TRANSKRİPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:09.279
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together.
00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.960
Here's your host, Garfield Bowen.
00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:24.320
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:33.200
Today I have for you Joan Friedman with the Lighthouse for Blind of Palm Beaches, Treasure Coast, and Okeechobee.
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:34.320
How are you doing today?
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:35.600
I'm doing excellent.
00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:36.719
How about yourself?
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.159
I'm doing fantastic.
00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:41.840
Listen, we're excited to learn to learn all about you and your organization.
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:43.039
Tell us about it.
00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.159
Absolutely.
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:58.159
So Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches, Treasure Coast in Okeechobee, is celebrating 80 years of serving those who are blind and visually impaired in this part of Florida.
00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:08.719
We have been doing this since 1946, and we're excited because we have a big celebration for our 80th anniversary coming up in December.
00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:26.079
But what we do is we work with people who are emerging on blindness, babies who were born with no vision at all, and those who might have eye impairments and injuries.
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:46.239
And we have tools and technology and the best educators to really give the proper education to know how to live a full life, even with a disability of blindness or vision impairment.
00:01:46.560 --> 00:02:03.359
So we have been uh we were built actually in 1946 as part of the Lions Club, and they were the ones that kind of set the model of example of how we're going to serve this community as a nonprofit.
00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:35.439
And then we were able to create a lot of opportunities for people that wanted to go into this vocation and to have educators with the right credentialing to work with those who are blind, visually impaired, whether they be babies, children, teenagers, young adults, middle-aged adults, and seniors who are emerging through just other eye impairments.
00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:40.000
So we work from birth to end of life.
00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:59.360
And what we are excited about doing is just making the lives of those who are facing this more comfortable and knowing that life can be pretty much normal, depending upon how much you're willing to learn.
00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:16.960
And with the new technologies that are coming into play, it is making it a lot of a lot more normalization that people don't even sometimes know that people are visually impaired or blind.
00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.319
So, and we can get into that later if you would like.
00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:26.879
But we're just excited to be celebrating this um 80th anniversary year.
00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:31.759
We're doing it on December 3rd at the Pelican Club in Jupiter.
00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:41.919
We hope to have many of our past clients and people, families, and because we don't just educate maybe a child or a baby.
00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:52.319
We educate the parents, we educate the caregivers so that their lives can have the full ability to do what they're able to do.
00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:56.000
So we are just excited to be celebrating this.
00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:04.719
There's been a lot of accomplishments in history over the years, and um I'm happy to share the save the date for our big event.
00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:18.160
And um uh I'm always looking for sponsorships and partnerships, and we're just very excited to share about what we do um throughout Southeast Florida.
00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:29.040
Now I know um Ray Charles, I was watching a movie recently, and how he went to school in Jacksonville and how he's able to navigate the landscape.
00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:32.959
Um how how did you get into this business?
00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:36.800
You know, it really just kind of fell upon me.
00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:39.040
I was working at Boys and Girls Clubs of St.
00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:39.920
Lucie County.
00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:41.439
I was there for about six years.
00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:43.279
I was the development director.
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.000
And basically throughout my career, I have always been youth-oriented.
00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:50.800
I decided I was going to retire.
00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:53.439
And I didn't plan that out very well.
00:04:53.600 --> 00:05:06.879
So I said, but I have all these relationships and I know all of these amazing people that, you know, I have in my in my community engagements of the things that I've done.
00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:12.240
And I wasn't ready just to, you know, play pickleball all day or something like that.
00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:20.639
So um I reached out to some people and said, you know what, I would think about working part-time and I want to be in a different vocation.
00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:23.600
I want to work with something that I have never done before.
00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:28.720
I wouldn't mind working, you know, with people with disabilities because I haven't done it.
00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:32.160
I said veterans, whatever, you know, might come up.
00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:39.759
I would love to have the opportunity to just expand my horizons of how I work in the nonprofit world.
00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.519
So it didn't take too long, maybe a couple hours.
00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:54.800
And I got a phone call from uh Lisa Stella, who's the executive director of Lighthouse for the Blind, who was looking for somebody that had a good relationship pool in St.
00:05:54.959 --> 00:06:01.360
Lucie County because we were expanding services in greater capacity that way.
00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:11.759
So we met and I was excited to work with her, and she was excited to work with me, and we are now celebrating two years
Load full transcript
together.
00:06:12.079 --> 00:07:08.560
My 15-hour a week job has now turned into about a 50-hour a week job, and that's okay because it's not a job, it is something that I wake up and I love doing every single day, and it is an honor to be part of this organization, and it's an honor to work with the most amazing, grateful clients that it is it just brings me such joy, and I am just so happy that I can be a conduit of helping in any way that I can because it is just something that throughout my years of experience I've never seen something like this, and I'm just so grateful to be part of it during this time where there's a lot of technology that really helps create a very high-quality life for those who are blind or visually impaired.
00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:16.639
I know you mentioned um earlier that you know all this great work requires uh donor support.
00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:19.839
How do you currently uh attract your donors?
00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:24.800
How I attract the donors really is by storytelling.
00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:35.040
I have a um a lot of information where I've seen such positive outcomes from what we have done for our clients.
00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:49.759
People who really thought that their lives were going to be very um different because of their emerging um vision impairments or vision losses.
00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:58.959
They really thought that, okay, I can't drive anymore, I can't, you know, play cards anymore, I can't do this anymore or that anymore.
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:11.680
You know, it it they just were so depressed over the fact that you know life was going to change for them so rapidly because of the vision loss.
00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:25.920
And when our educators um come to talk to these individuals as we're setting them up for services, we have such a plethora of ways that we help individuals.
00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:33.919
So let's start off with babies, babies that are born with no sight at all, or very little, or vision impairment.
00:08:34.399 --> 00:09:08.960
We are notified um by either a a nurse from like a another nonprofit, like helping people succeed, or they're given our number to, you know, to help with babies, and we actually go in the home of the parents and the um, you know, who's ever working with the baby, and just kind to work with them and show them, you know, how to really have this baby grow up to be just everything that they could possibly be, and nothing's gonna stop them.
00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:23.039
And I'm gonna give you an example of one baby that we had from the very beginning of life, and her name was Lauren, and Lauren is about 28 now, and we worked with her basically with her parents from the time she was born.
00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:39.039
Well, at my last luncheon at Palm Beach, Lauren is now a state district attorney, completely blind, and is doing that to support women and children and the in Palm Beach County.
00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:46.559
And she was our keynote speaker, and through the services that she has received, she is so independent.
00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:57.840
She does have a guide dog, um, but she is just able to do so much, and that again is with the educational opportunities that we offered throughout her life.
00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:04.320
We went to school with her and showed her how to do her work and how she can do that.
00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:11.759
She went to college on her own and then came back and passed the bar for her law degree.
00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.519
So it is amazing.
00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:16.080
There's no stopping individuals.
00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:21.600
Um, she never had real sight, so she is a braille reader.
00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:30.480
And actually, when she did her keynote presentation at our luncheon this past um March of 2026, it was all in Braille.
00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:37.679
And she is such an accomplished individual, and that's only one story that you know is amazing.
00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:42.879
We have so many stories, but let me share with you some of the things that we do.
00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:45.679
We have before you before you get into that.
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:51.200
I just want to really say, wow, that's that that's really big.
00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:58.000
And um today you're on my show, but have you ever thought about doing your own podcast?
00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:00.720
People have brought it up to me.
00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:05.759
I'm not gonna say that I'm I just I'm all about serving.
00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:16.000
Um and while the podcasts are very valuable and I love doing them, I'm not sure because I just want to serve people.
00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:18.639
I love the community I'm in.
00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:27.759
I grew up in New York City in Bayside, Queens, and I'm telling you, three-quarters of my high school is out here now in Florida.
00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:40.559
And it's so nice to be back in an where, you know, being from New York and having that New York accent and you know, maybe being a little bit more assertive of an individual.
00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:58.399
And I'm so glad that I had that upbringing, but it also gave me the opportunity to channel those personality traits that I developed as a young child in a very big city and utilize it for the best way possible to help others.
00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:06.799
And while podcasts sound great, um I'm not sure that I don't want it to take me away from what I love doing.
00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:08.559
And this is what I love doing.
00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.039
I love supporting and helping others.
00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:16.000
I love watching people rise above where they never thought that they can go.
00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:18.960
And I just love being part of that journey with them.
00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:23.759
Well, Joanne, we're about out of time, but I want you to leave our listeners with one thing.
00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:24.080
Yes.
00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:30.559
One thing they should remember about the lighthouse for line off the palm beaches, treasure coast, and okechobe.
00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.279
What's that one thing you want them to remember from this?
00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:38.399
Okay, the one thing I want everybody to know we are celebrating our 80th anniversary.
00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:42.399
Please visit our website at Lighthouse for the Blind to the Palm Beaches.
00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.200
You will find out about all the things that we do.
00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:51.440
And it's um Lighthouse PB, it's lhpb.org.
00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:55.360
And I encourage you to go visit and find out all about us.
00:12:55.679 --> 00:13:04.960
And I think that you're going to be delightfully, pleasantly surprised about how many things we do to support so many in our community.
00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:08.080
And it's our honor and our privilege to do it.
00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:13.360
With those that just like pushing buttons on a phone, is there a number you like to share?
00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:16.559
Sure, they can call me on my cell phone.
00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:19.360
I pick up my phones, just so everybody knows.
00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:26.799
And it is 402, is my area code, and it's 740-8260.
00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:35.679
Do not hesitate to call me because I'll tell you anything you want to know about the lighthouse because I love talking about it.
00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.159
Well, join, it's been a pleasure having you on your show.
00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.200
I wish you and your organization the very best moving forward.
00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:42.480
Thank you.
00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.000
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:56.960
To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpttreasurecoast.com.
00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.399
That's gnptreasurecoast.com.