Hi! My name is Paige Provost and I am Manager of Special Events and Athletic Fundraising for MAB Community Services. I co-manage Team With A Vision with Chaz Davis! With the Boston Marathon being postponed to October, we wanted to create an event to not only bring the team together but the TWAV and UIS community at large. The Boston Marathon is MABVI's largest fundraiser each year, raising over $250,000. Our hope is that the C2C Challenge will not only get everyone moving and healthy but help us to bridge the gap and support the programs at MABVI!
Please consider making a donation, every dollar counts!!!
Our international team of blind and sighted walking and running Coast 2 Coast participants raise awareness and spread the word that with the right support, anything is possible! Our teams' efforts allow the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired to deliver professional, peer and volunteer support to over 1,100 individuals each year, giving them the support they need to live with dignity and independence.
All funds raised support MABVI's statewide network of vision rehabilitation services, which include 34 low vision support groups, Assistive Technology Centers, and 400 volunteers matched 1:1 with blind individuals.
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION! Did you know that you can easily double your donation? Many companies encourage their employees to donate to charities by matching their contributions. To find out more, contact me (Paige Provost), pprovost@mabcommunity.org. You can give through payroll deduction, monthly donations, planned giving and gifts of stock.
Here are some ways your dollars make a difference among the individuals we serve and our programs at the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired...
*$30 supports 1 hour of Assistive Technology (AT) support with a trained and experienced AT Vibrant Volunteer.
*$40 pays for 1 Volunteers With Vision visit for an individual who is blind or visually impaired. Our volunteers provide support through reading mail, grocery shopping, and other everyday tasks.
*$48 buys 1 talking clock for an individual who is blind or visually impaired.
*$52 provides 1 white cane for a year so that an individual may scan their surroundings for obstacles or orientation marks, but is also helpful for other traffic participants in identifying the user as blind or visually impaired and taking appropriate care.
*$60 gives the gift of 1 magnifier for an individual who is blind or visually impaired.
*$150 covers 1 visit from our trained and certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Together, specific strategies and skills are implemented for safe, efficient, and effective travel in both indoor and outdoor environments. Some of the skills that are taught include:
- Searching skills: locating items or places efficiently
- Sighted guide: using another person to aid in travel
- Protective techniques: specific skills which provide added protection in unfamiliar areas
- Use of public transportation
- Long cane skills: use of various cane techniques to clear one's path or to locate objects along the way
*$250 provides free medical transportation to appointments for an individual who is blind or visually impaired for one year.
*$500 supports our Volunteers for Vision program for 1 year in recruiting and training volunteers.
*$2,500 finances our Richard Hunter CIM to Boston Running in Excellence Award. For the last few years, we have awarded an exceptional athlete who has qualified for the Boston Marathon in the Visually Impaired Division, but not participated yet! This incredible opportunity provides race entry fee, travel stipend, and hotel accommodations for a male and female athlete who is blind or visually impaired!
