VISIONS-Services for the Blind finds innovative ways to serve job seekers during a pandemic-Ep13

Summary: COVID-19 Edition, Episode 13 READ THE TRANSCRIPTION AT https://kesslerfoundation.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/VISIONS-Services%20for%20the%20Blind%20finds%20innovative%20ways%20to%20serve%20job%20seekers%20during%20a%20pandemic.pdf In 2020, Kessler Foundation awarded nearly $1 million in COVID-19 emergency grants to nonprofits faced with new and sudden challenges to serving people with disabilities in New Jersey. The Foundation’s COVID Emergency Fund provided funding for 37 grantees of Kessler Foundation’s employment grant program. In this mini-series, we explore how our COVID emergency grants supported these nonprofits as they adapted to a new reality, enabling us to continue toward our common goal – helping individuals with disabilities reach their goals of independence and self-sufficiency. In this episode, I spoke with Nancy Miller, Executive Director/CEO for VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in New Yock City, New York, about the ability to quickly go from in-person training sessions to hosting 5 virtual work-readiness training sessions to help blind job seekers prepare for work throughout the quickly changing environment during the pandemic. New Jersey residents participated virtual training sessions on the Zoom platform, with VISIONS instructors scheduling virtual presentations by employers and register all participants with their local “one-stop” career center virtually. Additionally, VISIONS staff recruited at least 35 professional volunteers, who partook in and enhanced the work readiness training sessions. Learn more about Kessler Foundation Center for Grantmaking - https://kesslerfoundation.org/grant-programs and Career Opportunity Development, Inc. - http://www.visionsvcb.org ============================================================= Tuned in to our podcast series lately? Join our listeners in 90 countries who enjoy learning about the work of Kessler Foundation. Be sure and subscribe to our SoundCloud channel “KesslerFoundation” for more research updates. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. This podcast was recorded on December 10, 2020 remotely and was edited and produced by Joan Banks-Smith, Creative Producer for Kessler Foundation.