Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance

Month: August 2016

  • The first cut is the hardest: Marlene on the chop saw

    by

    Dan Burke

    Marlene at the chop saw after her 1st cut

    … or maybe it’s not if you have a career behind you as a surgical nurse.

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  • No let-up this week – not with Seniors in Charge!

    by

    Dan Burke

    A man and woman prepare food in the kitchen

    Littleton’s 2016 Western Welcome Week, including our tours and participation in the Saturday parade, was sure a lot of fun! This week has already seen Matt complete his support drop, our canoeing trip postponed due to thunder, our first rock climbing trip today for the (really?) fall!

    Even as the 10-day Western Welcome Week celebration was winding down on Sunday, Seniors in Charge students were arriving at the McGeorge Mountain Terrace apartments for a week of taking on new challenges in blindness skills. Offered by our Senior Services staff led by Duncan Larsen, Seniors in Charge gives a week’s worth of intensive training in Braille, cane travel, technology and home management skills.… Read the rest “No let-up this week – not with Seniors in Charge!”

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  • Everybody loves the #WesternWelcomeWeek Parade!

    by

    Dan Burke

    a group of people carrying white canes walk down the middle of a street

    Students and staff are getting ready for tomorrow’s Western Welcome Week Parade – the highlight of the 10-day celebration in Littleton. After opening our doors for tours and at the same time graduating two of our students, it’s a fun way to end the week. What could be better than walking down the middle of the street to spectator applause!

    And the weather promises to be perfect!

    So keep a lookout for us in the morning on Littleton Boulevard – we’ll be showing some cane!

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  • Tuesday Morning Snapshots

    by

    Dan Burke

    a young woman in sleepshades takes her fighting stance

    While Marlene is getting ready to serve her final graduation meal (for 60) and Brigid is working on her own grad meal for tomorrow, let’s look back at Tuesday morning. Unfortunately, the extraordinary smells of both Christian’s chicken kababs and Kierra’s pot of red beans and rice cooking all Tuesday morning cannot be conveyed successfully to the reader in words or pictures. The odors wafting out of the kitchen made lots of stomachs growl. Just saying …

    Tech classes went out to the garden first thing in the morning. They brought in lots of great stuff – zucchini, an abundance of tomatillos, half a dozen eggplants and more.… Read the rest “Tuesday Morning Snapshots”

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  • Out of Chute Number 18, the Thursday CCB Tour for @WesternWelcomeWeek!

    by

    Dan Burke

    two women at the front of a group toss a a hefty goal ball back and forth

    Thursday, August 18

    3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

    That’s right, this rodeo isn’t over yet!

    If you missed the fun on Monday evening, you still have another shot tomorrow. Nearly 70 of our Littleton neighbors (and some who happened to be visiting from out of town) stopped by the Colorado Center for the Blind to find out what we’re up to at 2233 W. Shepperd Avenue. They talked with staff and students in the kitchens, the technology labs, the Braille classrooms and the Woodshop. They discussed techniques of traveling with a white cane and checked out some live goal ball action.… Read the rest “Out of Chute Number 18, the Thursday CCB Tour for @WesternWelcomeWeek!”

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  • Crunchy & Amazing: Farhan Makes Somosas for His Mini-meal!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Farhan takes Somosas out of a tall pot of hot oil

    Farhan came to the center from Pakistan because he believed that the confidence and self-reliance in our tag line mean greater independence and opportunity for him. Here he is, a little past the mid-point in his training, making really amazing (and crunchy) samosas for 15 guests, and you can feel his new confidence!

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  • A Littleton Slugger, Independent Travel, Fear and Progress

    by

    Dan Burke

    a miniature baseball bat with the CCB logo as trademark

    Warren completed his woodshop project this week. We’ll call it a “Littleton Slugger”, which he turned on the mini-lathe. He plans to have all his instructors sign it when he graduates and returns home to Philadelphia.

    Wednesday Brigid successfully completed her support drop and Marlene went on her solo drop. Oh yeah, Marlene made it back too.

    Today, Brigid is doing her Monster Route – four places she’s never been to in four Metro cities – all in one day! These big travel requirements are coming up this week because Marlene and Brigid will both graduate nextweek.

    At the other end of the spectrum, two of our newest students, John and Ethan went on their very first independent routes this morning and came back to the Center to cheers.… Read the rest “A Littleton Slugger, Independent Travel, Fear and Progress”

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  • What’s Goal Ball? Martin, Warren & Jimmy Preview Demos for @WesternWelcomeWeek!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Western Welcome Week Logo

    Western Welcome Week LogoLittleton’s Western Welcome Week starts … Well, tomorrow! Next week we will give tours and promised that we’ll do Goal Ball demonstrations in the gym, and even let guests take their turn if they like. So, Martin, Warren and Jimmy went down to the gym this week to demonstrate some basics for those who’ve never herd of Goal Ball. Maybe you’ll want to take your shots next week, or even watch the Goal Ball action during the 2016 Paralympics!

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  • Come Visit Us During Littleton’s Western Welcome Week!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Western Welcome Week Logo

    Western Welcome Week LogoTour the Colorado Center for the Blind

    We’re inviting the community in to learn how blind people do things, but our real purpose is to give folks a chance to learn that blind people are really a lot like themselves.

     

    Smiling young man prepares to board the RTD bus

    You see them all over Littleton traveling with their white canes, many wearing sleep shades. Who are they and where do they come from? They are students from the Colorado Center for the Blind, located in the old YMCA building at 2233 W. Shepperd Avenue.

    As part of WesternWelcome Week we invite you to join the staff and students for an interactive tour and learn how they do it – travel, read with those little dots, cook, use power tools, and listen to the latest podcast with their smart phones.… Read the rest “Come Visit Us During Littleton’s Western Welcome Week!”

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  • How does our garden grow? Awesome!

    by

    Dan Burke

    a smiling young woman parts green foliage to find a bulbous purple eggplant

    Every Tuesday morning a different group of Center students heads out back to our Legacy Garden to meet the Colorado Master Gardeners from Arapahoe County, and to see just what’s happening out there. Students work with the Master Gardeners to plant, cultivate and harvest the bounty. In these hot, hot days of August the lilies are done blooming, but the vegetable garden comes into its own, and it really is a bounty!

    On recent Tuesdays students have begun bringing in eggplant, zucchini (quite large), tomatoes, tomatillos, various peppers, kale, cucumbers, celery, basil and peaches! The produce is used in the kitchen in Home Management class or taken home for personal cooking by the students at the McGeorge Mountain Terrace Apartments.… Read the rest “How does our garden grow? Awesome!”

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