A Letter From VLANJ's President & CEO

 

Bill Schuldt smiles into the camera with green foliage behind him.

Dear Friend,

I am excited to be welcoming participants back to our Denville and Ridgewood locations this month, and I’m looking forward to meeting more of the VLANJ community. (It was a pleasure meeting more than two dozen people over Zoom back in May.) While our virtual programming kept staff and students connected during the pandemic, there’s nothing like gathering in person, to learn with and support one another.

In my first months as president and CEO, I find myself impressed by the drive and commitment of our staff, students, and trustees. We are busy developing plans for robust offerings going forward, a combination of in-person and online classes. This will be a work in progress, as we learn what works and strike a balance for using our current resources.

We resumed in-person Better Health and Wellness classes this month, with COVID-19 protocols in place. Rather than have all students attend on a single day, we will host two weekly sessions, with roughly half of participants attending each. Everyone will be required to wear masks. As always, our goal is to keep us all healthy.

Virtual classes have been invaluable during the pandemic, and we were proud to roll out new programs for healthy aging. We have Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center Community Health Committee to thank for the grant that funds LIFT, STRIVE, and the newest addition, ARISE, a virtual speaker series which will feature a variety of topics designed to motivate and inspire people with vision loss to achieve their best selves.

I want to acknowledge a generous — and unexpected — bequest we recently received from the estate of a VLANJ supporter. We are honored to be remembered in her will. VLANJ is so grateful to donors who contribute monthly and annually but hope more supporters will also include us in their estate planning. Over VLANJ’s 78-year history, bequests have played an important role in our funding. We are establishing a legacy society so supporters can inform us of their intended gift, allowing us to plan accordingly.

Know that VLANJ’s work of empowering people with vision loss in all aspects of life could not happen without our supporters. I look forward to getting to know more of you in the coming months. Please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email with your ideas and questions. Wishing you well.

 

Sincerely,

Bill Schuldt

VLANJ President and CEO

wschuldt@vlanj.org

(973) 627-0055 ext. 1333

Holiday Gift Ideas for People with Vision Loss

A person presses a button on a talking food scale, which contains two green apples.

Are you still on the lookout for holiday gifts this season? Click the link below to consider items suggested by ophthalmicedge.org for your friends and/or family members living with low vision or blindness.

https://ophthalmicedge.org/patient/the-hottest-low-vision-gifts/

 

Continued Virtual Classes Thanks To Grotta Grant

The Grotta Fund for Senior Care awarded VLANJ nearly $10,000 in COVID-19 relief funding! This grant allows us to provide Beyond Sight wellness classes, peer support groups, and technology-focused offerings over Zoom video conferencing through the end of 2020, at no charge to participants. Read more by clicking the link below.

 

A laptop shows multiple people in a Zoom conference class.

Grotta Fund Awards $10K to Keep VLANJ Programs Virtual During Pandemic

DENVILLE, NJ -- Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey pivoted from in-person to virtual programs to keep participants - many of them at high risk for the virus - safely connected.