Dear Friend,
Fulfilled. Lives. These two beautiful words sum up what we accomplish, with your help, every day at Braille Institute.
For those of us lucky enough to work or volunteer here, we’re able to witness lives fulfilled on a daily basis…like the life of Jacky Garcia, herself visually impaired, who takes delight in introducing braille books to children who are just learning how to read; or Jeffery Aaronson, age 75, a student thankful to Braille Institute for helping him understand he is no longer alone.
Stories of hope, stories of struggle, and stories of triumph abound, and are featured in this special issue of Light magazine. Stories like that of baby Chloe Padilla who now glows with a light that shines because Braille Institute has given her parents tools and strategies to understand and encourage Chloe’s development; or Celia Montes, a student who says that our free programs and services dramatically changed her perspective on life and made it very clear that she has a future full of potential and purpose.
Key program statistics and financial highlights on the following pages reflect the time tested foundation of excellent leadership of our governing board, the generous financial support of donors, the amazing hearts for service of our volunteers, and the superb daily work of our staff.
While we’re very proud of our program numbers and our strong financial management, as they are fundamental to what we do—we realize that our true accomplishments are represented by the fulfilled lives of the thousands of blind and visually impaired people, and their families, that we assist each year.
Thank you for everything you do to energize the powerful mission of Braille Institute. We look forward to your continued support!
George E. Thomas, Chair; and Peter A. Mindnich, President
