HR211 - Honoring the work of The Lighthouse of Houston.

      H.R. No. 211       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, For more than eight decades, The Lighthouse of   Houston has served as a source of critical support for the blind and   visually impaired; and          WHEREAS, The first efforts to provide services for Houston's   blind and visually impaired community can be traced to 1925, when   the Dandelions, the women's auxiliary of the Lions Club, organized   a sewing group for people with blindness and established sales   outlets for their creations; the City of Houston built upon their   work in the 1930s, taking over a program for the blind established   by the Works Progress Administration; and          WHEREAS, In 1934, legally blind teacher Nellie Mae Wimberly   moved to Houston to establish a home education program for the   city's blind population; after struggling to secure financial   support from the local government, she turned to her neighbor,   James G. Donovan, who raised the necessary funds by soliciting the   support of local Lions Clubs and other friends; believing that   blind residents would benefit from a more stable program, the two   went on to charter the Harris County Association for the Blind   alongside E. M. Biggers on November 14, 1939; and          WHEREAS, Today, The Lighthouse of Houston helps to enable and   empower people who are blind or low vision to realize their full   potential; to this end, the organization serves more than 14,000 of   these individuals annually through its vocational skills training,   assistive technology resources, health services, and events;   The Lighthouse also works to create jobs for people who are blind or   low vision through its Premium Business Service sales development   program, and 60 percent of its employees are blind or low vision;   and          WHEREAS, Ensuring the well-being and prosperity of blind and   visually impaired Texans is a mission of great importance, and   The Lighthouse of Houston is making an invaluable contribution to   the Lone Star State through its efforts to uplift this community;   now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby honor The Lighthouse of Houston for its   achievements and extend to all those affiliated with the   organization sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it   further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for The Lighthouse of Houston as an expression of high   regard by the Texas House of Representatives.     Johnson     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 211 was adopted by the House on March   6, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House