About the Fund

The Lori Sheppard Memorial Fund was created in December of 2006 and is held in trust by the Vancouver Foundation.

Lori was an impassioned advocate who embraced life. She was active in campaigns for the United Way, CNIB, and the 20/20 Foundation. She was the founder and Executive Director of PAWS International and worked tirelessly to establish the biannual guide dog conference which was hosted by the charity she founded until 2017. Lori was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a child and she became totally blind at the age of twenty-seven.

She passed away November 12^th, 2005 from complications of diabetes and heart disease. Her tenacity and capacity to bring the community together to assist other persons and organizations in need was her hallmark.

The Lori Sheppard Memorial Fund was created by her friends, family and community members to both commemorate her spirit and provide support to individuals who possess great passion yet face significant barriers.

The funds may be utilized for payment of tuition fees, professional fees, purchase of adaptive equipment, or to support costs linked with the creation of a home business.

• Must be a BC resident
• Must meet criteria for legal blindness or have a medical condition that could result in progressive vision loss such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, etc.
• Must be 16 years of age or older.

If you meet the criteria listed above, please fill out the form below. Applications are considered complete when this entire form (Parts A-C) is completed and submitted with all supporting documentation.

Completed applications along with supporting documentation should be submitted no later than April 10, 2026.

By submitting your application, you are certifying that the information you have provided is correct and true to the best of your knowledge, that you (as the applicant) are blind, deafblind partially sighted, or have a medical condition that may result in progressive vision loss, and that you meet all other eligibility criteria for the Lori Sheppard Memorial Fund.

Additionally, if you are selected as a successful recipient, you agree to have your name and other content related to the award featured in online properties such as Blind Beginnings social media communities, websites, and interview-style blog posts (potentially) at the time of the award and throughout the 2026- 2027 academic year.

Please indicate by typing your first and last name, that you have read, understand, and agree with the above statement:

Please note: Blind Beginnings is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, accuracy, and security of any personal information that we collect, use, retain, and disclose in the course of the programs we offer.

If you have any questions about protecting your personal privacy or our privacy policy, contact our Director of Finance & Administration by calling 604-434-7243 or toll free 1-866-736- 8620 or by email at: lia@blindbeginnings.ca.

Along with the above application form, please upload the following required documents:

• a personal statement about your education and career goals, and outline why you are deserving of this bursary (maximum 500 words)
• a statement of how you plan to use the grant. (100-200 words)
• a letter of reference (personal or professional are both acceptable).

If you have any issues with uploading your documents, email Rob rob@blindbeginnings.ca

Please complete this form and upload all of these documents to no later than April 10, 2026.

We will do our best to acknowledge receipt within 48 hours. If you have any questions or concerns, please email shawn@blindbeginnings.ca or telephone us at 604-434-7243 or toll free 1-866-736-8620.

Sincerely,

Shawn Marsolais
Director of Programs and Community Engagement
Blind Beginnings