We started using this tag, #CoronavirusCantStopUs, on our Facebook posts lately as a reminder to our clients, supporters, and team that we continue to serve those who need us, albeit a little differently now.

It’s only been a month!

On March 16, we suspended in-person services for those considered “high risk.” We notified all clients and provided information for the Florida Dept. of Health’s COVID-19 information line. We moved our monthly support groups to a weekly, call-in group, providing resources, socialization, and love.

Two days later, we closed our office, ceased all in-person services, and our team began working remotely.

Over the next two weeks, we called all of our clients to check-in and assess needs. We began offering individual and group classes – in fact, in just those two weeks, we hosted 73 group meetings, totalling over 3,600 minutes, via conference call.We are now a month out and our services keep getting stronger. We have embraced technology and creativity in all our programs. While some services are on hold, we’ve discovered new ways to serve our clients and community.

Keep reading to learn more about what New Vision looks like now!

Help us maintain our services during this hard time. Please make a donation today – even $5 right now can brighten a dark day (learn how here). Donate now!

Thank you for reading – stay safe!

Chantel Buck, President/CEO

Click here to read more about what we’re doing!

Our 5th annual Sensational Egg hunt may have been canceled 😷 so instead of our families bringing kids to our egg hunt, we’re bringing our egg hunt to our families!

We are assembling variations of most of our planned activities into a kit to be delivered to our families at least 3 days prior to Easter, plus Easter baskets for our kiddos and their siblings AND a custom note from Bob, the Easter bunny’s blind brother.

Thank you sooooo much to our sponsors: Advocating 4 Kids, Tavares Lions Club, Lake Sumter Lions, Fruitland Park Lions, Golden Triangle Kiwanis, Kiwanis Club of Mount Dora, Leesburg Kiwanis Noon, Umatilla Kiwanis, South Lake Kiwanis, and Orange Blossom Gardens Lions.

March 27, 2020: New Vision’s board of directors voted today to suspend in-person services and continue having employees/volunteers work from home until further notice. However, New Vision continues to deliver many services via phone/video conference for all ages. If you need assistance, please call our office at (352) 435-5040 and we will return your call.

March 19, 2020: Effective today, New Vision’s office will be closed through April 5. Our employees will work from home and conduct as many services as possible via phone/video conference.

March 14, 2020: To be abundantly cautious during the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Vision Board of Directors voted to enact the following safeguards to protect the vulnerable populations we serve:

++ Effective Monday, March 16, New Vision will be suspending in-person service to clients the CDC considers “high risk,” i.e. adults over 60 or individuals with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and more, thru April 5. Some services will happen via phone as applicable, and our office will still be open as we process applications for services and plan our programs.

++ We have increased our screening and sanitation procedures in accordance with our COVID-19 Mitigation Plan for all service delivery, group activities, and office procedures. Many activities will be postponed and/or altered to protect our guests.

Additionally, our support groups will occur via phone for the foreseeable future and we plan to hold them more frequently to support our New Vision family. Stay tuned for updated schedules.

From our family to yours, we wish you good health and lots of love!

New Vision is excited to offer several new support groups. Below is our calendar of upcoming gatherings. For more info, visit our Support Groups page. or contact Scott Foxall at our office (352-435-5040 or sfoxall@newvisionfl.org).