Eye Shine Foundation

Eye Shine went on a pre-Earth day hike this afternoon at Historic Yates Mill County Park. Despite the chilly weather, we had great time AND ended with ice cream from NC State Howling Cow Ice Cream. Thank you to all who attended. We will see you at our next event.

Picture Descriptions:
1. A group of people walking down a path with flat rocks toward a small creek with a brown bridge. Above them is a bridge. There are trees and a rocky ledge in the foreground.

2. The group of people walking up the rocky ledge. There is the historic mill behidn them and trees surrounding them. Some of the creek can be seen at the bottom of the rocky ledge.

3. The same group posing on the rocky ledge smiling and/or raising hands to say hello! They are surrounded by trees and a dark rock wall to their right.

4. The back of 5 kids walking on a dirt path while hiking. There are trees in front of them. They're wearing sweatshirts and some are wearing pants, others are wearing shorts.

5. Three women posing on the dirt path smiling. There are trees behind them. From left to right: A woman wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans, a woman wearing a green sweatshirt and black leggins, a woman wearing a blue t-shirt and jean shorts.

6. The group of adults and kids sitting or standing on the wooden bridge near the end of the hike. In the background, there are trees and shallow water from the lake.

7. The group sitting or standing at the ice cream place's patio. There is green grass, then the patio with black and white rocking chairs, regular chairs, and small end tables.

Hi Eye Shine families! We're excited for our March event!

Come have a jumping good time at Defy Gravity in Raleigh on Sunday, March 22nd from 1:30-3:30pm! RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfb_9j2Xw10lM4lV09ZlekWqcm0TkcCV9OQHPJjC3H-Mqlfkg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=109552839669875542750 by March 20.

You may bring socks from Defy Gravity or SkyZone, if you have them. Otherwise we will provide socks.

Parents welcome to help their child as needed but please allow socialization time.

Different areas of jumping fun for all ages at Defy Gravity!

Everyone will need to sign Defy Gravity's waiver. Save time and do it beforehand: https://haveablast.roller.app/s/rlelc-tmp

Defy Gravity is located at 5604 Departure Dr. #100 Raleigh, NC

Eye Shine Hosts: Traci and Taylor

haveablast.roller.app

Hello Eye Shine Families and Followers,

Please read about this new VI Mentorship program below. The program is seeking Mentees (youth who are visually impaired, ages 12-18) and adults with visual impairments to serve as Mentors to their matched mentee. Matches will be based on eye conditions. This is a 10-week mentorship program, hosted by the Foundation Fighting Blindness and being piloted right here in our area.

Check out the information below and get signed up for this great opportunity! ~Kim

My name is Ritvik Korrapati, and I’m a student at Duke University. I’m excited to share a project: a mentorship program for teens with Low Vision called Own Your Light.
This idea was born out of something deeply personal. Two years ago, my younger cousin was diagnosed with a severe degenerative eye disorder. Watching him process this news taught me a lot about resilience, identity, and how important it is to feel seen and understood.
One thing I’ve learned is that while love and support from family are extremely important, many children with Low Vision grow up without a role model who truly gets their day-to-day experience. That’s what Own Your Light hopes to change.
Over the past few months, another Duke student and I have worked closely with individuals in the Low Vision community to design a program that reflects your voice and values. The result is a 10-week mentorship program that pairs teens with Low Vision with mentors who also have LV, thus the mentor and mentee can connect through shared experience.
Each week includes conversations about identity, advocacy, confidence, and finding comfort in who you are, not just as a person with Low Vision, but as a full, empowered individual. The end goal for this program is for the mentee to make an impact in their community that increases inclusion for those with Low Vision.
I’ve attached a pamphlet below with more details on the weekly structure and goals of the program. If you're interested in joining us as a mentor, mentee, or just want to learn more, we'd love to hear from you!
We are currently recruiting Mentors and Mentees for these roles and Mentor compensation can be discussed!
Here is a link for a Mentee Interest Form
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfGHfOnbFv.../viewform...
Here is a link for a Mentor Interest Form
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdb9caNwya.../viewform...
Once these are filled out, we will get back to you with more information and set up 1:1 meetings for any questions or concerns you may have!