Vision Loss Resources Annual Report 2012
2012 Annual Report
Inner Strength, Outer Resources
Mission: Creating a community of services, skills and support for people
with vision loss.
We work to help clients overcome their fears, doubts, sense of isolation
and depression that so often accompanies the loss of vision.
Vision: We strive to be recognized as a vital and innovative community for
people with vision loss.
Values:
Community -- We provide a place of support, education and hospitality for
people with vision loss and their families.
Service -- We are passionately committed to providing the highest quality
service.
Respect -- We treat all people with respect, trust and dignity.
Innovation – We bring an entrepreneurial spirit to all that we do.
Strategic Goals:
Expand and deliver exceptional, innovative programming
Create a powerful community presence
Create opportunities for people with vision loss
Be the most vibrant organization that we can be
Diversify revenue for financial strength
2012 Accomplishments
2,114 People served in our Community Services Program
Vision Loss Resources Annual Report 2012
12,621 Volunteer hours worked at a value of $271,458
240 Support groups facilitated to help people adjust to vision loss
1,912 Hours of instruction in our Rehabilitation Program
108 People served through DeafBlind Services (DBSM) for a total of
21,226 hours
Direct Service Programs offered through Vision Loss Resources:
Community Services Program
This program provides a wide range of services to clients in their homes, at
Minneapolis and Saint Paul facilities and other locations throughout the
seven county metro area. This program enhances the quality of life for our
clients, improves community awareness about vision loss and increases
the public’s understanding of vision and hearing loss.
Program components include:
Individual Assessments
Life Skills Classes
Support Groups
Peer Counseling
Community Center – this program offers educational, cultural and
recreational opportunities
Rehabilitation Program
Our Rehabilitation Program provides hourly, full or part-time adjustment to
blindness training for blind or visually impaired individuals looking to return
to work. This is a fee-for-service program and is most often covered by
Minnesota State Services for the Blind. Classes take place at our
Minneapolis facility.
Vision Loss Resources Annual Report 2012
DeafBlind Services Minnesota (DBSM)
DBSM is a subsidiary of Vision Loss Resources. Our experts are available
to assist when a person’s combination of vision and hearing loss interferes
with their daily functioning, independence or ability to acquire information
from their community and environment. We take an individualized
approach and tailor goals that are specific for each person’s needs. We
offer a statewide Children, Youth and Family Services program for
deafblind children, youth and their families through age 21. Our Adult
Community Services program provides support and instruction for deaf,
deafblind and blind adults ages 22 and above. Both programs also provide
training and consultation to other agencies, organizations and programs on
a variety of deafblind-related topics.
What makes us different?
We are considered Minnesota’s leading provider of rehabilitation, support,
information and referral services for people adjusting to vision loss or
blindness. No other organization provides assessments, individualized
instruction, classes, support groups, Community Center, volunteer services
and peer counseling. And, no other organization works as hard to
continually develop activities suggested and designed by clients.
Vision Loss Resources also operates a business venture, Contract
Production Services (CPS), which directly serves our non-profit mission.
The earned income from this business gives us a dynamic and powerful
way to advance our client centered programming while building solid
financial wellbeing. CPS provides high quality, fast-turn packaging,
assembly and light manufacturing services to companies of all sizes in the
Twin Cities and throughout the Midwest. 100% of the profits help to pay for
services to more than 2,000 people every year. This is the largest source
of funding for our Community Programing. Our customers include 3M,
Caribou Coffee, Thymes, Caldera, Hollywood Fashion Secrets, Pinta
Foamtec, Quaker Pet Group and many more. CPS underwrites new direct
services and allows us to grow existing programs which lets us serve
clients with broader, deeper offerings. We are incredibly proud of this
Vision Loss Resources Annual Report 2012
important supplement to VLR’s revenue stream that offers us a unique
financial position among other Twin Cities non-profits.
Technology: We provide information and hands-on experience to help
clients and students discover new ways to enhance their everyday lives
whether at home, work, school or in the community. We provide access
and training with general technology such as computers with software for
screen reading and listening,braillers and refreshable braille displays, ios
phones & tablets, Android phones & tablets and GPS devices. We try to
incorporate the latest technology into everything that we do.
Vision Loss Resources
Fiscal Year 2012 (January 1 to December 31)
Total Revenue: $11,305,820
Total Expenses: $10,625,649