Georgia’s Center for the Visually Impaired Receives $30,000 from CVS Caremark Charitable Trust
Donation to CVI is part of CVS Caremark Charitable Trust’s $3.3 million in 72 grants supporting causes including children with disabilities and those who are uninsured
Atlanta, GA – March 29, 2011 – The Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) announced recently that it has received a $30,000 grant from the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, the private foundation created by CVS Caremark Corporation, whose mission is to provide funding for health care, education and community involvement initiatives in CVS Caremark communities. CVI was one of 72 organizations selected from a pool of 660 applicants to receive an individual or multi-year grant for 2010, and the grant money will directly support CVI’s STARS (Social, Therapeutic, Academic and Recreational Services) youth program.
The Center for the Visually Impaired began as Community Services for the Blind in 1962 when a group of parents faced a mutual challenge: how to help their visually impaired children reach their full potential in life. Since then, CVI has grown into Georgia’s largest comprehensive, fully accredited, private organization serving more than 5,000 visually impaired individuals of all ages and their families annually. STARS, CVI’s youth program for students ages six to 21, is an educational, recreational and social skills program that challenges the isolation and inactivity that many blind or visually impaired youth experience. STARS helps students graduate from high school with an academic diploma, transition to independence, and become college-educated, tax-paying adults with meaningful careers, families and fulfilling lives.
“We are thrilled to have the partnership of CVS Caremark to help us build confidence among our STARS students so they will be able to achieve independence and success as adults,” said CVI President Subie Green. “Not only is CVS Caremark offering us financial assistance to attain these goals, they are providing volunteers who will help our students along the way.”
“In today’s challenging economy, it’s more important than ever to support organizations that truly make a difference in the lives of children and families,” said Eileen Howard Boone, Vice President, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust. “The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust is pleased to recognize CVI for truly making an impact in the communities we serve through their vision rehabilitation programs and we look forward to working with them in the year ahead.”
The CVS Caremark Charitable Trust’s grant to CVI is part of $3.3 million in grants awarded to more than 70 nonprofit organizations across the country in 2010. A number of these grants align with CVS Caremark All Kids Can, the company’s signature philanthropic program focused on supporting children with disabilities by raising awareness about inclusion, creating greater opportunities for physical activity and play, and providing access to medical rehabilitation and related services.
Other CVS Caremark Charitable Trust grants provide support for medical services for the uninsured, grants to pharmacy schools, scholarships for the children of CVS Caremark colleagues and funding for community organizations for which CVS Caremark colleagues act as volunteers.
