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Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MLB), an organization providing hope, confidence, and independence to its program participants of all ages through education, training, research, and vision enhancement, marked a historic milestone of 95 years of service with its Diamond Anniversary Celebration hosted on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.
The sold-out crowd of community leaders heard from MLB President and CEO, Virginia Jacko, about the Board of Directors commitment to sustain and grow for another 95 years. Jacko announced a two-year campaign to raise $9.5 million to continue the legacy of transforming the lives of blind babies to seniors affected by uncorrectable vision loss for the next 95 years. A “Matching Team” of philanthropists have already committed a $4 million contribution to MLB’s donation goal.
“We share our deepest gratitude to our past and current donors who contribute to MLB’s growth and achievements as they champion for our program participants,” said Jacko.
As the largest nonprofit in Florida and a national and international leader serving the blind and visually impaired, MLB programs are mission-driven and developed according to participants’ needs, utilizing best-practices, and research-based approaches to provide access to education, employment, critical eye care, rehabilitation, and technology literacy.
Serving over 25,000 program participants annually, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind celebrates the impactful ways it has made a difference throughout the decades:
– In the late 1920s, blind activist Dolly Gamble along with her friend Helen Keller enlisted the Miami Lions and Miami Rotary clubs to help the blind achieve independence. From their efforts, the Florida Association of Workers for the Blind, which would later be called Miami Lighthouse, was born.
– In July 1993, under the leadership of then–board president William L. Morrison, MLB announced a major three-year capital expansion, with a $3-million campaign. It was MLB’s first major facility expansion in its Little Havana location, and included the lobby, the Sixth Street entrance, and a garage for Lighthouse transportation vehicles. The building would expand to comprise four stories—with the third and fourth floors completed in 2007 and 2014 respectively, under the leadership of President and CEO, Virginia Jacko.
– In 2003, MLB introduced its Blind Babies Early Intervention Program to provide a nurturing learning environment for babies with visual impairments. To serve the growing population and need of early intervention for the blind and visually impaired community, this initiative would evolve to become Florida’s only fully inclusive early education program for visually impaired early learners with the launch of MLB’s Academy for Early Learners and Early Elementary Schoolchildren.
– In November 2023, President and CEO Virginia Jacko was featured in The New York Times in “Profiles of Change: For 7 Women, a Heartfelt Cause Became a Mission–Virginia Jacko, Accessibility and Education.”
– Throughout 2023, MLB’s statewide Florida Heiken Children’s Vision program provided the “gift of sight” to 18,000 low-income schoolchildren who received dilated eye exams and prescription glasses at no cost to their families.
For more information about the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, please visit https://www.miamilighthouse.
About the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
