Vision loss does not break us; it builds us!
#GoingGrowingGlowing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home of Dancing With The Blind and Ms. Blind Diva Empowerment Pageant

About Us

Eyes Like Mine Inc. is a non profit 501-C3 organization established in March of 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. It was founded by Krystle Allen, a Newark native, to empower, enlighten, and innovate communities in New Jersey about vision loss and the available resources for people with vision loss. At it’s inception, Elm Inc. was founded with the help of Naquela Wright and Ihsaan R. Muhammad Esq., along with the founder Krystle Allen to introduce a unique pattern of advocacy for individuals who are vision impaired or blind.

Our Mission

Our mission is to raise awareness about the abilities and potential of individuals with vision loss through community service initiatives, comprehensive empowerment workshops, and innovative social change awareness events.

Our Vision

To inspire advocacy by breaking down the societal barriers placed against individuals who are previously or currently experiencing vision loss. Our ultimate goal is to create a more accessible society for individuals who are vision impaired and blind so that they can live, learn, and work in equal opportunities.

Dancing With The Blind Event

Eyes Like Mine is bringing you Dancing With The Blind. We are looking for dancers both, sighted and blind. Dancing With The Blind will be held on April 28th, 2023 at 4 PM – 8 PM ET. The venue for the event is Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619. 

Please nominate someone who is vision impaired or blind and who you believe would be good fit for our Dancing With The Blind event. Link to the Eyes Like Mine Inc. 2023 Dancing With The Blind nomination form below.  We are also seeking the best voiceover and audio description narrators for the main competition that will be held on 4/28/23. Please submit a one minute or less audio clip of yourself announcing the return of Dancing with the Blind with your creative spin. Submit to events@eyeslikemine.org. All ages are welcome. Your audio submission will be entered into a raffle for drawing. 

For further questions, email us at events@eyeslikemine.org or call us at 973-327-3035.

Directions are as follows:
Location and Address: Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619

Map

Public Transit
The NEC train from Newark Penn Station stops at Hamilton Train Station. From there, folks can either Uber/Lyft to Grounds For Sculpture or take the 608 NJ Transit bus to the Sculptors Way/Fairgrounds Road stop which is by our main entrance. For more information call 973-275-5555 or visit https://www.njtransit.com/

Access Link
Sculptors Way spans an entire block – both Nottingham Way and E State Street are crossroads. We are familiar with Access Link (both employees and visitors have used this service) and the drivers will typically drop off and pick up at the entrance of the Welcome Center. For more information call 973-491-4224 or visit https://accesslink.njtransit.com/hiwire#/auth/signinregister

Room Reservation for Stay
Guests can book rooms for their stay at Howard Johnson by Wyndham Newark Airport using reservations-reference conf#:
5136B369261627. For more information call 877-361-2497 or 973-3441500.

Location and Address: Howard Johnson by Wyndham Newark Airport, 20 Frontage Rd, Newark, NJ 07114.

Map

Sponsors

Sponsors FLyer

The event is sponsored by WHAT THE FOX PODCAST, AMB DANCE THEATRE, DDIVINO Tasting Room – Eatery – Lounge, Lisa Durden Unlimited Productions, AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IN CINEMA, blindCAN FILM FESTIVAL and GREATER VISION FONDATION.

Dancing with the Blind Gallery

Humanitarian Trip to Cameroon

Support Eyes Like Mine Humanitarian Trip to Cameroon on June 15th – 17th.

Contribute to this initiative: New or gently used canes, New or gently used assistive devices, Signature guides, Braille paper, Bump dos, Basic Hygiene items. All Contributions will support this humanitarian effort and each contributor will receive a raffle ticket upon entry.

Date: Friday, April 28, 2023
Time: 4:00PM until 8:00PM

Location and Address: Grounds For Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619.

To register and for more info contact: www.eyeslikemine.org or 973-885-0280

Community Baby Shower

Eyes Like Mine in partnership with The Newark Museum of Art brings you Community Baby Shower for differently abled moms with babies of ages newborn to 3 years old. DONATIONS ARE WELCOMED!

Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Time: 12:00PM until 3:00PM

Location and Address: The Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.
www.Info@newarkmuseumart.org

To register and for more info contact: www.eyeslikemine.org or 973-885-0280

Support Group

Women 

Flyer of All Women Support Group

Eyes Like Mine presents an All-Women Support Group. We invite you to join us every second Thursday of the month. Meetings take place from 7 PM – 9 PM EST on Zoom, click the below button to join.  

Men

EYES LIKE MINE INC. PRESENTS<br />
ALL-MALE SUPPORT GROUP<br />
SECOND WEDNESDAY EVERY MONTH!<br />
7PM - 9PM EST<br />
ZOOM: tinyurl.com/malesupportgroup<br />
QUESTIONS: events@eyeslikemine.org and 973-327-3035

Eyes Like Mine presents an All-Male Support Group. We invite you to join us every second Wednesday of the month. Meetings take place from 7 PM – 9 PM EST on Zoom, click the below button to join.  

Crushing in the Kitchen

Crushing in the kitchen flyer

Eyes Like Mine brings you Ms. Independent Crushing in the Kitchen with Talia Woodard Miss Blind Diva Mondays @ 12 Noon EST. Click the below button to check out her fan page.

Ms. Blind Diva Empowerment Pageant 2023 Applications are now open

Congratulations to Ms. Blind Diva 2022, Goddest Johnson!

Goddest Johnson Diva Title Holder
Goddest is well known as “FIGHT” (Faith Is Getting Her Through).  Goddest soul provides a real-life comprehensive perspective or living an independent successful life beyond vision loss as she utilizes comprehensive skill training classes, resource training, community outreach events to educate as well as motivate and show what is possible to blind and visually impaired adults and children by allowing them to live a productive and independent life beyond vision loss.
Goddest travels the world and has done speaking engagement.  May 15, 2022, she received an honorary and was the only honorary who was asked to speak to over 500 Women at “Women Of Orlando luncheon (“Orem by Monique Scott Nichols”). Many of her friends flew from various areas in the United States to see her speak that sold out the event.  Rising above expectations is something that comes as no obstacle to Goddest.  Goddest was born in September 1980 and spent the early part of her childhood residing in Chicago Illinois with her mother; a single parent who suffered from mental illness and a severe drug addiction.  Goddest was the oldest of her four siblings in which her childhood took a major change when she was seven years old and her mother went to prison for life. At the most trying time in her life at this point she began her journey as becoming a client of the foster care system.  By the age of 15, Goddest has had already live in over nine different foster homes and 11 different group homes. Due to several different circumstances Goddest has made the decision to become emancipated at the age of 16 and take on the responsibility of an adult.
Later she became the sole guardian of her sister and was determined to show her what could be possible with determination and staying focused. To set this example Goddest became the first one of her siblings to graduate from high school. When Goddest was 21 years of age her younger brother went to prison and was given 44 years, this left her devastated but shined a new light towards her future. At this point she was determined to keep reaching out and breaking the cycle to give others hope and something to look up to.  Goddest, went on to obtain her bachelor’s from NOVA Southeastern University which was one of the greatest accomplishments.  Goddest needed a way to give back so becoming a nurse only seemed like a perfect idea to her.  Perfect until life took another unexpected turn in February 2009.  Goddest was involved in a tragic car accident which left her legally blind.  In spite of all of Goddest obstacles that she face, the proudest moment was when she met the mother of NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal (Shack) Lucille O’Neil who interviewed her and was brought to tears while she stated to Goddest that Goddest was her inspiration and how Goddest touched her life in a major way by giving her the motivation to press through when most people did not know that she was struggling with her own visual impairment.  Goddest shared that Lucille O’Neil was the first person who inspired her to share her story and she has been doing so since.
This amazing woman of God has many amazing stories that put tears to the eyes of the listener when she speaks.”

Congratulations to Ms. Independent 2022, Talia Woodard!

Ms. Independent 2022 Talia Wooder picture
Talia Woodard is a licensed massage therapist specializing in pregnancy massage. Talia enjoys reading, swimming, and cooking. Talia has a passion for advocating for the blind and is actively involved in many organizations that cater to the needs of the blind and visually impaired. Talia aims to inspire others, specifically those in the blind community that the possibilities are endless!

Diva Title Holders

Goddest Johnson, Miss Blind Diva 2022 and Talia Woodard, Miss Independent 2022

Meet The Team

Krystle Allen

Founder & President

  

Newark New Jersey native Krystle Allen serves as the founder and president of Eyes Like Mine Inc. Krystle is a millennial entrepreneur and non-profiteer who is no stranger to work that involves community development, social change, and grassroots efforts. When she is not attending to Eyes Like Mine matters, she is employed with the New Jersey Commission For the Blind and Visually Impaired under the Department of Human Services in the role of the community outreach specialist. Krystle has served on the access committee of the Jersey City non-profit organization Art House Productions Inc for the past four years.  Krystle’s introduction to the non-profit sector began when working with the Montclair YMCA for eight years in the extended care program.

Krystle is a graduate of Newark’s University High School and continued her education by majoring in social science at Essex County College Newark, NJ campus. Currently, she is actively pursuing her enrollment in the Leadership Newark class of 2020 to strengthen her leadership abilities further. Lastly, Krystle has completed a community training program through the Greater Newark L.I.S.C. Despite her vision loss, Krystle has a vision gained to impact one community at a time through her combined advocacy activities.

Naquela Wright

Co-Founder & Vice President

  

Naquela Wright-Prevoe is a blind Entrepreneur and Activist. She was born in Newark, Nj on December 25, 1991. Naquela always followed her hart even if people said she couldn’t, she walked to the beat of her own drum. Naquela Participated in Dance, Cheerleading, boxing, wrestling and her ultimate love music. At a young age Naquela had a strong sense of self and she never let anyone tell her who she should be. After graduating high school Naquela continued to work on her music and prepare for her future, but that’s when everything changed. On July 27, 2010, Naquela woke up blind in one eye and blurry out the other. On that day she was diagnose with pseudo tumor cerebra. At the tender age of eight teen Naquela had four spinal taps, surgery on both her eyes, and a VP shunt implanted. Naquela was always a go getter, and never let circumstances get in her way, and she wasn’t about to start. Naquela gave herself some time to grieve the life she lost and come to terms with the life she now has, thus a new journey began. In November 2010 Naquela went to the Joseph Kone Training Center to learn how to do everything blind, with in that time her whole outlook on life changed, because she seen that she can do everything she was doing just in a different way. Naquela met her best friend and partner and cofounder of Eyes Like Mine Krystle Allen during this time. Naquela and Krystle wanted to change the narrative, bridge the gap between the sighted and blind, and help people living with vision lost, with advocacy, support groups and innovative social change events. Between adjusting to vision lost and growing the nonprofit, Naquela got married to a beautiful soul Michael Prevoe and is a mother of two beautiful children Aaron Jackson and Naomi Prevoe. Naquela is gainfully employed as a telecommunication specialist for the Veterans HealthCare System. Naquela is in love with her family life, she likes her job and coworkers, and she is absolutely excited about the future of Eyes Like Mine!

Brandon Scott

Board Member

Brandon Scott is a resident of Eatontown New Jersey. As early as he can remember, he has always had a passion for social justice, community empowerment, and self advocacy. As a result, it was no surprise when he pursued social work in college, graduating from Georgian Court University with a bachelors in social work. Professionally, he has served at the Red Bank lunch break soup kitchen, the Jewish renaissance Medical Center, and the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Brandon has been volunteering with eyes like mine since 2014.

Otis H. Kerr, LMT

Board Member

  

At a young age, Otis H, Kerr started using massage as a means of helping his family and friends with their health and well-being. Otis received his formal training at the Academy of Massage Therapy in Hackensack, NJ. He graduated with his certification in Clinical Massage Therapy with Spa Concentration in October 2010. Otis has been distinguished as the academy’s first blind graduate.

Otis is employed by Elements Therapeutic Massage in New Providence, NJ as a lead massage therapist. He also runs his own massage therapy business under Kerr’s Massage & Bodywork in Warren, NJ.
In his spare time, Otis is a remarkable DJ. He has been spinning records since the age of 19. He is self-taught on various DJ platforms including turntables and Serato DJ. He loves all genres of music but truly enjoys playing Reggae, Dancehall, Lovers Rock and Culture.

He believes in giving back to the community by providing services both as a massage therapist and DJ, at outreach events for churches, medical facilities and charitable organizations. Otis is married to his best friend, Phyllis, and they are the proud parents of a 3-year-old princess, Alicia Lyn.

Volunteer Internship Opportunity

 

Interested in our organization activities and want to be a part of Eyes Like Mine Inc?

Please fill out the volunteer internship application now and be a part of our Eyes Like Mine Inc mission.

Eyes Like Mine Latest Newsletter

Support Eyes Like Mine

If you believe in our mission and would like to support the work we do, you can do so by making a donation today. No amount is too small!

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