Our beloved independent living skills and braille instructor Annely Rose entered hospice care this week due to aggressive liver cancer. We are heartbroken, and hope you will join us in sending lots of love and prayers to her and her family. We set up a GoFundMe page to both honor her and help her family with expenses. Please follow us on Facebook for any updates.
New Vision is your local stop for White Cane Coffee—the delicious, fair trade, organic coffee that is packaged by and supports people with disabilities.
White Cane Coffee was started by 22-year-old Erin who is blind and on the autism spectrum. She and her family started this company in Warren, PA not only to deliver excellent coffee but to provide jobs to people with disabilities at a living wage.
New Vision sells small bags and -cups from our office in Leesburg, but if you want bigger bags of delicious roasts/flavors we don’t have, please use our affiliate link to purchase from White Cane Coffee directly!
Price @ New Vision:
Where to Buy:
Our New Vision face masks are in! These multi-layer cloth face masks are adjustable and as comfortable as they are cute. Buy yours today: $6 for one, or 2 for $10 (plus shipping).They are black with the word “love” in white braille characters atop red print, with New Vision’s logo. They were made by Louisiana Association for the Blind: together we’re creating opportunities for people with low vision or blindness. Order Now
Join us to celebrate Low Vision Awareness Month throughout February! Sign up for our month-long fitness-fundraiser (or “fit-raser”) to:
When you register, you will set a goal for how many miles you plan to log in February. We’ll provide a log for you to fill in as you go. Turn it in by 3/1/20, and we’ll send you a gift card to your choice of one of our community’s Axy Award-winning blind-friendly businesses.
UPDATE: We placed 3rd and will receive a $2,500 match grant! Thank you for your support!
We’ve been chosen to compete in the Mount Dora Community Trust’s Giving Week match competition. What that means: if you make a donation this week, and we place in the top 3 organizations with most funds raised, MDCT will match your contribution up to $10,000!
Click HERE to learn more and make a contribution!
This time of year, the New Vision family — supporters, clients, staff, volunteers — typically gathers for our Annual Luncheon and Axy Awards ceremony. But with so many in our Family considered at higher risk for the coronavirus, we’re being cautious, like any of us would with vulnerable family members!
We decided to create this guide instead:
We encourage you to use this guide for gift ideas for your friends and family:
From our family to yours,
Happy Holidays!
Chantel Buck, President/CEO
UPDATE: thank you for your help – this issue has been fully resolved as of 4:30 p.m. 10/20/20!
Thursday, Oct. 15 @ 9:55-11:05 a.m.
In honor of National White Cane Day, join us for our annual Close Your Eyes event—this year, via Zoom!
During this eye-opening hour,
Every year since 1964, October 15 has been deemed National White Cane Safety day. In more recent years, the phrase “Blind Americans Equality Day” has been adopted. Whatever the title, the goal is the same: ensure and champion the full participation of blind Americans in every facet of our society, every day.
Visit our Events page for the link to join us!
Today, New Vision for Independence celebrates 15 years of service to the community, removing barriers to independence for our neighbors with low vision or blindness.
Listen to some of our grateful graduates:
[Click here for more client “thank-you”s for our birthday!]
We are grateful for your support over the years – you have helped provide life-changing and sometimes even life-saving services. Please make a donation today of $15 in honor of our birthday and as a toast to 15 more!
We also invite you to join our Birthday Club! Pledge to make a $15 donation monthly and we’ll deliver (or ship as appropriate) a New Vision goody bag containing White Cane Coffee, “I Heart New Vision” mug, and a thank you card.
Our Dining in the Dark at a Distance video – get situated and turn on this video for more instructions:
Check out the Online Silent Auction (closes at 10 p.m. 7/10/20).
Our annual Dining in the Dark fundraiser brings together 250+ folks every year at our local reception hall for cocktails, a silent auction, and a sit-down dinner in the dark, served by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team.
In our current COVID world, we didn’t want to risk sickness with such a gathering (and we likely won’t be able to then, either). We’ve postponed our event once already, and instead of cancelling altogether, we’re trying something else…
Join New Vision and presenting sponsor Lake Eye Associates for Dining in the Dark at a distance!
Instead of dining in, we’re providing everything you need to have your own Dining in the Dark at home (or wherever you wanna gather with your party, but ya can’t stay here!). Our goal is to support our local economy by only using local vendors: this community has been good to us these past 15 years and we want to show our gratitude.
WHEN: July 10, 5 to 8 p.m. (you will be assigned to pick up!)
WHERE: 9501 US Hwy 441, Leesburg – the College Rd. parking lot of Lake Sumter State College
COST: $40 per person – ticket sales closed (thank you!)
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Stations set up in the LSSC Leesburg parking lot for:
To give you a Dining in the Dark experience, we will provide blindfolds (don’t use while driving, please!) for you to wear while eating at home AND an online video to simulate being there (like helpful tips, a guest speaker, and corny jokes from our CEO). You’ll also get candy, courtesy of our Eye Candy Sponsors, Avalon Park Village and the Lake County Supervisor of Elections, and a beautiful printed program, printed by Litigation Solutions.
Our silent auction will be online (so please bid, even if you can’t make it)!
— Online Silent Auction is live now through July 10 at 10 p.m. Check it out!
We’ll also have our quintessential “Photo with the SWAT team” set-up for your party to get your photos taken, thanks to eSportsPhoto and our SWAT Photo Sponsor, Mortgage Financial Group.