Sierra Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

01/15/2026

We talk with people all the time around the different thoughts and stigma that is around the white cane. This post has a nice perspective on the topic. Bottom line is if the individual can accept their blindness, the white cane becomes a tool to help them safely be independent. 👨‍🦯👩‍🦯‍➡️

Breaking the stigma of the white cane.

For a lot of people, using a white cane isn’t just about learning a skill — it’s about overcoming fear:
Fear of being stared at.
Fear of being judged.
Fear of what it “means” to others.

Some people think using a white cane means you’re “more blind.”
Or that you’re giving up.
Or that it’s a symbol of limitation.

But that’s completely backwards.

The white cane is a symbol of freedom.
It’s a tool of mobility, safety, independence, and confidence.

And honestly, it should be normalized the same way we normalize glasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, or any other tool that helps someone live fully.

Here’s what I want people to understand:
You don’t have to be totally blind to use a cane.
You don’t need anyone’s permission to use one.
Using a cane doesn’t make you weaker it makes you safer and more independent.

And if you’re someone who’s adjusting to vision loss or thinking about using a white cane, I want you to hear this clearly:

You deserve access. You deserve confidence. You deserve to take up space in the world.

Let’s keep pushing for awareness, education, and respect and let’s break the stigma of the white cane for good.

01/15/2026

On January 18 at 4pm Peace Lutheran Grass Valley, CA once again invites you to enjoy a silent film as if you were back in the roaring 20’s! Dress up if you like and enjoy My Best Girl, a 1927 American silent romantic comedy film starring and produced by silent movie star Mary Pickford.

On Jan 18 at 4pm Peace Lutheran Church once again invites you to spend an afternoon of fun enjoying a silent film as if you were back in the roaring 20’s. Dress up if you like and enjoy My Best Girl, a 1927 American silent romantic comedy film starring and produced by silent movie star […]

12/31/2025

12/18/2025

2025 has been a year for the books! Between our normal events and special opportunities that were presented to us we were busy. During the membership drive we always look at statistics for the previous membership year and found that we performed 6,274 units of service and drove 19,405 miles getting people to their doctor appointments, groups and events. Wow!

This year, we had fun with Allison at Gold Country Avian Studies. Units like this help out clients stay connected to each other, the community and nature. Thank you, Allison! We also appreciated Jim Bierwagen, Fire Chief for Chicago Park, for doing the Fire Safe series with our peer groups. Each year we learn something new from him.

Our Lasagna dinner went off without a hitch thanks for Eskaton Village, their administrative and kitchen staff are phenomenal! Couldn't have done it with out those folks AND Jaime from Christensen Optometry, Jake and Nancy from Adult Protective Services, Linda Aeschliman with Alzheimers Outreach at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation and Martha Payne and her friends from Nevada County Association for the Developmentally Disabled. Community support at it's finest!

More fun was had once summer rolled in with a special trip to the Crystal Hermitage Gardens, the Veteran's Health Fair, the Fall's Prevention Summit and Nevada County's Senior Health Fair. As fall fazes out and winter sets in we are humbled to service 200 blind and visually impaired individuals and their caregivers. We were able to start a new group in Lake of the Pines and make some new friends in the North San Juan area.

Here is to the new year! Looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends. We are hoping to continue getting our clients to and from their doctors appointments, the peer groups and education. We are 100% self funded and solely rely on the community and private grants to sustain the services we provide. Please consider us in your end of year giving or become a member during the membership drive next year. Thank you Nevada and Placer counties for keeping us busy for 43 years now!

www.sierraservices.org

12/18/2025

We had a wonderful time at this years Client Appreciation Luncheon! Thank you to our sponsors: B&C Home and Garden Center, Emily's Catering, Happy Apple Kitchen, Raley's, the Grass Valley Host Lions Club and Friends of Sierra Services. We appreciate your involvement with this annual event! Happy holidays!

12/18/2025

Lots of rain in the forecast! Prepare and update your go bag with winter clothing, charge your devices, gas up the generator and be prepared for extended power outages. Always call 911 if you see a downed power line or other safety hazards. Stay dry, stay safe!

12/12/2025

Announcement from the county on a new scam. Please read, this one comes in your mail box.

Today our post is an important Public Safety Advisory from Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Adult Services Department (County of Nevada, CA) to warn residents of new mail scam:

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) and the Nevada County Adult Services Department are sharing a warning to Nevada County residents that a new scam, this one by mail, is attempting to lure recipients into sharing personal information by convincing them of an alleged inheritance waiting for them.

Adult Services reported to the Sheriff's Office that several of their vulnerable clients have received official looking mail claiming to be from a legal office notifying of an alleged estate in which the mail recipient could claim their inheritance from a life insurance policy. The letter details that their former client and decedent had a “payable upon death” policy of approximately 10-million dollars, that is to be divided among persons with “surname similarity and shared nationality with the deceased” due to no direct next-of-kin exists. The letter claims that 10% of the funds will be allocated to charity organizations and the remaining 90% will be split between the law firm and the letter recipient.

Like many scams, this letter contains additional “red flags” that we urge citizens to be on the lookout for when receiving such solicitations, such as:

• A foreign address and phone number directing recipients to contact the sender outside the U.S.

• Pressure to respond quickly.

"Financial exploitation is the fastest-growing form of elder abuse. Your safety matters. If you or someone you know may be experiencing financial fraud, exploitation, or coercion, please reach out to us or the Sheriff’s office. We are here to help in collaboration - professionally, compassionately and without judgment," said Adult Services Program Manager Kelly Carpenter.

Adult Services investigates reports on elder adults (60 years and older) and adults living with a disability and can be reached at 530-265-1639.

We would like to remind our community members that legitimate agencies do not solicit beneficiaries in this manner, particularly across international jurisdictions. Attempted scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or https://www.ic3.gov/

If you believe you were a victim of a scam and experienced financial loss in a fraud, please contact the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office at 530-265-7880 or make a report online at https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3057/Online-Crime-Reporting. If you suspect financial exploitation of an elder adult or adult living with a disability, contact Adult Services at 530-265-1639.

12/02/2025

is today!! If you can donate, please help us continue to offer medical transportation, education, peer counseling and advocacy to the blind and visually impaired in Nevada and Placer counties. Link is below...

https://sierraservices.org/DONATE

11/28/2025

is a special day set aside after , and to give non-profits and advocates a day to raise funds and awareness to their organization. Sierra Services started to celebrate Giving Tuesday with the intention to raise awareness about who we are and what we do. This year, we are in need of monetary donations but understand that times are tough so we put together a list of other ways you can help.

If you would like to donate, please do so at https://sierraservices.org/DONATE.

Thank you for all that you can do!

11/28/2025

Thank you YubaNet for spreading our message! Pictured are Joe and David, you may have seen them around town. David was our peer counselor and is now a board member. Joe is our current peer counselor. Both are an inspiration. Can you tell me which one still plays an accordion and which one is rebuilding a Porsche?

NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. November 13, 2025 – Did you know that one in three will be legally blind at age 80, and we are the most elderly county in the State? Sierra Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired has served this community with education, counseling and medical transportation for 45 year...