OLEAN - A Community Fund grant from the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is helping to provide home-based vision rehabilitation services in the area.
A $2,000 CRCF grant to the Chautauqua Blind Association was combined with funding from the Sheldon Foundation and the Jamestown Lions to purchase a new vehicle so that CBA staff can travel to clients' homes, according to Karen Niemic Buchheit, CRCF Executive Director.
CBA staff spends approximately 2,350 hours each year traveling to clients' homes throughout both Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, providing individualized, home-based vision rehabilitation services, according to Lisa Goodell, CBA Executive Director.
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Sally Minchener, Chautauqua Blind Association Client Services Director, shows Karen Niemic Buchheit, Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation Executive Director, the CBA’s new car, purchased with help from the Foundation’s Community Fund.
"Since these services are available year-round, it is extremely important to have a safe, reliable, cost-effective vehicle," Ms. Goodell said.
Ms. Buchheit noted that CBA works collaboratively with the Olean Association for the Blind to bring vision rehabilitation services to legally blind individuals in the Olean community.
The organization's goal is to help individuals with vision loss remain living safely and independently in their own homes.
More information on CBA is available by calling the association office at 664-6660.
The Community Fund is an unrestricted fund to meet the ever changing needs of our community. Funding requests from the Community Fund will be considered in two funding cycles this year, with the next deadline for applications being Nov. 1.
Established in 1995, the Community Foundation is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in our region. Grants from the foundation support many areas including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service and youth development. To learn more, call, email or visit us online at www.cattfoundation.org
For more information, call the Community Foundation at 372-4433, email foundation@cattfoundation.org or visit www.cattfoundation.org.