Blind teens give back to Iowa communities during summer camp in Des Moines July 26-28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shoshana Hebshi

July 22, 2010 515.281.1338

DES MOINES—Twelve blind teenagers from across Iowa will learn the value of giving back as they prepare meals for the homeless, clean fire pits and clean up someone’s yard.

The activities are part of a three-day summer camp for blind youth put on by the Iowa Department for the Blind’s Youth Transition program. The “Dare to Care” program runs July 26 to 28, and will bring the teenagers from all corners of the state to Des Moines for various volunteer projects.

“Volunteering gives youth a sense of pride and accomplishment, helps with resume-building and teaches them transferrable job-related skills. Our students also find value in networking with individuals who can aid them in pursuing their vocational goals,” said IDB Transition Specialist Tai Blas.

These activities also build confidence and give the teenagers a chance to bond with other blind teens.

“Volunteering is a wonderful way for young people—blind or sighted—to learn about the many ways they can be of service in their communities,” said Transition Specialist Keri Osterhaus, who is helping to put on the camp. “While these kids will gain confidence in their abilities to go outside their comfort zones and do things they may have never thought they could do.”

The students will arrive in Des Moines Monday afternoon to stay in dorms at the AIB College of Business on Fleur Drive, and quickly Osterhaus and her co-worker, Tai Blas, will put them to work preparing breakfast casseroles for the Salvation Army. Those casseroles will be offered to the homeless as part of the Salvation Army’s mobile breakfast program.

Tuesday morning the teens will have an early start as they head up to Jester Park at Saylorville Lake to clean out fire pits. After lunch, they will return to Des Moines to clean up a yard belonging to an elderly client of the Aging Resources of Central Iowa.

On Wednesday, the teens will deliver the breakfast casseroles to the Salvation Army, where a staff member will discuss the importance of volunteering and what the volunteers do for the organization.

The Youth Transition Program works with blind youth ages 14 to 24, helping them to succeed in school, get into college and obtain competitive employment. Dare to Care is one of six camps offered through the program this summer. Coming up are:

August 2-4: Action Extravaganza: Recreational activities, including gardening, tandem bike riding, judo, rowing and other sports.
August 13-15: The Great Outdoors Weekend Retreat: Camping and enjoying the great outdoors by cooking over a camp fire, hiking, swimming and sleeping outdoors.

See an article and video from a science and technology camp held at Iowa State University's College of Engineering: http://news.engineering.iastate.edu/?p=2152#more-2152

For more information about this event or the Iowa Department for the Blind and its services for blind and visually impaired Iowans, contact Shoshana Hebshi, communications specialist, at (515) 281-1338 or Shoshana.Hebshi@blind.state.ia.us. Visit us online at www.idbonline.org

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