Welcome to Dixie Land Guide Dog Users Online, and Top Dog-2019!

We Dixie Land Guide Dog Users are the South Carolina affiliate of Guide Dog Users, Inc. Our tails are wagging! Due to the amazing response to our Top Dog-Charleston, 2019, our event hotel is booked to capacity and we are no longer taking registrations. Our heartfelt thanks to all of our registered attendees! We can't wait to see you in January!
For those of you who cannot attend in person, keep those ears up and stay tuned for our recorded sessions to be announced!

Contact the Dixie Land Guide Team!

Contact the Dixie Land Guide Team!
Dixie Land GDU, Inc., 1608 Acacia St., Charleston, SC 29407 (843) 571-0737

We provide education for the sighted community and peer mentoring with advocacy for the blindness community (guide dog, cane and sighted guide users alike), while promoting one community at large.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Dixie Land Guides "Paws 2 Serve!"

Taylor and Laurel singing at Heartland



Here, our Vice President Taylor Jones Stebbins serves as Guest Vocalist during Sunday Afternoon Worship led by our Secretary/Treasurer, Laurel Jean Walden at Heartland Rehabilitation of West Ashley. Dixie Land GDU was honored to help sponsor and coordinate this special event in partnership with Grace United Methodist Church and Music By Laurel Jean.

Dorace, one of Dixie Land’s sighted charter members, has resided at this facility over the past couple of months, recuperating from a bad fall. As several of us visit her, we have also enjoyed getting to know the other residents and staff. We wanted to do something special for our Heartland family, so we got permission to present a musical Worship Service, complete with a celebration of Holy Communion!

Grace Church giving Communion to Heartland residents

 


Pastor Dick Broomall of Grace Church presided over this service, leading us in prayer, sharing his vocal talent and offering Communion to all who wished to receive the Lord’s Supper.

Our thanks to everyone at Heartland, the people of Grace UMC and Music By Laurel Jean, for joining us in our “Paws 2 serve Initiative.”

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Paws 4 an update!

Audrey and Jesse present to Boy Scouts



Long-Time Dixie Lander Audrey Gunter and guide Jesse, address area Boy Scouts as part of our "Paws 2 Educate" Initiative. We want to take a minute to welcome Audrey as our new president (Elected this past July). Audrey is a charter member of Dixie Land and the founder of the internationally known Southern Region Top Dog Workshops. She recently received her certification as a Stephen Minister, and continues to bless Dixie Land GDU with her outstanding spirit of commitment to serving both the blindness community and the community at large.

Nancy, Laurel and Audrey in front of CARTA sign



Our immediate past president, Nancy Moore and guide Giza, pose with our Secretary/Treasurer Laurel Jean, Laurel's long white cane Slim, and Audrey and Jesse as they prepare to address the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA). Our thanks to Nancy and Giza, retired guide Luna, and Nancy's husband Max (behind the camera), for their years of tireless service to Dixie Land GDU. Our prayers and best wishes go with the Moore family as they have now been called to serve the community in other venues. We love you, Nancy and Max.

Laurel and Taylor with Day Campers



Dixie Lander Taylor Jones Stebbins takes time out for a photo with Laurel Jean while spending a fun-filled day of outreach with sighted day-campers at the St. Julian Devine Center in Downtown Charleston this past summer. We are pleased to welcome Taylor (with his long white cane, "Thumper"), elected in July as our new Vice President! Taylor is a student at West Ashley High School, where he sings in the chorus and recently won Third Place in a student talent competition! He enjoys playing computer games and also likes playing baseball with the Charleston Miracle League. Taylor and his family are long-time friends of Dixie Land. Whenever a volunteer opportunity comes our way, Taylor is among the first to say, "How can I help?" He and his enthusiasm are an inspiration to all of us!

Laurel plays for Day Campers

 


Our Secretary/Treasurer, Laurel Jean, shares her talents and gifts at the piano with more of God's kids in the Charleston community. Even though Laurel Jean is not a guide dog user, she readily volunteered to become part of Dixie Land GDU after learning of this organization's service within, and outreach to, the community. She enjoys managing the technical side of Dixie Land and brings to the table her 20-plus years of ongoing professional music ministry. In 2008, Laurel Jean founded her Chaplaincy for Blind Youth, and Dixie Land is proud to join in her outreach efforts as she mentors and tutors "God's outa sight kids" of all ages across the country.

Want to get involved with the Dixie Land Guide Team? We welcome your prayers, participation and support. Contact us any time (843) 608-6890. Leave a message and one of our team members will be in touch with you.

Meanwhile, be sure to watch for more posts like this one!

About Us

My photo
Charleston, SC, United States
Dixie Land Guide Dog Users is the South Carolina Affiliate of Guide Dog Users, Inc., the largest guide dog-related organization In the United States.