Blind Grind Global Foundation was born from a personal journey and a deep desire to close a gap that so many people around the world silently face every single day.

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In 2017, Sarah's father Mike lost his vision. Since then she has been by his side, helping with events, supporting the organizations he has poured his life into, and seeing firsthand what community and advocacy can do for the blind and low vision community. But she also saw what was missing. The resources, the access, the opportunities that so many people around the world simply never receive.

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Mike has dedicated his life to the blind community. As Board Director of the Missouri Council of the Blind and a Chair Member of their Youth Services Program, he has spent years showing up for others, traveling on his own to events, founding the 5 Day 50 Mile White Cane Awareness Walkathon, and creating Adventure Day, an event that brought the blind community outdoors through activities like archery, fishing, and kayaking.

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"Life is outside." — Mike Hopper

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It was a story Mike shared with Sarah when she was younger that resonated with her. On a Lions Club mission trip to South America, a father fell to his knees crying when he finally received a donated pair of glasses and saw his son again for the first time since he was young. That moment showed Sarah just how wide the gap truly was, and how much one act of support could change a life.

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A way for us to help directly fell into our hands when Mike came across the blind community in the Philippines. He became friends with a remarkable woman who, after losing her sight, was left completely alone with nothing. She refused to give up, completed a training program, and went on to own two clinics. She now opens her home to train other blind individuals herself, but the need far outweighs what one person can do alone. Many of those she wants to help simply cannot afford to participate, and she has no staff to support the growing demand. That is where we come in. We are building a training program specifically designed to fund her work, cover costs for those who cannot afford it, and provide her with the employees she needs to keep going so that more lives can be changed.

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Sarah holds a Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is committed to using that foundation to build an organization that doesn't just raise awareness but creates lasting, real world change in people's lives.