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Support Groups
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Secondary Tasks
About 54,000 Iowans are blind or low vision. If you or someone you know is experiencing vision loss, there are several support groups throughout the state to help connect those with vision loss.
Support groups generally meet once a month to network and share information on topics relating to vision loss. For specific information on a group in your area, choose the town closest in proximity to your home.
- Altoona
- Cedar Falls
- Cedar Rapids
- Clinton
- Coralville
- Council Bluffs
- Des Moines
- Dubuque
- Fort Dodge
- Fort Madison
- Indianola
- Iowa City
- Marshalltown
- Monticello
- Muscatine
- Sioux City Support Group
- Sioux City
- Spencer
- Wapello
- Waterloo
ALTOONA
Name: Altoona White Cane Community
Date: Third Thursday of the month
Time: 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Location: Church of the Cross
1701 8th Street SW
Altoona, IA
Contact(s): Carrie Chapman
515-657-1461
c.chapman657@yahoo.com
CEDAR FALLS
Name: Friendship Village Vision Group
Date: 3rd Friday of every month
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Friendship Village Chapel
600 Park Lane
Waterloo , IA
Contact(s): Bonnie Tibbetts
319-291-8157
Name: Macular Degeneration Support Group - Download flyer (Adobe PDF)
Date: 2nd Monday of every other month (on the odd months: January, March, May, and so on).
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Location: Kimball Ridge Center - Board Room
2101 Kimball Ave (Kimball and Ridgeway Avenues)
Waterloo, IA
Contact(s): Barb Lamfers
319-230-4499
Barb111482@hotmail.com
CEDAR RAPIDS
Name: Cedar Rapids Blindness Support Group
Who's Invited: Anyone who has loss of vision or has interest in this
Date: 4th Thursday of every month, starting on 3/28/2019
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Cottage Grove Place, Sedlacek Hall
2115 1st Ave SE
Cedar Rapdis, IA 52403
Contact(s): Jonathan Ice
319-298-2919, jkice89@q.com
CLINTON
Name: Clinton VIP (Visually Impaired Persons)
Date: 4th Tuesday of the month
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Location: Sarah Harding Senior Living
308 South Bluff Blvd.
Clinton, IA 52732
Contact(s): Kathy Youmans Driscoll
612 5th St.
Camanche, IA 52730
(563)-259-8766
(563)-219-6740 (c)
CORALVILLE
Name: Johnson County Support Group
Date: 2nd Wednesday of the Month (call Dan Fisher to verify meeting in advance, schedule sometimes varies)
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Coralville Public Library, Room B (Lower Level)
1401 5th Street, Coralville, IA 52241
Contact(s): Dan Fisher
PO Box 13
Wellman, IA 52356
319-321-1839
COUNCIL BLUFFS
Name: Council Bluffs Support Group
Date: Thursday
Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Braille Class, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Support Group
Location: Broadway United Methodis Church
11 S. First Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51502
Contact(s): Terri Wilcox
515-281-1309
terri.wilcox@blind.state.ia.us
DES MOINES
Name: Monthly Support Group for Visually Impaired Veterans and Families
Date: 4th Friday of the month
Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: VA Hospital
3600 30th St.
Des Moines, IA
Contact(s): Wes Hodgson
VA Hospital
3600 30th Street
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-699-5410
wesley.hodgson@va.gov
DUBUQUE
Name: Tri-State Independent Blind Society
Date: Support group meetings are EVERY Tuesday at 1:30 P.M.
(We have crafts, games, socials, bowling, picnics, bus trips, and other events.)
NOTE: When meals or special events are scheduled, start time will be NOON.
The 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month is Movie Day, scheduled at 1:30 P.M.
Come make new friends! Everyone is welcome. We are here to help any low vision or blind person with aids & devices in the Low-Vision Center or large print and audio books from the Used Book Store.
Any questions, contact the number listed below.
Location: Tri-State Independent Blind Society
1068 Cedar Cross Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
M-F (9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m.)
Contact(s): Debbie Gagne
3333 Asbury Rd.
Dubuque, IA 52002
563-556-8746
tristateblind@gmail.com
www.tristateblind.org
FORT DODGE
Name: EyeShare Low Vision/Blind Support Group
Date: 2nd Tuesday of the month
Time: 1:30-3:00 PM
Location: Northridge Apartments
2805 6th ave.
N. Building 1
Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501
Contact: Bonnie Kennedy (co-chair)
515-571-0142
Carol Flickinger (co-chair)
712-887-1109
FORT MADISON
Date: 2nd Monday of the month
Time: 9:30 AM
Location: Sunnybrook Assisted Living
5025 River Valley Rd.
Fort Madison, IA
Contact: Sarah Martin
Sunnybrook Assisted Living
5025 River Valley Rd.
Fort Madison, IA 52627
319-470-8611 (o)
319-470-9286 (c)
INDIANOLA
Name: Low Vision Support Group
Date: 2nd Wednesday in January, April, July, and October
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Location: The Village
Maplecrest Building, Heritage Room
1203 N E Street
Indianola, IA 50125
Contact(s): Everett L. Laning
805 Robin Glen
Indianola, IA 50125
515-554-4546
elandmt@gmail.com
IOWA CITY
Name: Iowa City Support Group
Date: Mondays
Time: 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM Braille Class and 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Support Group
Location: Iowa City Johnson County Senior Center
28 S. Lin
Iowa City, IA 52240
Contact(s): Terri Wilcox
515-281-1309
terri.wilcox@blind.state.ia.us
MARSHALLTOWN
Name: Marshalltown Support Group
Date: Fridays
Time: 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM Braille Class and 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM Support Group
Location: Marshalltown Public Library
105 W Boone Street
Marshalltown, IA 50158
Contact(s): Terri Wilcox
515-281-1309
terri.wilcox@blind.state.ia.us
MONTICELLO
Name: Jones County Vision: A Support Group for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Date: 3rd Thursday of the month for February, April, June, August, and October
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Location: United Church of Monticello, Church Basement
123 N Chestnut St.
Monticello, IA 52310
Contact(s): Joy Adams,Group Leader
319-480-0898
Ruth Harms, Membership
319-465-3990
MUSCATINE
Name: Muscatine Blind and Low Vision Support Group
Date: 3rd Wednesday of the month
Does not meet January and February
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Farmer's Diner
2300 Park Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761
Contact(s): Gay Hindbaugh
3525 Hwy 22 E.
Muscatine, IA 52761
563-263-4889
563-260-6989 (preferred)
SIOUX CITY SUPPORT GROUP
Name: Sioux City Support Group
Date: Tuesdays
Time: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Braille Class and 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Support Group
Location: Disability Resource Center
505 5th Street, Suite 400
Sioux City, IA 51101
Contact(s): Terri Wilcox
515-281-1309
terri.wilcox@blind.state.ia.us
SIOUX CITY - SIOUXLAND
Name: Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind
Date: 2nd Tuesday of the month
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Location: Northern Hills Assisted Living - Country Store Room
4002 Teton Trace
Sioux City , IA
Contact(s): Greg Hanson
721 Noltze Dr. Apt. 3
Sioux City, IA 51103-3750
712-258-1311
blinddragon@earthlink.net
SPENCER
Name: Spencer Area Visually Impaired/Blind (SAVIB)
Date: 1st Tuesday of the month
Time: 1:30 PM
Location: Spencer Public Library
21 E. 3rd St.
Spencer , IA 51301
Contact(s): Alice Dalager
712-262-4783
or
Judy Taylor
712-262-1897
WAPELLO
Name: Louisa County Visual Support Group
Date: 3rd Thursday of the month (Group does not meet during the winter months of November, December, January, February, and March)
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Corner Market
340 N. Second
Wapello, IA 52653
319-527-6328
Contact(s): Lois Richers
424 S. 6th
Wapello , IA 52653
319-527-2630
319-850-0848 (cell)
lerichers@louisacomm.net
WATERLOO
Name: Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) -- local support group for those with or interested in visual impairments
Date: 2nd Sunday of each month
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Location: Covenant Hospital - Meeting Room 2
3421 W. Ninth St.
Waterloo , IA
Contact(s): Rebecca Barrionuevo
319-266-8511
rbarrionuevo@cfu.net
Name: Friendship Village Vision Group
Date: 3rd Friday of every month
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Friendship Village Chapel
600 Park Lane
Waterloo , IA
Contact(s): Bonnie Tibbetts
319-291-8157
Name: Macular Degeneration Support Group - Download flyer (Adobe PDF)
Date: 2nd Monday of every other month (on the odd months: January, March, May, and so on).
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Location: Kimball Ridge Center - Board Room
Kimball and Ridgeway Avenues in Waterloo
Contact(s): Barb Lamfers
2541 W 9th St.
Waterloo, IA 50702
319-230-4499
Barb111482@hotmail.com
