picture of how they might perceive movement or a sibling’s skin, for example. One of the things Jessica has worked on with her students is to make them do things for themselves. “I will facilitate them in any way I can, but I never make the choices.” Her students have to figure out the way to do it. Every project the students create is their own work and is put on display in a gallery at Lavelle’s entrance. They are so proud of what they have accomplished. How can a blind teacher teach art? With the confidence gained from her guide dog at her side. “He’s perfect for me,” Jessica declares. “If not for him, I would not be where I am.” The photo that accompanies the article is an example of Jessica Jones’s work with the Seeing With Photography Collective. The photo is copyright Jessica Jones and Mark A./SWPC. A Message from our CEO At the Guide Dog Foundation, the needs of our consumers – people who are blind or visually impaired or who have other disabilities – are paramount as we carry out our mission to provide guide and service dogs for increased mobility, independence, and companionship. If we do not serve our consumers in the most effective manner possible, we are not fulfilling our mission. How do we go about ensuring that those needs are met? By seeking consumer input. By constantly evaluating and improving our programs. By adding programs when we see the opportunity to enhance the way we help the people who come to us for assistance. Our Capable Canine® program has allowed us to expand the ways we can serve people with disabilities. Service dog training has given our trainers new insights in guide dog training, and they have been able to incorporate those insights to better serve our blind consumers. Last year we began offering TrekkerTM, an assistive technology tool that provides enhanced orientation and mobility. When used in conjunction with a guide dog, Trekker gives the guide dog handler a new way to navigate unfamiliar territory. Our field services expansion is another way we’re reaching out. While most people come to the Foundation’s Smithtown campus to receive and train with their dog, there are some students who are more successful when they are in a familiar environment, especially those who have disabilities in addition to blindness or those with disabilities other than visual impairment. We’re very excited that this move will allow us reach more people who want a guide or service dog. An important aspect of our expanded field team is our ability to provide superior aftercare support. Now when a graduate needs some additional help working with his or her dog, one of our field services representatives can respond quickly to solve the issue before it becomes a problem. America’s VetDogs®, a new subsidiary of the Foundation that provides guide and service dogs to veterans of all eras, has met with enthusiastic support, and we are proud to serve those who have served our country. This past year has been a very exciting time at the Guide Dog Foundation, and we look forward to the new year to continue the work we do. Your support makes all of our achievements possible, and we thank you for it. Wells B. Jones, CAE, CFRE Chief Executive Officer Winter Care Tips for Dogs By Kim Stasheff As winter approaches, our puppy walkers need to be more vigilant to ensure their special canines stay in tip-top shape through the winter months, but all dog owners will find these tips useful. Remember: * As it gets colder and darker earlier, it may be harder to get out to busy” and walk your dog, but it is still important. * Be careful you and your pup don’t slip and hurt yourselves. * Be aware that snow clumps between pads can irritate them, too much time in the cold can freeze them, and eating too much snow (allowed when free running only) can lead to diarrhea. * Dogs, like us, gain weight when less active (i.e., in winter). You may need to cut their food back until they are more active again. (Puppy walkers, talk to your puppy advisor about this.) * Don’t leave pups in the car unattended! They can get frostbite, or if you leave the car running with the heat on, they can get overheated and dehydrated quickly. * Watch out for toys, small parts, batteries, wrapping paper and bows, and other decorations or cords puppies might eat or get tangled in! * Be especially careful not to let them nibble special plants that are around this time of year (poinsettias, pine needles, mistletoe, etc.) * Be mindful when you are baking, having company over, or attending parties not to let your puppy “help clean up” if something drops on the floor. This encourages scavenging, adds to your pup’s calories, and may make your pup sick. * As always, be aware of what your pup is doing at all times so friends and family don’t give the puppy people food as “treats” and so your puppy isn’t treating himself from coffee and end tables. * Be patient and aware of your pup’s reaction to new encounters such as animated figures, lawn decorations, loud noise, and crowds. People in the rush of holiday shopping may not see your pup and may accidentally bump their packages into it. Gently encourage your pup and give it space, but don’t force it into something unfamiliar. Kim Stasheff is an instructor with the Guide Dog Foundation and is focusing on the Capable Canine program. A Real Gift from the Virtual World Jenny Higgins loves dogs, and even though she was a member of Web sites that let members raise virtual horses, what she really wanted was one where she and her friends could do the same thing with dogs. So at 14 years old, she decided to develop her own. She taught herself different programming languages, and she spent about a year developing her game. “It was a lot of work,” she says, but the end result was www.furry-paws.com, a virtual dog game where members can raise, train, play with, and show virtual dogs. She expected that her new game would be limited to a few of her friends, but the day after the Web site went live, 400 people had signed up; so many, in fact, that it caused her server to crash. “Word of mouth is an amazing thing,” Jenny says, noting that one of the horse sites she used to visit posted the link to her game when that site when down for some retooling. Jenny says her aim was to make sure that the game was open to everyone who loved dogs, so the site is free, but there are some special paid benefits. Players have to be at least 13 to play on their own, and those younger than 13 need their parents’ permission. The main player base is 12 to 20 years old and predominantly female. The goal of the game is to show dogs in various categories, depending on the breed, and accumulate points. Currently, members can choose from 190 breeds and 15 different dog sports. They interact with each other through forums and a chat room and can also send private messages to talk about their dogs. Mom Connie says, “The community is great. The members really care about the game, and that is its true success.” Jenny designed the game to be as self-sufficient as possible so that she only has to go in and update it as necessary, and there are about 30 moderators to help her make sure the site stays kid-friendly. “They’re great,” Jenny says. Now 19 and a senior in college, Jenny is still involved with Furry-Paws, but “college comes first,” she declares. Although she had been studying electrical engineering, she’s now thinking of a switch to veterinary medicine. In previous years, she had used Furry-Paws to raise money for other charities, but her fundraising efforts for the Guide Dog Foundation have been the most successful by far. Jenny involves the members in the site’s charity efforts, asking for their suggestions on which charity to support. Then she creates a poll of the top give; this year, the Guide Dog Foundation came up on top. To raise money, she created a paid elite account and ran some special promotions. Members were very generous, Connie says, and she is extremely proud of Jenny’s efforts. The Web site has been a great learning experience for her daughter. Not only did Jenny learn how to deal with technology, she also learned how to deal with people. Of the more than $28,000 raised through Furry-Paws, $6000 went to sponsor a dog named Kahlem, a female golden retriever; the rest was donated for the Foundation’s general operating expenses. “My parents taught me to look for a purpose,” Jenny says. “They set a great example.” With her efforts on behalf of the Guide Dog Foundation, Jenny Higgins sets a great example herself. Photo: Jenny Higgins holding her collies Chili and Kai that she got from a collie rescue group. Chili is the Furry-Paws mascot. Photo courtesy Jenny Higgins. Raising Money for the Guide Dog Foundation By Katherine M. Fritz Fundraising through special events is a great way to support the Guide Dog Foundation’s mission. A contribution, no matter how small or how large, makes a difference for the people who are blind, visually impaired, or who have other special needs, and who seek the independence, mobility, and companionship a guide dog provides. Known as "Third-Party Fundraisers," these community-driven events include events such as * Holiday, Super Bowl, or Derby parties, and other “Donation at the Door” house parties * Birthday or anniversary celebrations where guests bring donations in lieu of gifts * Luncheon or casual dress days hosted by a company or one of its departments * Golf tournaments, music concerts, 5K races, bike-a-thons, or wine-tasting events A third-party event typically begins with an idea and plan of action that is presented to the Foundation. The group or individual completes an application and submits a signed Third-Party Contract, available from the Foundation’s Development office. Although we actively encourage third-party fundraising events, all such events must be approved by us in advance. This is an important safeguard to preserve the integrity of the Guide Dog Foundation name and our commitment to raising funds in a cost-efficient and effective manner. While we are able to provide guidance for your event, we do not have the personnel to handle the organizational and administrative tasks associated with third-party events. The event sponsor is responsible for all details of the event including underwriting all of the related costs, recruiting volunteers to help out at the event, creating flyers to publicize the event, and working at the actual event. The Guide Dog Foundation can provide your event with the following assistance: * Brochures and fact sheets, banners, etc. for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc. * A letter in support of your event or acknowledgement as an approved event. * Thank you letters to all major sponsors. * If available and when appropriate, a representative of the Foundation to attend your event. * The opportunity to share our expertise on the planning of your event. If you or your organization would like to hold a fundraising event to benefit the Guide Dog Foundation, contact the Foundation Development Office at 1-866-282-8045. Please make sure to complete our Third-Party Fundraising Form prior to your event for formal approval. We appreciate your interest in fundraising for the Guide Dog Foundation, and we look forward to working with you! Please call us with any questions you may have. Katherine M. Fritz is the associate director of development for the Guide Dog Foundation Dog Treats Photos Every summer, the Foundation hosts students from the Helen Keller Institute for a day’s outing. The students tour the campus, see what it’s like to work with a guide dog, and, of course, meet some puppies. The photo is a group shot of students from the Helen Keller Institute. * Field service representative Deena Izzo works with inmates at Metro State Prison in Georgia. The Guide Dog Foundation has partnered with the Georgia Department of Corrections and Georgia Middle Technical College in the Vision project. Select inmates train to be veterinarian technicians while they raise Foundation puppies. Volunteer “weekenders” take the dogs from Friday to Monday to expose them to situations they don’t get during the week. The photo shows Deana in the center of two rows of inmates with their puppies as she teaches a puppy obedience class. * Amanda and Vincent Manno came up with a novel idea for their recent wedding: They decided to donate the money they would have spent on wedding favors to the Guide Dog Foundation. If you’d like to do the same thing at your wedding, contact the Foundation’s Development Office at 1-866-282-8045. The photo shows Amanda and Vincent seated in the Guide Dog Foundation’s main lobby. Amanda is sitting on Vincent’s lap. The graphic at the upper right of the photo is the wedding favor card. It reads: To share the joy you have shared with us, rather than a traditional wedding favor, we have made a donation to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in your honor. * Students from all over the world come to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. During a recent class, student Deborah Prates De Barbosa from Brazil needed some translation help. We reached out to the Long Island Portuguese Lions Club, which was able to get Viviani Boggio to help out. Since 1925, Lions Clubs have been actively involved in service to people who are blind or visually impaired. The photo shows Deborah and Viviani posing at Celebration Sunday. * Members of the Mastic Fire Department are strong supporters of the Guide Dog Foundation, and every other month, the firehouse hosts a group puppy obedience class. Recently, the department donated four GPS units to the Foundation. Pictured here, left to right, are Maria Nuzzi, lead puppy advisor; and from the Mastic FD: Mike Chiappone, Mike Stallatto, Morgan Blankenship, Steve Quesada, and DJ Blankenship. In front: puppy advisors Melissa Blom and Karen Greis, and puppy office coordinator Phyllis Argyros. The photo shows members of the Mastic Volunteer Fire Department and Guide Dog Foundation puppy advisors outside the firehouse, posing around a bronze statue of a fireman carrying a child. Behind the statue is an American flag. * America’s VetDogs photos: In October, Jeff Bressler, executive vice president of America’s VetDogs joined World War II veterans Sy Lederman, Guide Dog Foundation graduate, Vincent Trypuc, and Ed Richards, VIST coordinator at the Northport VA hospital, for National White Cane Awareness Day. This special day was started by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 to foster public awareness of blind Americans. The photo shows Jeff posing with Sy, Vincent, and Ed after the day’s ceremony. * Sergeant Dennis Cline, VetDogs recipient, paid a visit to the Guide Dog Foundation’s campus over the summer to speak with Legislator Lynne Nowick of Smithtown, NY. Cline, who lost his arm in Afghanistan, always wanted to drive a race car, so Jeff Bressler, executive vice president for VetDogs and the weekend announcer for Riverhead Raceway, was able to arrange for Cline to take a few practice runs around the track. The photo shows Army Sergeant Dennis Cline sitting in a race car. He is wearing a red jumpsuit, and webbing partially obscures his face. * James “Eddie” Wright and his VetDog Valor and recently discharged Charles Parker pose with Lorena Ochoa, winner of the November 2007 LPGA ADT Championship, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Looking on from the left is Jerry Kramer, member of the board of benefactors for the Guide Dog Foundation and president of Vets Helping Today’s Returning Heroes. The photo shows Jerry, Eddie in his Marine uniform, Valor, Lorena Ochoa holding her trophy, and Charles Parker in his fatigues. Parker is on crutches; his right leg has been amputated. * 18th Annual Second Sight® Bike-A-Thon Everyone gets in the action during the 18th Annual Second Sight® Bike-a-Thon. The Suffolk County Bicycle Riders Association sponsors this annual event to raise funds for the Guide Dog Foundation. The photo shows a couple riding a tandem bike. Their daughter is riding with them; her bike is attached to the back of the tandem bike. Celeste Lopes, Guide Dog Foundation board member and guide dog user, gets ready to ride with Mark Heffron astride a tandem bike. The captain (in front) directs the action while the stoker (in back) helps pedal. A tandem bike allows people who are blind or visually impaired to participate in events like the bike-a-thon. Stuart Gelberg, a longtime Foundation supporter, arranged for the tandem bikes and lined up the volunteer captains. The photo shows Celeste and Mark getting ready to ride. Mark’s back is turned toward the camera. End of Dog Treats photos YEAR END CHARITABLE GIVING TIPS By Jeff Bressler Americans love the joy of giving to worthy charitable causes. Recent statistics show that an amazing 85 percent of all households support charities on an annual basis. This financial generosity is most evident during the holiday season. More than $240 billion have already been given to charity this year, but that figure will greatly increase as many charities receive 50 percent of their contributions in the last quarter of a calendar year and a whopping 40 percent in December alone. If you are planning to make a holiday gift to a charity this month by donating cash, stock, or securities and gain the full 2007 tax advantage of the donation, here are some helpful tips to follow. In most cases a charitable gift is deemed completed when control over the asset has been transmitted from the donor to the charity. For gifts of cash and securities, this means different things, depending on how the gift is transferred. If you are sending a gift by mail, the donation is effective on the date mailed as indicated by the postmark. Therefore, if the envelope is postmarked by December 31, the gift is credited to 2007 even if it is physically received by the charity in the first week of 2008. The postmark is the key to your deduction, not the date on the check or the date a security certificate is signed over. If you are concerned that a gift sent through the mail will not be received on time to use as a deduction on your tax return, you can physically bring the donation to the office of the charity. The day the gift is received at the charity is the effective date of that donation. Many people donate securities and stocks at year’s end, and most of these gifts are electronically transferred to the charity directly from the donor’s broker. In the case of electronic transfers, the gift becomes effective the date the funds are reflected on the charity’s bank or brokerage account, not the date you instructed your bank or broker to make the transaction. Electronic transfers can be greatly affected by volume. As we get closer to December 31 it may take several days to move your gift from one account to another. Make sure you have given yourself sufficient time to make a gift of stock or securities. Finally, take the time to do some planning while you still have the opportunity to make a year-end gift. Evaluate your tax liability for the year. Did your unearned income increase? Did you sell any appreciated assets? Will you owe more taxes? This alone may motivate you to increase your giving before December 31. Jeff Bressler is the chief marketing officer at the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Recent Graduates Sarah Badillo Guide Dog: Tabard New York Gunnery Sgt. Angel Barcenas Capable Canine Dog: Rush California VetDogs graduate Lorraine Barclay Guide Dog: Iva Ray Pennsylvania Ernestine Benizeau Guide Dog: Nicholas New York Christel Bove Guide Dog: Annie Florida Ronald Carter Guide Dog: Casey Georgia Donna Chartrand Guide Dog: Happy Manitoba, Canada Daniel DeJesus Guide Dog: Lou Connecticut Jill DeSantis Guide Dog: Twister New York Leticia Doherty Guide Dog: Buddy New York Myrna Driffin Guide Dog: Polly A New York Michael Eremita Guide Dog: Frank G Connecticut VetDogs graduate Rick Gaefe Guide Dog: Baldwin North Carolina VetDogs graduate Suzanne Glazer Guide Dog: Polly C Florida Linda Grimsley Guide Dog: Miracle Tennessee VetDogs graduate Gunnery Sgt. Mark Gwathmey Capable Canine Dog: Larry Maryland VetDogs graduate Eugene Hayford Guide Dog: Sparky Florida VetDogs graduate Hubert Hoover Guide Dog: Trek New Hampshire VetDogs graduate Linda Jones Guide Dog: Seymour New York Sally Kiebdaj Guide Dog: Ian Massachusetts Howard Levine Guide Dog: Gizmo New York Joanne Maki Guide Dog: Rosie Massachusetts Grace Marinelli Guide Dog: Alley New York Yolaine Mary Guide Dog: Augusta New York Shawnna Maxwell Guide Dog: Liz Nevada David Minton Guide Dog: Jay New York Brian Mosley Guide Dog: Mr. Jake Georgia Joseph Musil Guide Dog: Allie Florida Dana Nisbet Guide Dog: Curtis Pennsylvania Steven Obremski Guide Dog: Joe North Carolina Barbara Pastirko Guide Dog: Brocki New Jersey Rebecca Patrick Guide Dog: Bo Alabama Juan Pietri Guide Dog: Chivas New York Deborah Prates De Barbosa Guide Dog: Jimmy Brazil Karin Richards Guide Dog: Hamlet California Cheryl Roshka Guide Dog: Rocco Connecticut Kenneth Saunders Guide Dog: Casper Virginia Bernadine Schaffer Guide Dog: Candy New Jersey Deborah Shane Guide Dog: Krypto Indiana Vicki Stoughton Guide Dog: Shep Georgia Torrie Thomas Guide Dog: Happy Ohio Gunnery Sgt. Marcus Wilson Capable Canine Dog: Stanley Maryland VetDogs graduate Jeffrey Woodley Guide Dog: Polly D New York Leslie Yasner Guide Dog: Cathy New York Guide Dog Foundation Starts Tour Program December marked the premiere of the Foundation’s On Campus Talk and Tour program. Trained volunteer docents will teach your group (30 people or fewer) a little Foundation history and take you on a tour of the campus, including the training center, where you will meet some future guide dogs. To learn more, or to make a reservation for your group, contact us at 631-930-9000 or tours@guidedog.org. Food for Thought If you feed your pet Iams or Eukanuba, please save the UPC labels and send them to us. In exchange for the labels, Iams sends us coupons to buy food. Your label contributions help us tremendously in defraying the cost of feeding our special dogs. Please mail all UPC labels to Grete Eide, Director of Canine Care, Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, 371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787, and ensure that the words “Proof of Purchase” are visible on the label. Spread the word and thanks for your support! The Guideway®, the official newsletter of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.® William Krol, editor. It is available in print, on audio, and on our Web site. We welcome letters, articles, or photographs, but reserve the right to refuse any material. The Foundation’s postal address is 371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787-2976. Phone: 631.930.9000 or 1.800.548.4337. Web site: www.guidedog.org.