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Littleton’s 2016 Western Welcome Week, including our tours and participation in the Saturday parade, was sure a lot of fun! This week has already seen Matt complete his support drop, our canoeing trip postponed due to thunder, our first rock climbing trip today for the (really?) fall!

Even as the 10-day Western Welcome Week celebration was winding down on Sunday, Seniors in Charge students were arriving at the McGeorge Mountain Terrace apartments for a week of taking on new challenges in blindness skills. Offered by our Senior Services staff led by Duncan Larsen, Seniors in Charge gives a week’s worth of intensive training in Braille, cane travel, technology and home management skills.

Farhan came to the center from Pakistan because he believed that the confidence and self-reliance in our tag line mean greater independence and opportunity for him. Here he is, a little past the mid-point in his training, making really amazing (and crunchy) samosas for 15 guests, and you can feel his new confidence!

Warren completed his woodshop project this week. We’ll call it a “Littleton Slugger”, which he turned on the mini-lathe. He plans to have all his instructors sign it when he graduates and returns home to Philadelphia.

Wednesday Brigid successfully completed her support drop and Marlene went on her solo drop. Oh yeah, Marlene made it back too.

A big heart and steadfast determination to finish his training at the Center despite significant health challenges are the things that fellow students and staff remarked on again and again Friday morning when Christopher was awarded his Bell of Freedom.

Julie Deden noted the disruption in the middle of his program as she presented his bell, and how he insisted on continuing. But the most important thing, said Julie, is that Christopher has “such a big heart”, and that he’s always ready to help others, volunteering to help out with youth programs and more.

“Every time someone graduated, I told myself I was one graduation closer,” he said of the time before health issues temporarily intervened.

Christopher’s Bell of Freedom ceremony took place immediately following morning announcements. Though he served his grad meal a couple of weeks ago, he finished his last graduation requirements this week, including his drop on Thursday!

“You have a heart of gold,” and “Keep your heart open” typified the sentiments of fellow students and staff during the “love session” following the bell ceremony.

Shelby’s graduation on April 8 brought her parents and grandparents all the way from South Carolina, as well as a family friend who lives in Scotland.

“When we have students come to us right out of high school and stay for a full training program, we see so much growth in them. That’s certainly true of you, Shelby,” Julie told her as she prepared to present the Bell of Freedom. “For your guests, this bell represents a great deal of hard work – hard work that is rewarded with new and greater independence as a blind person. And you have worked so hard and grown so much in order to earn this bell!”

It’s almost impossible to think about Shelby without thinking of music, too. Her love of music led to the creation of a small, but impressive student choir. Shelby was the director, and they performed during the holidays for our Senior Christmas Party and at the NFB of Denver chapter party. In fact, they gave a lovely harmonized rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” after the bell ceremony.

“I know if I can cook for 64,” mused Vika, “I will be able to cook for my family and friends.”

This was Vika’s turn to ring her Bell of Freedom on April 6. Her graduation meal included barbecued chicken, peach cobbler, and 30 lb of potato wedges.

Peter culminated his amazing journey on April 1 with his grad meal and the Bell of Freedom he worked so hard to earn.

“It was suggested that I come here 20 years ago,” Peter told us. “I didn’t because I didn’t believe I was blind.”

Peter asked his two travel instructors, David and Mo, to present his bell since Julie was out of town. Mo taught Peter in his earlier months until she was needed to fill in as a Braille teacher.

“With me,” Mo commented, “you went from crawling to walking.”

Teasing aside, all agreed that Peter worked very hard and was willing to take on every challenge in travel or tech or home management.

Peter’s meal for 60 featured an elaborate Cobb salad. His sister-in-law, niece and her husband, who live in the Denver area, were his special guests.

“You’re leaving one thing,” Peter remarked of receiving his bell, “but you’re starting a whole new life (of independence).”

“You really raised the bar,” Julie Deden said of Daniel’s graduation meal on March 4. “I think this is the biggest grad meal we’ve ever had.”

She didn’t mean just the number of guests Daniel served – there were 80 in all – but because he cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for those 80 guests.

The guests included family members such as his Mom and Step-dad, brother, Grandma and Pops (all live in the Denver area) and his Dad and brother who traveled from Mississippi to Colorado for the occasion, as well as close friends from church.

That’s not all though – there were a dozen students from Rice University and their faculty advisor who were at the Center as part of their Alternate Spring Break, several recent grads from the Denver area, as well as our Tech Instructor Chris Parsons and her one-month-old son Jackson (Chris is on maternity leave). Of course, there were all the current students and staff.

“Jenny is a woman who is very creative and unique, and you may find yourself experiencing things you’ve never experienced before when you spend time with Jenny.”

That was Julie Deden’s remark on January 20 as she prepared to present Jenny with her Freedom Bell. It’s very true, because it was elicited by the fact that Jenny had just served us all Brussels sprouts. Even more astonishing – we liked them!

“I know you’ll be able to do anything you put your mind to,” continued Julie.

Jenny became blind overnight about a year before coming to the Center for training. She felt lost, wondering what it meant to be a blind person and where her life could go.

“I couldn’t even think if I’d ever met a blind person,” she said.

"You encouraged me and you wouldn’t give up on me," she said after serving her grad meal to 60 guests, which included other family members and close friends from church, along with all the staff and students at the Center.