Clients:

• Gustavo Flores - HOPE Client and Receptionist for the Santa Cruz District.
  Gustavo has been a client in the Santa Cruz District and was promoted to a HOPE position as receptionist in 2006. He uses a wheelchair and getting rid of his glasses and contacts will greatly improve his life: "Vision correction will make an incredible difference in my life as I am nearsighted. I constantly break my glasses and my eyes get infected if I wear contacts, as my hands are often dirty from pushing my wheels. This is an opportunity of a lifetime." Gustavo lives in Freedom.
• Cory White - HOPE Client, San Jose.
  Cory is 41 years old and is diagnosed with moderate mental retardation associated with Downs Syndrome. He lives with his foster mom and step dad and was adopted at the age of 13. Cory does not like wearing glasses, has lost several pairs and his family cannot afford to purchase new ones. He will greatly benefit from vision correction as he will see clearly, which will enable him to be more competitive in gaining paid employment and he will finally enjoy his favorite activities - drawing and watching sports on television.
• Robert Faber - HOPE Client, Santa Clara.
  Robert is 63 years old and has become a strong advocate for people with disabilities and a wonderful role model. With support, he is living independently and holds the position of Chairman of the Board at the San Andreas Regional Center, an organization that purchases services for persons with developmental disabilities. He is also the president of the local chapter of "People First," a self advocacy organization for persons with disabilities. Robert has worn glasses for many years and struggles with his glasses falling off and the cost of replacing them.
• Alisa Harrington - HOPE Client and Administrative Assistant, Salinas.
  Alisa has mild mental retardation and has been working diligently to improve her body image by losing a significant amount of weight and taking better care of herself. Vision correction will greatly improve her self confidence, enable her to participate in more outdoor activities, such as swimming and save her a considerable amount of money that she would have had to spend on glasses.

Staff:

• Cindy Macy - HOPE Instructor, San Jose.
  Cindy has worked with HOPE for eight years and teaches life skills to clients with disabilities. Her goal is to see her clients enjoy "regular" activities, such as working, volunteering, going to the park and watching sports. Her biggest struggle is losing and breaking glasses, and therefore, she cannot wait to have vision correction.
• Corleen Rogers - HOPE Community Service Specialist, San Jose.
  Corleen has worked with adults with disabilities for 29 years. One of her greatest rewards is to see clients successfully placed with a company that partners with HOPE. As part of her work, Corleen travels to different job sites daily and is constantly exposed to dust. Her glasses get dirty, fall, break and/or get starched - she cannot wait to get rid of them.
• Lai-Ping Lee - HOPE Senior Center Activity Instructor, San Jose.
  Lai-Ping thrives on seeing her clients participate in fun activities organized by the HOPE Senior Center, such as playing cards, exercising, dancing, cooking and going on outings. Lai-Ping has been wearing glasses for more than 15 years and she says they are constantly falling off and getting scratched or broken She struggles to afford the cost of purchasing new ones and cannot wait for her vision to be corrected.
• Nanette Mckinley - HOPE Independent Living Skills Trainer, Salinas.
  Nanette teaches adults with disabilities the necessary skills to live independently and is rewarded when clients achieve or get closer to their goals. She has also learned what it means to have compassion, patience and self-respect. Her vision has been getting worse over the years and she is struggling with her glasses as she often forgets them or cannot find them. Vision correction will greatly improve her personal and professional life.
• Daniel Burns - HOPE Human Resources Manager, Santa Cruz.
  Daniel started working at HOPE in 2003 in the Santa Clara Work Activity program. He supported about 100 clients in their on-the-job training. Daniel was quickly identified as a top performer, bringing his computer skills, training experience and sense of humor to the job. He was promoted into an HR position and is currently working as the HR manager for the Santa Cruz district, supporting about 80 employees. Daniel drives from South San Jose to Santa Cruz every day and puts in long hours. With his job duties that require considerable driving , long hours at a computer, meetings with employees and in the community, Daniel would greatly benefit in his job by not having to manage his contacts or glasses or appear "red-eyed" at his employee meetings.
• Greg Dinsmore - HOPE Manager, Salinas/Monterey.
  Greg manages two of HOPE's innovative community-based day programs, which serve people with severe or multiple disabilities in Salinas and Monterey area. He works to provide clients an opportunity to participate in activities and learning experiences within their home communities. Greg has been dependant on glasses for 31 years and is thrilled at the opportunity to live without them. Vision correction will provide fewer distractions at work (misplacing glasses), enable him to play with his two small kids without having to worry about losing or breaking his glasses and give him the opportunity to try new recreational sports, such as scuba diving and water skiing.