Grainger Team Members Support Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Team Members from Grainger’s Elmsford location donated their time and talent to Guiding Eyes for the Blind in support of its mission to enrich the lives of blind and visually impaired men and women by providing them with the freedom to travel safely, thereby assuring greater independence, dignity and new horizons of opportunity.

Grainger team members took their personal time on a Saturday to detail Guiding Eyes’ fleet of vehicles.  With elbow grease and high energy, the Grainger team tidied up vehicles in order to make transport more comfortable for students, their dogs and professional training staff.  The costs savings for Guiding Eyes was significant.  Detailing a van interior can be extremely expensive as well as time consuming.   In addition to their labor, Grainger team members donated the supplies needed for project.

Reliable transportation is essential to fulfilling the organization’s mission.  Staff must be able to travel to a variety of locations so they can train future guide dogs and blind students in diverse environments. Volunteers and support staff also rely upon these vehicles to assist the school with its programs and services.

“We were thrilled to work with the Grainger team,” said Linda Press, Guiding Eyes’ Director of Corporation and Foundation Relations and Strategic Partnerships.  “Our dogs truly enable freedom for people to achieve life’s goals, and we are grateful for Grainger’s ongoing support. 

Press said Guiding Eyes currently serves men and women from around the United States, as well as families with children with autism living within a two-hour radius of Guiding Eyes’ Yorktown Heights headquarters. 

This day of volunteerism was recommended by Mike Williamson, Branch Manager of W.W. Grainger, Inc.’s Elmsford’s location.  Grainger has been a part of the Westchester business community for more than 35 years as the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair, and operating products.  “We are proud to support Guiding Eyes for the Blind,” said Williamson. 

W.W. Grainger, Inc. with 2012 sales of $9 billion is North America’s leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products, with expanding global operations. For more information about the company, visit www.grainger.com.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is an internationally accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit guide dog school, founded in 1954. Since its inception, Guiding Eyes has become known for its cutting-edge training programs, commitment to excellence, and dedication to its elite and superbly trained guide dogs. In 2008, the school launched Heeling Autism, a service dog program designed to provide safety and companionship for children on the autism spectrum. Guiding Eyes provides all of its services at no cost, and is dependent upon contributions to fulfill its mission. The organization’s Headquarters and Training Center is located in Yorktown Heights, New York, and its Canine Development Center is in Patterson, New York.  For more info, visit www.guidingeyes.org, like Guiding Eyes on Facebook (www.facebook.com/guidingeyes) or follow @guidingeyes on Twitter.

For further information about Grainger contact: Kristen Lawrence, Community Affairs Manager at kristen.lawrence@grainger.com

For further information about Guiding Eyes for the Blind, contact: Michelle Brier at mbrier@guidingeyes.org.