The Kiwanis Club of South Lake (KCOSL) thanked Jayne Maravola, Youth Services Coordinator at New Vision for Independence (New Vision), for providing the club with a presentation on their programs. Founded in 2005, New Vision is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free rehabilitation instruction to blind and visually impaired youth, adults, and seniors in Lake County, Sumter County, and the Villages, enabling them to achieve a life of independence, acceptance, and self-confidence. They also provide community education. Rehabilitation services include instruction in Braille, independent living skills, orientation and mobility, assistive technology, and family workshops.
The VIKING (Visually Impaired Kids Investigated New Ground) program is for children ages 6 – 13. This comprehensive full year program helps children build and develop independent living skills, including making microwave popcorn all by themselves! The VITAL (Visually Impaired Teens Accessing Life) program for visually impaired high school students helps prepare them for life. Skills they learn include job readiness, daily living including money management, time management, and cooking skills, and self-advocacy. New Vision also provides individualized training for adults who lose their vision later in life to help them adopt to their new normal.
KCOSL made a donation to New Vision this past spring to help them with their Sensational Egg Hunt! This fun annual event allows sight-impaired children to experience the joy of an Easter egg hunt just like their sighted peers. Each egg has a beeper in it, allowing the children to rely on hearing instead of sight to fill their baskets! The event also includes photos with the Easter Bunny’s blind brother. All children are welcome to participate; however, sighted participants are required to wear a blindfold.
If you are interested in volunteering with New Vision, would like to make a donation, or would like to find out more about their services and programs, visit their website at: newvisionfl.org.
Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child at a time. The Kiwanis Club of South Lake meets every Thursday morning at 7:30 am at the Citrus Tower Conference Center, 2757 Citrus Tower Boulevard. Stop by and check us out. We’d love to meet you! For additional information about Kiwanis, please visit kcosl.org or Kiwanis.org
