Second Sense

It’s all about teamwork! J.B. called Second Sense in a bit of a panic. He’s starting his new job at the VA but realized using an Uber from the south suburbs to the downtown office was not a good financial decision. J.B. has excellent cane skills but needed advice on his public transit options and some help finding all his connection points. Ta**us first called him with advice on his public transit options. His route included a car ride to the Metra, train ride to downtown, a walk to the bus stop, and finally the bus ride to a block from his new office. Then, Mandi met J.B. at the downtown Metra stop and walked him along the rest of the route. She showed him where the bus stop was, which intersections were the safest to cross, and which had audio pedestrian signals. Now, J.B. has significantly cut his transportation costs and is comfortable getting to his new office. We’re wishing J.B. great success in his new job and safe travels!

This week we teamed up with the Delta Gamma sorority at DePaul University to raise awareness about guide dogs and vision loss. The Delta Gamma’s Foundation , Service for Sight, supports access and advocacy for people living with blindness or low vision. Cyndy, Second Sense volunteer, Pam Berman from Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Kathy Austin, staff member, with their guide dogs, met with students and passersby on the steps of St. Vincent DePaul Church. Our team talked about guide dog etiquette and how best to interact with a guide dog team. When the harnesses came off, everyone got to pet these impressive guides. There were plenty of tail wags from Aaliyah, Brian, and Riley, too. Thanks to the ladies of Delta Gamma for inviting us to be a part of your Delta Dogs Day!

Yesterday at our gardening workshop we worked with a variety of herbs to learn techniques for identifying different plants. The group explored the plant’s stems to see if they were woody or herbaceous, the shape of leaves, and their fragrance. Sabiha was quick to use her Live Read app on her iPhone to read plant tags. We also talked about matching the plant’s sunlight and water needs to the conditions at home, whether it was a container on a balcony, a window box on a deck, or an in-ground, outdoor garden. Everyone got a container of herbs to grow at home.