On weekends, Lonnie often worked in warehouses, performing many of the same duties he will perform in the Base Supply Center. “I’m the sort of person where I’ve got to have something to do all the time or I get bored,” he says. “I worked in warehouses loading and unloading trucks and stocking, just for something to do on the weekends.”
After his wife passed away, Lonnie decided to move to Seattle and come to work at the Lighthouse. He was hired on the spot and went to work in making canteen cup stands. Lonnie, who is legally blind due to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), especially appreciated the opportunities the Lighthouse offered to blind people. “I like seeing blind and partially sighted people getting ahead instead of sitting back in a corner, because I’ve seen a lot of that through the years. So I’m really pleased that a blind person or a partially sighted person can advance if they have the skills.”
Just a month after joining the Lighthouse team as a production worker in the canteen cup area, Lonnie Shaffer has accepted a new position as a stock clerk at the Lighthouse Base Supply Center (BSC) in Fallon, Nevada. Lonnie’s attention to detail and positive attitude made him a winning candidate for the job. “Lonnie has a good work ethic and a level of perfection in his work, which I appreciate,” says Linda Villarreal, production supervisor.
As Base Supply Center stock clerk, Lonnie will perform a number of duties including customer service, inventory and stocking, and clerical work. Outside of working at the BSC, Lonnie is looking forward to exploring the Nevada landscape. “I do a lot of hunting and backpacking. At least I used to, now I’m going to get back into it. So when I’m not at work, that’s what I’ll be doing.”
Lonnie appreciates the opportunities he’s discovered at the Lighthouse. “I’m really pleased with this place. There aren’t very many places where a blind person can have a chance to learn a skill or do something useful every day,” he concludes.
Lonnie Shaffer