Center For Vision Loss

On Sunday, May 6, 2012, Center for Vision Loss held its Volunteer Appreciation Event in the agency offices in Allentown. Volunteers who gave their time as Annie’s Angels, office assistants, drivers, mall walk assistants and vision screeners were honored for the help they have provided to support the agency’s programs and services. Rita Lang, Manager of Innovative Programs, welcomed the group. She was assisted by Dawn Sellers, Prevention of Blindness Coordinator. Doug Yingling, Executive Director, also offered his thanks for the hundreds of hours provided by these agency friends.

Each volunteer received a Certificate of Appreciation. Four volunteers also received special awards: Longest Service–Lois Frederick, 42 years of service as a vision screener; Greatest Impact on a Customer’s Quality of Life–Lynn Shiavione, Annie’s Angels; Newest Vision Screener–Bernice Flynn; and Newest Volunteer–Steve Klegarth, four weeks of service.

The volunteers also had the opportunity to test their knowledge of the agency by answering questions in a fun quiz. Did you know that the agency mails 1,400 customer newsletters bimonthly (they are processed by our volunteer office assistants) or that the agency vision screens more than 5,000 children each year (staff and volunteer screeners work together in this effort)? Of course, such heavy thinking was accompanied by good food and drink set up by staff member Stephanie Houck.

If you are interested in becoming a Center for Vision Loss volunteer, please contact Rita Lang at 610-433-6018, x. 231 or rita.lang@centerforvisionloss.org.

Much needed rain was in the forecast for April 22, 2012, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 140 participants and volunteer helpers in the Center for Vision Loss’s 6th Annual Basket Bingo & Brunch fundraiser at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. All enjoyed the special Hotel Sunday buffet followed by 20 games of bingo featuring Longaberger products as prizes. In addition there were 47 raffle items that commanded the group’s attention.

We thank all of our Center for Vision Loss volunteers and staff for lending their hearts and hands before and during the event. And we could not have been so successful without the support of our community raffle item donors; Carol Dotta, our Longaberger consultant; and our sponsors: Inova Technologies; Lessig Oil & Propane; HMK Insurance; “Lifestyles Over 50″-Jeff Tintle; Allentown Optical Corp.; Minuteman Press of the Lehigh Valley; Yeager’s Fuel; Yocco’s, Inc. and Historic Hotel Bethlehem. You filled our basket in so many ways!

Click here to download the Annual Report 2010-2011.

The Center for Vision Loss is looking to identify working artists who are blind or visually impaired.  The artists can work in all media including but not limited to paint, textiles, glass, metal, sculpture, or paper.  They might have an age-related eye condition such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma or cataracts or they may have been affected as a younger person with another kind of low vision problem. Please contact Karen Huetter, Development Director, at 610-433-6018, x. 241 or karen.huetter@centerforvisionloss.org.  We look forward to hearing from you.

On Tuesday, September 13, 2011, students in Dr. Christie Gilson’s freshman writing seminar at Moravian College took part in a service learning project with customers from the Center for Vision Loss. Dr. Gilson, who is blind,  is a member of our Board of Directors. Together the students and customers had a great time on a beautiful fall day walking, shopping, and eating in downtown Bethlehem and learning about disabilities and each other. Click this link to read about their experiences http://www.moravian.edu/news/inCommon2/2011-2012/11_09_29/article2.html.  It will take you to INCOMMON, the e-Newsletter of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary, September 29, 2011.

In 1925, Helen Keller spoke to the Lions at their International Convention at Cedar Point, Ohio. There Miss Keller exhorted the Lions to become “Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness.”  Following that event, Lions took up the challenge to support programs and services relating to blindness and visual impairment. In 1928, local Lions heard Miss Keller speak at Liberty High School in Bethlehem and decided to form the two county blind associations which eventually consolidated into the Center for Vision Loss in January, 2010.

Following a very tasty country-style banquet, the agency thanked the Lions and Lionesses by presenting each club with a special card containing a patch which could be sewn onto a club flag. Then Doug Yingling took the podium and filled club members in on the “state of the agency,” describing the changes that occurred in the last fiscal year in staffing and programming.  Ruthie Asmus, Prevention of Blindness Coordinator, discussed the PediaVision Assessment Solution equipment which the agency is now using to vision screen children. And the event closed with the clubs making pledges to the agency for the new year.  In all over $47,000 was raised from intitial donations.

The Center for Vision Loss applauds the efforts of the Lions and Lionesses of District 14-K and thanks all club members for their continued interest in serving the blind and visually impaired in the Lehigh Valley.

Left to right: Lowell Hawk, Lions liaison; Doug Yingling, Executive Director; Joseph Chunko, District Governor; Brad Ott, Board Member and Master of Ceremonies, Dennis Butz, 2nd Vice Governor

Beautiful Skytop Lodge in the Poconos was the setting for the Eighth Annual Pocono Mountains Community Fundraiser Dinner on Thursday, July 28, 2011. This event that “epitomizes community collaboration and demosntrates the wondrous results of unified compassion”  is supported and spearheaded by sanofi pasteur. This year the event raised more than $180,00 which was awarded to four non-profit agencies.  And best of all, Center for Vision Loss’s project to implement a state-of-the-art vision screening device that will serve more than 3,300 Monroe County children took second place! For its efforts, Center for Vision Loss received $43,800 from the fundraiser and an additional $6,500 from sanofi pasteur.

Bob Philips, Center for Vision Loss board member and CEO of the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce, was the master of ceremonies.  More than 400 guests enjoyed the event’s signature dinner–a traditional New England-Style Lobster Bake– and the vibrant music of Exact Change.   Doug Yingling, Executive Director; Karen Huetter, Development Director; Rita Lang, Manager of Innovative Programs; Cindi Starner, Monroe County Branch Coordinator; Nell Mayotte, Caseworker/Prevention of Blindness Vision Screener; Mary Lou Phillips, Receptionist; Michael Mandile, Monroe driver; and Ross Wasielke, member of agency board of directors and client represented the agency.

Center for Vision Loss wishes to thank the volunteers of the Pocono Mountains Community Fundraiser Committe, sanofi pasteur, and event sponsors for choosing our project and continuing to recognize our vital work in the community.  The agency, as Visual Impairment & Blindness Services,  also won awards in 2005 and 2008. We also congratulate the evening’s other award recipients for their efforts to improve the lives of Monroe’s residents: Monroe County Youth Employment Services, Pocono Area Transitional Housing and Women’s Resources.  

From left: Michael Mandile; Ross Wasielke; Doug Yingling; Cindi Starner; Ellyn Schindler, sanofi pasteur; Nell Mayotte; Rita Lang; Mary Lou Phillips and Karen Huetter pose with check.

On June 28, 2011, William Hoos, a Vanda Pharmaceutical representative, visited the Center for Vision Loss to speak to our consumers about a common sleep disorder that affects people who are totally blind.  He also provided details on the clinic trials that Vanda Pharmaceuticals is conducting on a medication to help this condition. Click to hear the audio version of this presentation.

Those who are totally blind often find that their sleep patterns differ from the rest of the world. This could be due to a real sleep problem related to the lack of light needed by the body’s internal clock. The name for this condition is Non-24 Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder. Mr. Hoos educated the audience on the characteristics of the condition. He also invited interested audience members to contact Vanda for further information about the study. There is still time to enroll in the study or learn more about it.

There are several ways to get more information:  Call 1-888-389-7033; E-mail info@non24registry.com; take a sleep survey directly at www.non24registry.com or visit the Vanda Pharmaceutical website at www.vandapharma.com. There is also a new educational website devoted to information about the sleep disorder at www.24sleepwake.com.

We are pleased to report that in June, 2011, the Center for Vision Loss received a five-year accreditation by the National Accreditation Council for Blind and Low Vision Services (NAC). NAC is the only independent accrediting agency in its category. It develops standards to promote effective, sound and publicly accountable programs of service that help blind and visually impaired children and adults achieve their full potential. 

NAC officials wrote: “This important achievement is an indication of your agency’s dedication and commitment to improving the quality of life for people with vision loss. We hope that the individuals you serve, the governing body and your staff take pride and comfort in displaying the certificate representing your compliance with the NAC standards of performance.” 

Preparing the agency for the NAC review team in March, 2011 required many hours of work on the part of the Center for Vision Loss staff team headed by then Director of Vision Services Doug Yingling.  Now Executive Director, Doug states that the Center for Vision Loss values the accreditation process because it leads to improved programs for clients and strengthens professional relationships within the field.

Saturday, June 11, 2011 started out as a soggy, wet day.  We all wondered who would be intrepid enough to brave the weather and join us in the 7th Annual Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community. By 8:30 am, however, minutes before the 5K portion of the event began, the rain turned to mist and began to stop. At Center for Vision Loss we were pleased to welcome our 13 participants who came appropriately dressed in foul weather gear which, it seemed, helped to ward off further downpours!  To date, our unofficial tally of money raised by our walkers is $2,985 and we know that many walkers have pledged to collect more to put us over $3,000!

We thank all of the folks who raised money to support Center for Vision Loss and our work with blind and visually impaired residents in our community.  We also thank Highmark Blue Shield for providing all of the support and logistics to make this event possible for the 23 participating non-profits this year.  Jodie Ruediger, Highmark Community Programs Specialist,  who organizes this Walk as well as other Walks throughout the Highmark Blue Shield service area in Pennsylvania, is to be commended for her positive and motivating approach to helping all of us  make more friends for our agencies in a fun and healthy way.

You can still make a donation to Center for Vision Loss for the Walk by going to http://www.walkforahealthycommunity.org  You can also send us a contribution by mail (make your check payable to “Center for Vision Loss”). We do need to receive your gift no later than June 30 to be counted as supporting the Walk.  If you have any questions, call 610.433.6018, x. 241.  And if you missed us this year, we’ll find out soon the date of the Walk in 2012!

Walkers, from left, Carol and Tony Swartz and Jeffrey Appleby sign-in at Center for Vision Loss table.

Congratulations go to walker Ross Wasielke for raising the most money by an individual!

Click here to download our VISION newsletter in PDF format. If you do not have adobe acrobat installed on your computer you can download it from Adobe by clicking here (link opens in a new window).

Click here to download the Annual Report 2009-2010.

Click here to download our VISION newsletter in PDF format. If you do not have adobe acrobat installed on your computer you can download it from Adobe by clicking here (link opens in a new window).

Click here to download our VISION newsletter in PDF format. If you do not have adobe acrobat installed on your computer you can download it from Adobe by clicking here (link opens in a new window). MORE

The Center for Vision Loss is looking foward to participating again in the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community scheduled for Saturday, June 2, 2012. Registration begins at 7:45 am and the 5K Walk starts at 9 am  followed by the One-Mile Fun Walk Start at 9:15 am. The Highmark Walk brings together 23 local nonprofit organizations that deliver vital health and human service programs in our community. While there is no registration fee, all walkers are encouraged to raise funds for the organization of their choice. Highmark Blue Shield underwrites the cost of the walk, so 100% of the money raised is donated directly to benefit the organization.

We’d love to have as many donors, friends, staff and customers as possible walk on our behalf.  Our agency goal is $3,500 and, of course, we hope to surpass that! Walkers can register now by going to www.walkforahealthycommunity.org. You can register as an individual or a family or create your own team.  If you can’t make the event, register as a virtual walker! You can make your donation by credit card directly on-line, too–now that’s easy!

This year’s walk location is the SteelStacks Campus in Bethlehem.  Our walkers can look forward to a beautiful day (the walk is held rain or shine); an accessible walkway for strollers and wheelchairs; free parking and food, beverages, music and activities. You will also have a chance to win prizes valued at $1,000 collectively. For every $50 that you donate or raise in support of Center for Vision Loss, you will receive one raffle ticket.  And if you donate or raise $25 or more you will receive a Highmrk Walk for a Healthy Community T-shirt.  You can find more information at www.walkforahealthycommunity.org.  Or call Karen Huetter, Development Director, at 610-433-6018, x. 241 to find out how you can get in on the fun.

So get your feet and sneakers in gear and join us on June 2.  You’ll be glad you did!

Our 2012 Chrysalis Award Dinner will be held on Friday, October 26, 2012 at 6 pm at DeSales University. Our Chrysalis Award recipient will be Dr. Francis A. Salerno, Associate Chief of Geriatrics, Lehigh Valley Health Network. Each year, the Chrysalis Award is presented to a blind or visually impaired person who has transformed the world around them. For the past 22 years, Dr. Salerno has been a guiding light in geriatric medicine and the care of the elderly not only in the Lehigh Valley but beyond.

Dr. Salerno lost his vision at age 29 due to the complications of diabetic retinopathy. He was a first year resident at the Reading Hospital & Medical Center at the time. In 1990 he joined the Lehigh Valley Health Network as the first Chief of Geriatric Medicine. In his acceptance speech, “In Search of My Own Glide Path,” Dr. Salerno reports that he will share some lessons that he has learned from blindness that have assisted him in finding safe water on some occasions and at other times have helped him to find a glide path to safely land his plane. “The search for my own glide path has enabled me to find meaning in my own life. I will share these thoughts with you in hope that you, too, will reflect upon the meaning in your life,” stated Dr. Salerno.

Tickets for the 2012 Chrysalis Award Dinner cost $85 per person and will be avilable in late August. The ticket price includes a Wine Bar Reception and Dinner. A Silent Auction will also be featured. We are grateful to our sponsors to date: Lehigh Valley Hospital Network and PPL Corporation. Sponsorship opportunities are available. If you are interested, please click here for a Sponsorship Opportunities Form or contact Karen Z. Huetter, Development Director, at 610-433-6018, x. 241 or karen.huetter@centerforvisionloss.org.