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