February Charity Spotlight: San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind

It’s time again for our monthly charity spotlight; for February we turn our focus to San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind.

This historic local non-profit organization provides rehabilitation services as well as employment for the blind in the San Antonio area. The mission is to enable blind and visually impaired individuals to live high quality, independent lives.

They do this in a variety of ways. Perhaps most notably is through the light manufacturing assembly plant that employs roughly 500 individuals—over half of whom are blind. They have contracts with military and government agencies to assemble a variety of products, from mechanical pencils to helmet chin straps.

In addition, the Lighthouse offers educational and rehabilitative services to those who are blind or visually impaired:

  • Technology training
  • School of Business
  • Job Readiness & Placement
  • Career Guidance
  • Vocational Support & Counseling
  • Summer Work Skills Program for Youth
  • Emma Freeman Scholarship

The organization also runs the Low Vision Store, a place to purchase a wide range of products like clocks, calculators and thermostats.

San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind began in 1933 as a small sewing plant on the south side of the city. 78 years later, it provides services to over 5,000 people each year. Just last year the non-profit received the Business & Ethics Award from the University of Texas-San Antonio’s Ecumenical Center.

We hope you’ll stop by the website and find out more about how this mission is helping the blind and visually impaired acquire independence with dignity, right here in San Antonio.