Octorara townlively.com
MARCH 17, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXI • NO 4
Lions Club To Hold Food Drive BY FRANCINE FULTON
Shoppers who visit Dutch-Way Farm Market, 365 Route 41, Gap, on Saturday, March 20, will have the opportunity to donate food for the Octorara Area Food Cupboard (OAFC) as part of the Parkesburg Lions Club Food Drive.
VisionCorps staff member Erika Rothermel, teacher of the visually impaired, provides virtual teletherapy 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 provide mobility instruction, which is basically teaching those with low vision how to travel safety and with confidence in their community,” Ament explained.
“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.” “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 Food Drive pg 4
Lions Club past district governor Nancy Gauthier (left) and Lion Karen Fronefield collected food for the Octorara Area Food Cupboard during a food drive in November 2020 at Dutch-Way Farm Market.
Parkesburg Community Garden To Begin Growing Season BY FRANCINE FULTON
Last summer, Girl Scout Shelby Kreger created the Parkesburg Community Garden as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award Project. The garden, located in North Park in the borough, yielded a harvest of tomatoes, green beans, herbs, cucumbers and more.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE High School Students Invited To Take Part In Annual Art Contest . . . . . .2 Community Calendar . . . .6 Girls Advisory Board Awards Grants . . . . . . . . .7 House Of Worship . . . . . . .9 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Business Directory . . . . .12
See Community Garden pg 5
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Chris Ament, vice president of rehabilitation and education, helps a client with orientation and mobility using a dog guide.
From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day, Lions Club members will be stationed in the lobby of the market. Shoppers will be offered a list of items most needed by the OAFC as they enter the store, and volunteers will collect donations as shoppers exit the store. Suggested donations include canned vegetables, boxed potatoes, rice dishes in a bag, cereal, peanut butter and condiments. Especially needed are items that are nutritious and can easily be made into a meal, including beans, dry pastas and sauces, soups and canned tuna and chicken. “The food bank brings a trailer to Dutch-Way and leaves it there so that we can load collections as we receive them. They then come pick it up once our efforts are over,” explained Lion Robin McKenna. “The food bank is so organized. (It is) such a great organization.”