Morgantown/Honey Brook townlively.com
MARCH 24, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXIX • NO 8
Program Details The History Of Quilts BY FRANCINE FULTON
Most people are familiar with quilts created in Lancaster County, which are often handmade by skilled Amish and Mennonite crafters that can be used as bedspreads or wall hangings. However, history shows that quilting actually dates back to ancient times, when evidence of quilting was found VisionCorps staff member Erika Chris Ament, vice president of rehabilitation and education, helps a client with orientation and mobility Rothermel, teacher of the visually impaired, provides virtual teletherapy using a dog guide. to a young client during the pandemic.
VisionCorps Helps Clients Learn To Live Independently “Visual impairment should not be a barrier to one’s independence. (The visually impaired) can do the same things a sighted person can do - they just have to do it a little bit differently,” stated Chris Ament, vice president of rehabilitation and education for VisionCorps, a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of services to the blind and people with low vision. VisionCorps, which was established in Lancaster County in 1926, opened a branch in Chester County about seven years ago. The organization also serves Adams, Lebanon and York counties. “We were asked by the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind to provide some services in Chester County,” Ament explained. “We started with vision screenings and now we provide our full complement of services.” VisionCorps provides instruction to those with visual impairments on how to manage the challenges of everyday life. It also offers sight loss support groups and free vision screenings for children ages 2 to 6, and it partners with the Pennsylvania Vision
Foundation to provide vouchers for free eye exams and basic eyeglasses for people who qualify financially. VisionCorps also offers virtual programs to organizations and employers about its services.
“We are social people and for a lot of our client base, isolation is a huge concern ... Through our training and education and support groups, we are trying to lessen that isolation.” “We provide mobility instruction, which is basically teaching those with low vision how to travel safety and with confidence in their community,” Ament explained. “Low-vision occupational therapy is for those who may have trouble with daily living - reading, writing and lighting issues. Anything they do on a daily basis that may be difficult, we help with a solution.” A program of action is tailored to each client and services are provided free of charge through grants and community donations. “Each person gets an individualized assessment and together we create a plan based
on their needs and the goals they want to accomplish,” noted Ament. Because of the pandemic, VisionCorps did close for a time in March of 2020, but it pivoted to a hybrid model, which combines virtual and in-person programming. “Some of what we are doing is critical,” Ament stated. “You can’t teach someone how to cross a street over a computer. We made sure that we had a protocol and safety procedures in place with the mindset that our clients and our employee safety was paramount. We were able to continue to provide services in person where needed.” He said that the biggest change since the pandemic has been transitioning the support groups from inperson meetings to virtual. “We were able to add more groups because of (the virtual platform) across all five counties,” Ament stated. “Last month, we had 20 different support groups that operate virtually.” “We are social people and for a lot of our client base, isolation is a huge concern,” he added. “Through our training and education and support groups, we are trying to lessen that isolation.” For more information about VisionCorps in Chester County, call 610-738-3008 or visit www.visioncorps.net/chester-county.
See History Of Quilts pg 5
In 2020, the Hopewell Quilters managed to complete a quilt as a group by passing it from one quilter to another.
Tutors Sought To Help Students Achieve Their Goals
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Planning Commission To Host Virtual Programs . . . .3 Reaching Out To Support Grieving Parents . . . . . . . .3
BY FRANCINE FULTON
Every student who enters the Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) Adult Tutoring Program has a goal. Whether the goal is improving their English-speaking skills, passing the GED (General Educational Development) tests or seeking a better job, their objectives can often be better achieved with the help of a volunteer tutor.
Community Calendar . . . .4 Covering Veterans With Kindness . . . . . . . . . .8 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9 House Of Worship . . . . . .12
See Tutors pg 6
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BY FRANCINE FULTON
in Europe and China. Interesting facts about quilts were featured during a program titled “The History of Quilting” presented on March 14 by Becky Hughes of the Hopewell Quilters, a group of quilting enthusiasts who meet at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Elverson. The PowerPoint program, sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, was held virtually via Zoom. “Quilting dates way back in time. In 770 to 221 B.C., (there is evidence of) Chinese quilts in tombs,” Hughes said. “(In Europe) they used to quilt on suits of armor.” She explained that quilting was used under the armor to keep it from rusting and for comfort. European settlers brought quilting to America, and quilting bees became popular in the 19th century.