Atlanta Chapter Highlights

Celebrating Excellence

Jim Vacheenas, the Southern Region’s Volunteer of the Year, with VisionWalk team members

Chapter leader Jim Vacheenas was presented with the Foundation’s Member Excellence Volunteer of the Year Award for the Southern Region at the VISIONS 2012 national conference in Minneapolis in June. The honor recognizes his excellent service in support of the Foundation’s mission in 2011. An inspiration to fellow chapter members, Jim has served as VisionWalk team caption, leads a support group for people with low vision, and works with local retinal specialists to provide patients with resources. Congratulations Jim!

Atlanta Chapter Vision Resource Group
by Jim Vacheenas, Board Member and Vision Resource Group Leader

Ten years ago, the support group was formed by the Atlanta FFB Chapter president Fred Scheer. He saw the need to have an organization where visually impaired members could come together and learn from each other on how to cope with vision loss.

The success of this group is in part due to Fred's idea of having a structured meeting agenda where an hour is devoted to discussing topics that benefit visually impaired individuals and their families. An additional hour is then spent on individual questions or issues that members may be having. Meeting monthly on an informal basis with a positive, solution-driven attitude has also contributed to the success of the group.

Our goal is to help our members maintain the highest possible level of independence. Our approach to coping with vision loss is to not allow ourselves to give up the things we value and enjoy in our lives. This challenges us to become creative in order to find alternative ways to complete tasks that were once easily performed. Learning what has worked from others in the group is easier than trying to reinvent the wheel.

There may be an idea or resource available to you that someone in the group has already tried that you may not have considered. Helpful tips can dramatically improve your quality of life while minimizing stress. Sharing ideas is a big part of what we do.

As a result of my RP, I have had to make numerous changes in my life in order to compensate for my continued vision loss. I receive much satisfaction and reward by sharing my life experiences, while at the same time learning froms others within our vision resource group.

In addition to the monthly meetings, the vision resource group has evolved over the years and taken on a broader perspective. We participate in public education and awareness projects, help in fundraising events for research, develop and maintain a helpful resource guide, and host social events. Our members get plugged into a knowledge base that can dramatically improve their lives.

Come join us and learn how to cope with vision loss through the collective experiences of our members and share with us what life lessons you have learned. If you have questions or suggestions, please call me at (770) 491-1629.