Founded in 1866 by philanthropist Mary Culver, The Mary Culver Home for the Visually Impaired (known as the Blind Girls Home in Kirkwood) is a not-for-profit, non-denominational Christian organization. The Blind Girls Home was originally on Page Ave and was developed to help young blind women after they graduated from the Missouri School for the Blind. The facility moved from the City of St. Louis to 211 West Washington Ave in Kirkwood in 1966.
It was initially developed to provide care for young blind girls and women, but as cures for eye diseases lessened the rates of blindness, it has now become a full time nursing home for 25 elderly women who are visually impaired.
It was very easy for this to be my organization of choice. The Blind Girls Home is located around the corner from where I grew up in Kirkwood. My brothers and my friends all played football and baseball in the big field behind the home. A couple of Christmases, my mom baked some cookies for the residents, and we delivered them on Christmas Eve. It’s not a charity that needs a lot of money, but they would really appreciate volunteers to do outside and inside handyman work.
I thought it would be a nice gesture to give them some Ted Drewes to celebrate the 4th of July, so I will make that delivery this Friday.
For more information and how to lend a hand to perform repairs and maintenance work inside and out (particularly yard work on the grounds), please contact Colleen Hill at 314.966.6034.