Latest news with #GuideDogsfortheBlind
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guide Dogs for the Blind's Oregon campus will break ground on $28 million expansion
PORTLAND, Ore. () — For the first time since its debut 30 years ago, Guide Dogs for the Blind's Oregon campus will see a major expansion. The world-renowned guide dog school reported last week that it will build a 30,000-square-foot 'client residence and community hub' at its facility in Boring starting this summer. According to the announcement, this move will allow the nonprofit to double its capacity to serve local clients. Lawsuit alleges Oregon ballot measure for cannabis industry unions is unconstitutional GDB currently has two locations in the U.S. It moved to its current California facility in San Rafael in 1947. The organization opened its 28-acre Oregon campus decades later in the Fall of 1995, after an increase in demand for its services. The upcoming addition to the campus is described as the 'first of its kind in North America.' The new complex will be an indoor-outdoor structure with private suites for clients, an information center, sensory gardens, more dog training areas and events spaces. 'This state-of-the-art expansion will not only help us substantially expand our capacity to train and support more clients each year, but it will also create a vibrant, centralized space where individuals can connect, collaborate, and build lasting relationships,' GDB President and CEO Christine Benninger said in a statement. 'And we are thrilled to be launching our public campaign to support it, which allows our donors to play a pivotal role in bringing this cutting-edge project to life.' 10 consecutive seasons of measurable snowfall in Portland California-based architecture firm Studio Miers |Chou |Poon is behind the project. The school noted Chris Downey, one member of the design team, will bring an 'inclusive perspective' as he is blind himself. GDP also reported that its clients joined focus groups to help plan the expansion, which will . The organization's Building Brighter Futures campaign aims to fund the project. The fundraiser has garnered $15 million thus far. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Guide Dogs for the Blind Expands Oregon Campus With New State-of-the-art Client Residence and Community Hub
New Complex Will Be a Model for Inclusive Design in North America BORING, Ore., February 11, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) plans to break ground this summer on a new, state-of-the art 30,000-square-foot client residence and community hub at its campus in Boring, Ore. The project will more than double GDB's capacity to serve clients in Oregon, with an inclusive complex that brings together GDB clients, staff, puppy raisers, and other volunteers in one unified space. When completed, it will be the first of its kind in North America. The inclusive indoor/outdoor structure will contain new client residence quarters with private suites, a community hub with a café and information center, and an expansive outdoor green space with sensory gardens, and dedicated spaces for dog training and special events. The new complex will be the first expansion of GDB's beautiful, 28-acre Oregon campus since it opened in 1995. To support the ambitious $28 million project, GDB has launched Building Brighter Futures, a public campaign that allows donors to contribute directly to the funding of the complex. GDB has already raised $15 million of the required funding. There will be naming and recognition opportunities for contributors at different levels. "This state-of-the art expansion will not only help us substantially expand our capacity to train and support more clients each year, but it will also create a vibrant, centralized space where individuals can connect, collaborate, and build lasting relationships," said Christine Benninger, president and CEO of Guide Dogs for the Blind. "And we are thrilled to be launching our public campaign to support it, which allows our donors to play a pivotal role in bringing this cutting-edge project to life." The project is led by renowned architecture firm Studio Miers |Chou |Poon, which specializes in this area of focus. Notably, the architectural team includes architect Chris Downey, who is blind, providing a unique and inclusive perspective. Additionally, GDB's clients actively participated in focus groups throughout the planning process for the new complex, making it a truly client-driven endeavor informed by the experiences and needs of actual guide dog users and people who are blind or visually impaired. All details and decisions about the structure were made to help empower GDB clients to live more independently, and to equip them with the skills, confidence, and mobility to navigate the world with greater self-assurance. For more information about the project or to contribute to the Building Brighter Futures campaign, please visit About Guide Dogs for the Blind Headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is the largest guide dog school in North America. It is a passionate community that prepares highly-qualified guide dogs to empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired to move through the world more safely and confidently. More than 16,000 guide teams have graduated from GDB since it was founded in 1942. Over the course of more than 80 years, GDB's mission has expanded to three kinds of programs: a Guide Dog Mobility Program, an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Program, and a K9 Buddy Program. GDB not only improves mobility for its clients, but it also furthers inclusion and advocates for policy reforms that change how the world views blindness and disability. GDB plans to break ground in the summer of 2025 on a new state-of-the-art client residence and community hub that will more than double its capacity to serve clients at its campus in Boring, Ore. GDB's services are provided free of charge, and it receives no government funding. The organization was the subject of an award-winning documentary feature called Pick of the Litter, which is available on various streaming platforms. For more information, visit or call 800.295.4050. View source version on Contacts Barbara Zamostbarbara@ (415) 987-2810 Sign in to access your portfolio
