“INDEPENDENCE is our Vision!”News for donors and friends of VisionCorps

SPRING/SUMMER 2020

244 N QUEEN STREET, SUITE 301 | LANCASTER, PA 17603 | PHONE: 717-393-5894 | WWW.VISIONCORPS.NET

Serving Adams, Chester, Lancaster, Lebanon and York CountiesFor more information on services for you or someone you know,

please call 866-876-6550

FRANCIS AND ROSE ANN MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSITION

Major disruptions in our daily lives and routines can present challenges and stresses that are difficult to deal with. Everyone responds differently. Recently, just before the coronavirus pandemic shattered the status quo, VisionCorps was able to help one family make a smooth transition to a new way of living.

“When my husband and I were 85, I told him: ‘When we’re 90, regardless of our health, we’ve got to do something to make sure our grown children will be cared for,’” said Marianne Schaller of Lancaster. She and her husband Francis turned 90 this year. Two of their four grown children, Rose Ann (57) and Francis (54) have vision impairments and other challenges, and up until now had been living at home with them. It was time for them to transfer to an assisted living facility.

VisionCorps rehabilitation professionals went to the assisted living facility to train the staff in appropriate and effective ways to communicate and offer guidance to people with impaired vision. They worked directly with Rose Ann and Francis to orient them to their new home environment. And they also began attending to the little things that can make a big difference: making sure their talking clocks worked, putting raised dots on appliances, connecting them with transportation and other resources, and helping them register to vote by mail.

Francis is adept at using his white cane to travel independently. In normal times, he rides a bus to work and enjoys taking walks. After an orientation to his new home from VisionCorps’ mobility instructor, he was comfortable finding his way around his room and

shower, and to the lobby, mailbox and dining room. He is anxious to get back to his job as a production worker at VisionCorps, assembling the padding inside military helmets. He’s been working at VisionCorps for 36 years. Although this work is considered “essential” he is continuing to shelter to protect the other residents of the assisted living facility.

Rose Ann worked at VisionCorp for 29 years. She now crochets and sells blankets. Her cane skills had become a little rusty, because she’d been relying on sighted guides for assistance. VisionCorps’ mobility instructor worked with her until she felt confident and comfortable finding her way around her new home on her own. “Now she has no fear of getting lost, and is proud of her renewed independence,” Marianne said. Rose Ann, who is more social than Francis, is already developing new routines, joining in regular prayer and exercise group activities and educational presentations.

“The VisionCorps staff were so upbeat,” Marianne said, “and it made all the difference. They’d say: ‘This is a great move. You’re really going to like it!’ It made them feel optimistic about it. In fact, I think my kids adjusted to the changes faster than I did!” Having the right tools, training, attitude and support makes facing life’s challenges easier.

Members of the Schaller family gather for a photo prior to the pandemic.

MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENTFirst and foremost, I hope this finds you and your family safe and healthy!

This is not the type of update I thought I would be giving this spring! We had several great donor appreciation events and activities planned for the spring, but of course they all were postponed. We have been thinking of our donors often, and are thankful your support has given us the opportunity to continue to serve the community at this challenging time.

VisionCorps continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and we have been adjusting our services and programs to continue operation, wherever possible, during this time. As of today, May 22, ALL VisionCorps locations are closed to the public. Facilities are locked and will remain closed to the public until further notice. Here is what is going on in specific areas of the agency:

Administrative OfficesVisionCorps administrative employees (finance, information technology, marketing, fundraising, human resources) continue to work remotely. Should you need anything from these departments, please dial your contact’s phone number as calls are being forwarded. VisionCorps will continue to follow state government guidelines with respect to returning to work.

Enterprise GroupVisionCorps’ Enterprise Group continues to operate ONLY the product lines deemed essential by the government: packaging of food for the military, protective gear for the military and cleaning and sanitation products for federal facilities. The safety of employees working on these lines is of utmost importance to the VisionCorps team and practices are in place in accordance with CDC and government guidelines. VisionCorps’ Contract Management Services department is able to continue work remotely.

Rehabilitation ServicesVisionCorps is working to continue to add service opportunities for clients, despite the changes to in-home, one-on-one services except for our most vulnerable clients. Clients are being contacted by phone and challenges are being addressed from afar with both telephone and video instruction. Tele-intervention has begun with VisionCorps’ youth clients and their families, using video to connect rehabilitation staff with caregivers to continue assisting children with vision loss in their development. For adult support groups, VisionCorps has shifted to utilizing technology and is giving clients the opportunity to call in, or participate with video, for support groups in each county. In addition, a general social group is being developed to encourage communication among clients to keep spirits up, and a book club is in the works as well.

As always, you may feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns or just to say hello! The Foundation team is still working from home to find new ways to garner support for services while maintaining relationships with our valued donors.

Thank you for your continued trust in VisionCorps! Megan Sofilka Tomsheck Vice President and Chief Development Officer

PS: Even Dennis Steiner, President and CEO, stepped up to chip in and help on the helmet pad line during the pandemic, as seen in the middle photo!

PAYING IT FORWARD: MARIANNE AND FRANCIS X. SCHALLER, JR.

When the recipient of an act of kindness does something kind, in turn, for someone else, we say they are “paying it forward.” The phrase speaks to the community of generosity and reciprocity that surrounds VisionCorps. It is people helping people. And the result is a better life for everyone. Just ask Marianne and Francis X. Schaller, Jr.

The Schaller family has been receiving services from VisionCorps since 1975 when their daughter Rose Ann was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and began attending a school for the blind in Philadelphia. Back then, VisionCorps was known as the Lancaster County Association for the Blind. It provided transportation (car, gas, and volunteer drivers) free-of-charge for the next 7 years of her schooling. “She would

come home every weekend,” Marianne said. “My husband and I volunteered as drivers, shuttling her and other students.”

Rose Ann and her younger brother Francis have impaired vision and additional challenges. Marianne has had to be a strong advocate for them. “Back in those early days, there weren’t good tests for people with very low vision. Some of Rose Ann’s teachers thought that because she could see a little bit, that she was pretending not to see, or not trying hard enough. I had to pay to get her a tutor.” She also tutored her son, copying his notes to make them more legible.

Marianne appreciates that both of her children have been able to find employment through VisionCorps. “If we didn’t have VisionCorps in Lancaster, I

don’t believe they would have found an opportunity to work,” she said. “It gave them purpose, and a chance to use their skills.” She cannot say enough positive things about the patience and good humor of the staff who helped them make the transition into assisted living.

Volunteering has been Marianne’s way of paying it forward. “I really enjoyed my 40 years volunteering with VisionCorps, especially the social interaction with the staff, clients and families,” she said. Through the years, she helped assess and train clients who wanted to enter the workforce. She did office filing, was a receptionist, and called clients on their birthdays. She and her husband donated, and she had a knack for selling raffle tickets at fundraising events – once topping the charts for selling the most chances.

Like so many older adults, both Francis and Marianne have been diagnosed with macular degeneration. When Marianne began losing vision in one eye, VisionCorps was there to provide her with magnifiers to help her read small print.

The Schaller family has been paying it forward in gratitude to VisionCorps for being a supportive partner and they encourage others to follow their lead. “VisionCorps does not charge their clients for services, and they do a fantastic job,” Marianne said. “They’re a good employer for people who have impaired vision. They deserve our community’s support.”

Rose Ann, Francis, Marianne and Francis X. Schaller, Jr. celebrate Francis’ graduation from high school.

A tax-free way to support VisionCorps

If you are 70 ½ or older, and you have a traditional IRA, there’s a smarter way for you to empower people who are blind or vision impaired. Making a gift from your IRA, known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is a tax-free way to give to the causes you care about, even if you don’t itemize deductions on your tax return. Use our free and intuitive online tool to make a gift to VisionCorps from your IRA now!

Visit VisionCorps.net/QCD today!

A free gift for you from VisionCorps

FACEBOOK.COM/VISIONCORPSPA

News for donors and friends of VisionCorps

Insights is a publication of VisionCorps Foundation Dennis Steiner, President

Questions, please contact Megan Tomsheck, VP & Chief Development Officer 717-393-5894 ext. 4115 or email megan@visioncorps.net

Please notify us if your contact information has changed. 717-393-5894 or email linda@visioncorps.net

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244 N QUEEN STREET, SUITE 301 | LANCASTER, PA 17603 | PHONE: 717-393-5894 | WWW.VISIONCORPS.NET

EYE DROP 20/20

We are hopeful that the Eye Drop 2020 rappelling event will go on this fall! The date is again shared with the Extraordinary Give in Lancaster on Friday November 20, 2020. Our inaugural event last fall was such a success that we are looking forward to another event inviting the community to support VisionCorps from 125’ above ground, rappelling down from the roof of the Holiday Inn in downtown Lancaster!

Registration will open soon for participants to sign up to rappel. We know this is a time of uncertainty, but we also know our need for services continues – so we plan to move ahead with the Eye Drop as long as it is safe to do so! Over the Edge, the company with whom we work to put on the event, has precautions in place to address social distancing, personal hygiene and other concerns related to COVID-19.

We are currently looking for help in the following ways:

• Assistance with live-streaming the event

• Businesses looking for ways to build team morale by participating in the Eye Drop with friendly competition between other businesses, and internally among employees

• Participants from 2019 willing to share their story with potential participants via video or written testimonial to encourage participation

For now, please enjoy some photos from the event thanks to kinectiv, our graphic design and photography partner for the event! And, keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook pages for updates on the Eye Drop, as well as our website, www.visioncorps.net. We soon will be posting a video, courtesy of our 2019 videography sponsor, Aurora Films! And of course, you may contact us with questions about the event by dialing 717-393-5894.

www.visioncorps.net