Sight Loss Monthly Newsletter September 2025

oralhull
Sep 2
4 min read

Our Mission Statement:

The mission of the Hull Foundation and Learning Center is to provide programs, facilities and services including social, educational, and recreational activities for people with blindness and sight loss.

*If you would prefer to receive this newsletter by email, please send an email to: oralhull@gmail.com

Hull Foundation Upcoming Events and Seminars:

Sept 1 – Office closed
September 6-7 – Community garage sale at Oral Hull
September 24-27 – Cooking Sight Loss Seminar - CANCELED
September 27 – Lions Workday
October 11 – Harvest Festival and Haunted house at Oral Hull Park
October 13 – Office Closed – Indigenous people’s Day
November 11 – office closed – Veterans Day
November 22 – 23 – Holiday Bazaar at the park
November 27-28 – Office closed – Thanksgiving
December 8 – 12 – Winter Getaway
December 21-Jan 4 -Office closed

2026
January 5 – 31 – See's Candy Fundraiser
January 31 – Members Invited to the Annual Board Meeting on Zoom
February 1 – 15 – Online Auction
March 10 – 13 – Mobility Sight Loss Seminar

If you are interested in any of our social getaways, one day fun days, seminars and recreational retreats, please contact our office and sign up! Spots fill up VERY quickly, so jump in with both feet, save your spot and come out to Hull Park! If you would like to volunteer as staff or sponsor an event, please contact the office 503.668.6195.

We Need Your Help with Upcoming Maintenance

We are currently needing donations for urgent septic work for our facilities. The work will cost $30,000. Whether you can donate $5 or $5,000, very donation makes a difference. Please visit hullflc.org and select “Support our Mission”. Write "septic work" in notes. Thank you to all of our donors for keeping hopes and dreams alive here at the Hull Foundation and Learning Center.

Summer Raffle Winners

Thank you for all who participated in our Big Summer Raffle! Congratulations!

Weekend at the park – Harrison T.

65” TV - Elaine M.

All other prizes did not have tickets to select.

Two people in a workshop operate a wood lathe. The woman in pink watches the man in neon yellow. Wood shavings are visible on the machine. — A volunteer instructs a guest in the art of woodworking to create a wine stopper, focusing intently on the craft in a workshop setting during 2025 High Adventure Retreat

Smiling woman in a "Dolly" shirt holds a tool in a workshop with green corrugated walls and wood pieces. Cheerful atmosphere. — A proud participant showcases the handcrafted wine stopper she completed during a woodworking workshop at High Adventure, beaming with accomplishment.

High Adventure

People in a blue raft paddle through river rapids, surrounded by rocky hills and a clear blue sky. The scene is adventurous and serene. — Adventurers navigate the thrilling rapids of the Deschutes River under a vibrant blue sky, surrounded by rugged terrain and sweeping landscapes.

High adventure was a fun filled week full of adventure! We started on arrival day with rum tasting at a local distillery. Over the course of the week, they engaged in various adventures including white water rafting on the Deschutes River with River Drifters, jet boating down the Columbia while learning about the history of Portland and surrounding cities, kayaking at Lacamas Lake and playing yard games with NWABA, Ziplining at Camp Dakota, finishing the week with bowling and games. In their down time they were able to swim in our indoor heated pool, relax in our 12-person hot tub, and enjoy a last night of laughter and reminiscing with our Vice president of the board Chris Botcheos. We had a good ole’ time in the wild west at Oral Hull Park for our High Adventure Retreat!

Two people in helmets and harnesses attaching climbing gear to a tree, set in a sunny forest. One wears red, the other striped clothing. — A team member assists a guest in getting ready for an exciting zip line experience, making sure all safety precautions are in place, against the forest backdrop.

Apple Pockets

Ingredients

2 Packages of puff pastry sheets

1-2 Favorite apples thinly sliced

1 Jar of fig butter

1/2 Cup of almonds chopped

Philadelphia cheesecake filling

Apple pie spice to sprinkle

1 egg

Flour for spreading on the pastry + 2tbsp.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*
Lightly whisk egg with a fork in a bowl and set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Lay both boxes of pastry sheets out and lightly flour.
Lay the pastry sheets on top of each other and cut them into equal rectangles.
Separate the rectangles and pair them up on the cookie sheet.
Thinly slice the apple.
Chop the almonds, toast them for a minute or two in a small pan and let cool.
Spread fig butter on two rectangles as if you’re lightly buttering them but leaving edges bare.
Lay apples on one rectangle leaving naked edges.
Top with a tablespoon of cheesecake filling and lightly spread.
Top with a sprinkling of nuts.
Add a sprinkle of apple pie spice.
Top with the second rectangle.
Place 2 tbsp. of flour in a dish and dip your fork tines into the flour.
Firmly crimp the perimeter of the pocket until it is sealed.
Repeat for the rest.
Set in freezer for 10 minutes.
Paint the tops of the pockets with egg wash.
Cut 2-3 vents into the top and bake until golden. 13-18 mins (depending on your oven).

September

By Tina Christian, Sight Loss Instructor

Whitman’s leather-bound words timeless

Leaves crunch and crackle,

Sweaters soothe with their smooth texture,

Bonfires caress dusk with their woody musk

The summer sunsets serenade the sky

Their time fleeting from highs to bye

Golden lanes bead the ground

Burnished reds slip into jasmine nights

Harvest is a time to drink in orchards

Fall is always a welcome home

Did you know?...

Podcasts to check out: unmute.show to learn about technology and accessibility on your devices (iPhone, Jaws and many more)
ViddyScribe is free to use on the free plan you get 50 minutes a month and you can upload videos for up to 5 minutes. Go to Viddyscribe.com to find out more information.
If you have not tried Speakaboo yet, find it on the Apple App Store by searching “Speakaboo.” As always, feel free to reach out to me with questions or suggestions at patrick@ben.vision.