Helen Keller Services: Helping the blind for 125 years

Organization to mark anniversary with move to new headquarters

January 26, 2018 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Helen Keller Services CEO Joseph Bruno accepts a citation from Jennifer Viechweg-Horsford, community liaison to state Sen. Roxanne Persaud at a ceremony marking the non-profit organization’s 125th anniversary. Photo courtesy of Helen Keller Services for the Blind

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A leading organization that assists the blind is marking its 125th anniversary year by making plans to move to a new headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn.

Joseph Bruno, president and CEO of Helen Keller Services for the Blind (HKSB), announced at the group’s anniversary celebration at Brooklyn Borough Hall that the organization is moving its base of operations to a new space at 180 Willoughby St. in Downtown Brooklyn.

The organization’s current headquarters, at 57 Willoughby St. was sold in 2016.

The group’s 125th anniversary was celebrated with a breakfast at Borough Hall hosted by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who paid tribute to the work done by the group.

Calling HKSB “a beloved Brooklyn institution that continues to grow and inspire,” Adams said the anniversary “speaks to the meaningful relationship that Helen Keller Services has established with our blind and visually impaired community.”

The reception, which took place under the majestic rotunda of Borough Hall, was attended by several elected officials and HKSB staff members and clients.

HKSB is named in memory of Helen Keller (1880-1968), the famous blind-deaf American woman who became the first blind and deaf person to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree and who became an advocate for the handicapped.

The story of her childhood and how she learned to community through sign language is depicted in the Academy Award winning film “The Miracle Worker.”

At the breakfast event, Bruno, the former commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management, offered an overview of HKSB’s history.

“Keller Services began in Brooklyn in 1893 as The Industrial Home for the Blind. In the ensuing 125 years, we took on a new name, opened new offices here and on Long Island, and expanded our scope of services, touching the lives of countless blind and visually impaired men, women, and children. We look back with pride at our many accomplishments and look to the future committed to the ideals set forth by Helen Keller and the individuals who came before us at HKSB,” Bruno said.

Also at the breakfast, the architect’s’ renderings of HKSB’s new headquarters were unveiled publicly for the first time.

The 35,000 square foot space will include a marketing wall in the lobby that will display programs, events and stories about HKSB clients. The new space will also contain new classrooms; a gym for pre-kindergarten students; training rooms; new offices and workstations; a technology training space; a Low Vision Center; a new boardroom; and conference rooms.

The breakfast at Borough Hall served as the kickoff event for the big anniversary year for HKSB. The organization is also planning a Gala Dinner to be held on Sept. 13, at the Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook.

For more information on HKSB, visit www.helenkeller.org.