🎉 We Did It – Thanks To You! 🎉

🎉 We Did It – Thanks To You! 🎉

Thanks to you, we exceeded our goal of raising $10,000 for our 2024 Day of Giving to support vital mental health initiatives!

We had such an incredible celebration with our wonderful program participants, our dedicated VLANJ team members, and a special meditation session led by the amazing Diane Lang.

We are so grateful for all the support. Together, we can continue to uplift, support, and empower those living with blindness and low vision.

A huge thank you again to everyone who helped us reach our goal!

We look forward to all that next year has in store – stay tuned for next year’s celebration!

Participants of VLANJ’s 2024 Day of Giving event are seated around a table, smiling, and enjoying a meal together.

 

Participants wave and smile warmly at the camera.

 

Diane Lang presents a meditation session to an attentive group of participants.

 

VLANJ staff standing in front of a mural, celebrating the successful event.

 

Did you miss our Day of Giving? You can still donate and make an impact. Thank you!

 

 

 

Dining in the Dark 2022 Save the Date

Dining in the Dark 2022 Save the Date

THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT!

Due to overwhelming participation, we have met our capacity and will no longer be selling tickets to this event. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Please return to the site for information and stay tuned for upcoming events.

THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT!

 

 

Join us on October 26, 2022, as we celebrate our fifth annual Dining In The Dark!

Enter a world of smell, taste, and sound as you experience a unique sensory experience like no other. Help us as we raise funds to support our programs. The evening will feature a cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner in the dark, entertainment, and a wine pull.

Tickets, tables(of 10 guests), and sponsorship opportunities available via the form below, or call Jennifer Singer at 973.627.0055, prompt 2 for more information. 

VLANJ Day of Giving 2022

VLANJ Day of Giving 2022

Save the Date! The 1st Annual VLANJ Day of Giving will begin on Thursday, June 16th and continue until Friday, June 17!

Our goal is to raise $7,900 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 mission and history of providing services to people with vision loss.

Our Goal: Our goal of raising $7,900 honors our home and our 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 profound 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 in person programs in Denville and select programs in Ridgewood. VLANJ also provides virtual classes to individuals and families all over the world!

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 79 years and beyond!

Can’t wait until June 16th? You can make your Day of Giving gift now and be counted or help us spread the word by sharing this link:  https://www.vlanj.org/vlanjdayofgiving2022/

 

Thank You To Lydia Collins deForest Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee

Thank You To Lydia Collins deForest Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee

The Lydia Collins deForest Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee has awarded a grant of $37,000 to Vision Loss Alliance of NJ to design and implement a hybrid model of program service delivery: in-person classes and virtual sessions via Zoom.  

The approach addresses the most significant needs impacting VLANJ clients before, during, and continuing into the post-COVID-19 climate. Program participants and the community will benefit through expanded access to information and training; flexible, cost-effective services; greater diversity and geographic reach; a wider range of service options; and individualized supports and services. 

Thank you to the Lydia Collins de Forest Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee for making these opportunities a reality for our program participants!

Thank You to Our Donors!

2020 was a year like no other. We are grateful to our donors who continued to support our mission. VLANJ provided virtual support to help our program participants feel connected during an uncertain time. We received over $7000,000 in 2020, an 18% increase over last year, and were able to offer our virtual programs free of charge. We hope the accomplishments of VLANJ this past year are a source of pride for our donors who made this possible.

A special thank you to our Giving Circles donors. Your gifts had a significant impact on our programs! And to our new donors in 2020, welcome and thank you for choosing to support VLANJ!

2020 Giving Circles

2020 Presidents Circle      14      Gifts of $5,000 or more
2020 Benefactors Circle      7      Gifts of $2,500-$4,999
2020 Patrons Circle      17      Gifts of $1,000- $2499
2020 Friends Circle      37      Gifts of $500- $999
2020 Loyalty Circle      155      Gifts of 5 years of consecutive giving