Save the Date! The 3rd Annual VLANJ Day of Giving will begin on Thursday, October 10th and continue until Friday, October 11th!
Our goal is to raise $10,000 in 1 day, 9 hours, and 43 minutes – in honor of our founding year of 1943.
The VLANJ Day of Giving brings our community of program participants, alumni, staff, and friends together in support of our mental health initiative and history of providing services to people with vision loss.
Our Goal:
Our goal of raising $10,000 honors our home and history where our program participants have spent time together learning skills to lead an independent life and where generations of alumni, families, friends, and staff have helped to shape VLANJ. On the Day of Giving, we celebrate our shared connection to this special place in Denville, NJ.
Our History:
It all began in 1943, when a group of individuals met to address societal bias against people who, like themselves, were blind or had vision loss. They formed the New Jersey Association for the Blind and started the state’s first summer residential camp program for women in Denville, NJ. The founders focused on women’s needs because they had fewer options for leading an independent life at that time. Under the name NJ Foundation for the Blind, the summer camp expanded its offerings to provide life-skills training to help those with vision loss live more independent lives. Over time, it became evident that providing tools to promote independence was key to helping individuals with vision loss. VLANJ recognized this growing need and expanded its mission to focusing on teaching basic and essential life skills, as well as providing health and wellness activities year-round for both men and women. Currently, VLANJ offers a full continuum of center based, community based and virtual classes.
VLANJ’s Mental Health Initiative:
- In the United States, adults with vision loss are 2-3 times more likely to experience depression compared to those with no vision loss.
- Individuals with vision loss experience a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
- Numerous studies have shown that people are more afraid of losing their vision than cancer, stroke, heart disease, loss of hearing, memory, speech, loss of a limb, or even premature death.
- At VLANJ, we know that metal health conditions are on the rise. Our mental health initiative addresses this issue in a variety of our programs. The center-based Holistic Wellness Program will deliver information and build coping skills through focused classes on self-advocacy, peer support, yoga and meditation, sound, and the creative arts. Two mental health days are scheduled in August and October, and our virtual programs add an additional component for support. The staff will have training in Mental Health First Aid. Join us today to help fund this important initiative.
Honor:
Make your donation in honor of or in memory of a person with vision loss or a person who has provided services to help people with vision loss.
Make your donation to support our annual fund and help us continue to provide services for the next 81 years and beyond!
Can’t wait until October 10th? You can make your Day of Giving gift TODAY or help us spread the word by sharing this page.