On Tuesday, the nonprofit marked that milestone alongside two more: one year at its current office space in Downtown Leesburg and the grand reopening of its newly expanded gift shop.
Chantel Buck, president and CEO of the nonprofit, said it was amazing to see the community come together for the hourlong event at the nonprofit’s office, 901 W. Main St.
“I think it’s amazing that we’ve been blessed with such tremendous community support,” Buck said. “We are constantly able to grow and meet the needs of the community with that support. With it also being Disability Pride Month, it seems everything is coming together.”
The event started with New Vision board member Wanda Smith-McKenzie, surrounded by members of the Leesburg Chamber of Commerce, City Commissioner Alan Reisman and Leesburg Mayor Allyson Berry, cutting the ribbon for the recently expanded Curating Ability Gift Shop.
Paul Ruzbarsky, the gift shop’s coordinator and a Village of Waters Edge resident, said his goal is to inspire independence and creativity.
Visitors browsed its more organized shelves of items for people experiencing vision loss and crafts made by people with impaired vision.
Smith-McKenzie, of Clermont, first became involved with New Vision as a client through its Adult Blind Living in New Dimensions (BLIND) Independent Living program after she experienced vision loss three years ago.
She said since learning braille and getting independent living skills training, she feels more confident to move around her home.
“It was very empowering because they helped me be able to cook again,” Smith-McKenzie said. “As a client, I was impressed with the services they provide to help you feel independent. That’s what helped me decide that I wanted to be a board member. My goal is to inform the community about the services New Vision provides, because a lot of people don’t know. I also want to share how people can help with our mission by helping fundraise or helping during events.”
Berry said she’s been supporting the nonprofit since it was located in Tavares, but became more familiar with it after her mother was diagnosed with glaucoma and signed up for its BLIND program.
“For my mother, their services helped her see that there is a new way to live and she’s living in a whole new light,” Berry said. “I also think it’s wonderful to have these services here in Downtown Leesburg.”
Along with its adult program and the vocational services it offers to adults who want to return to work, New Vision offers youth services through its Blind Babies, Visually Impaired Kids Investigated New Ground (VIKING) and Visually Impaired Teens Accessing Life Transition programs.
Jayne Maravola, New Vision’s youth services coordinator, said independence looks different for each individual, but services at the nonprofit can be customized.
While people took tours of the office and looked around the gift shop, Maravola helped the young people who are involved with the nonprofit pass out refreshments.
“We start them with our program as early as possible. For many of the children we work with it’s nearly as soon as they’ve been diagnosed,” Maravola said. “We help them be as independent as possible. We want them to be on par with their sighted peers, then move on to secondary education or the workforce. We want them to know impaired vision isn’t a barrier to independence.”
Joyce Walters, friendraiser and donor relations coordinator, said she’s been connected to New Vision since her 21-year-old-son was 5 and needed its services. Today, he is set to graduate from the University of Central Florida in the fall with a degree in filmmaking.
“I really feel that, like my son, some people may not be as independent or where they are now if they didn’t have the extra knowledge New Vision provides,” Walters said. “They give you the resources at a young age. Now, I’m here to make sure that New Vision has a voice and to help get these resources out to more people.”
Half of New Vision’s staff is visually impaired and 75% have some form of disability, Buck said, which helps the nonprofit be a “testament of inclusion.”
Looking ahead to the next 21 years , Buck said success for the nonprofit will come from continuing the work they do daily.
“We let our mission statement guide us,” she said. “We will continue to research opportunities to make an impact. We will continue to make new friends in the community. We will continue to seek feedback for how we can keep doing even better.”
For more information about New Vision for Independence and the services it provides, visit newvisionfl.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
