NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. November 13, 2025 – Did you know that one in three will be legally blind at age 80, and we are the most elderly county in the State?
Sierra Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired has served this community with education, counseling and medical transportation for 45 years. In a national study were found to be the only full-service agency for the blind in the nation. In that process we performed 6,274 service units last year, an average of over 24 per day. And, as many are on a fixed income we do not charge our clients for any of our services.
Taking medical transportation alone, our staff and volunteers made 1,243 trips and drove 19,405 miles last year. This includes trips as far as Sacramento for a doctor’s appointment. We also held 146 peer counseling groups to help the client make the adjustments required by the loss of vision.
Our intention is to keep the visually impaired or blind client an independent and participating member of our common community.
Sierra Services Director, Richard Crandall noted, “We are 100% self-funded operating on a budget of just over $200K which sustains the facility and the staff of four. As this is the giving season, and many make their tax-deductible donations at this time of year, we are asking the community to donate to our local charity serving a disability unique to the community itself. With the medical transportation aspect, lives really do depend on it. Money donated to Sierra Services is local and will circulate in the economy 6 times per year, money donated outside our service area leaves the local economy.”
Visit us at 546 Searls Ave, Nevada City, or call 530 265-2121. For more information you may go to our website at sierraservices.org.