Working toward our 10-year Plan to develop two group

homes every two years to meet the needs of New Jersey blind/visually impaired developmentally disabled population, Project 2020 began last year with the purchase of two ranch homes, one in Brick, NJ and the other in Howell, NJ, to become our 15th and 16th group homes. Stage two of the project was to totally renovate both homes to make them handicap accessible and barrier free to allow 8 additional individuals from this special population to have permanent housing (4 in each home), where the residents will receive 24/7 person-centered care, program and medical services for the rest of their lives.

We are pleased to report that the Howell group home renovations (in photo above) are now complete. The Certificate of Occupancy has been received, and we are now in the process of moving four individuals into this home during the course of the next month.

SightFromWithinSpring 2021

PROJECT 2020 GROUP HOME PROGRESS REPORT

AMIB is currently working toward completing both the interior and exterior renovations on our

16th group home located in Brick, NJ, shown to the left. Our Fall newsletter will focus on this home’s completion and the residents who will be then living in both of these homes. With some major renovations being made at this time, Project 2020 remains in action, and we would deeply appreciate your donations to help us complete this important project.

Greetings and I hope this finds you well.As 2021 has arrived, we have still been persistent with adhering to safety protocols in the

fight against COVID-19. While 2020 presented many challenges with stay-at-home orders, day program closures, ability to secure personal protective equipment, remote medical appointments and meetings, I am pleased to relay that all individuals under AMIB’s care are healthy, happy and safe.The group home staff and administration have all come together to make the best out of the situation handed to all of us. At the time of this newsletter, every individual and staff member has been provided the opportunity to receive a vaccination.Throughout the year we also progressed nicely with the renovations to our 15th and 16th group homes. Though delays due to the pandemic closures and reduced workforce slowed the construction and inspection processes, we plan to open the new group homes in the near future to help 8 more (4 in each home) individuals live in a community-based setting with supports and services to live as independently as possible.We look forward to this year and wish you the best of health.

Aaron Soto

Dear Friend:With 2020 now behind us, we reflect once again, with gratitude, to the leadership of our administration and skilled staff

during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have shown patience and their ability to “make lemonade when the world gave them lemons.” Since residents were all in lockdown and unable to attend their day programs, our staff created healthy, fun and engaging activities for our group home residents and kept them safe. We are eager, as I’m sure you are also, to get back to normal asap. We look forward now to the completion of our next two group homes—Project 2020—this year. We thank you for your past support and invite you to please join our Trustees in making as generous a donation as possible to AMIB to help us complete the renovations of our newest Brick group home. These two new group homes will provide 8 blind/visually- impaired and developmentally disabled individuals a life-long home with 24/7 care and services in a family atmosphere. All gifts made through this newsletter to AMIB will be put toward the $61,000 needed to provide roll-in showers (2 needed at each home) to help make it all happen. Thank you again for your continued support. It is deeply appreciated.

Kenneth P. Carson

The Legacy SocietyWe wish to acknowledge and thank

the following who have become members of The Legacy Society

through a bequest or planned gift:

Janet Andruss*David R. Bixel*Elaine O. Behr*

Kenneth J. Carson, Jr.Mary J. Carson*

Phil Cochran*Albert R. Costa*

Joseph “Pat” Donohue*Patricia A. Donohue*

Viola Ellison*Peter & Mildred Galanti*

Richard F. Harries & Carol J. HarriesAustin* & Clara* Helle

Lillian JohnsenBetty Wold Johnson

The Keith Wold Johnson Charitable Trust

Robert Wood Johnson 1962 Charitable Trust

Kellogg Endowment FundAnthony J. Kokoll, Jr.Harold W. Korradi*

Mary Katherine Lightner*George H. Love*

Lorraine McA Love*Muriel MartucciDavid Mathey*

Daniel J. McCarthy*Patricia McKinley

William McKinley, IIIMargaret J. McLean

Vera Monaghan*Ann Pambello*

Wilma A. Power*Edna Thorsen*

Polly Wilson*

* deceased

From the Executive DirectorFrom the President

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Association for the Multiple Impaired Blind is qualified by the IRS to receive contributions which are deductible for federal income tax purposes. This charitable organization is registered with the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. Information may be obtained by calling 973-504-6215. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Giftback.com: Another Way to Give Back Are you looking for a birthday, get-well, thank you, house warming, or

new baby gift to send to a friend, family member, employer or employee?Then consider going to Giftback.com. The site offers a wealth of items—

from fresh flowers to fruit baskets to engraved items and electronics.And better yet, after you have chosen your gift, you can select the

Association for the Multiple Impaired Blind as the charity of your choice,and Giftback will donate 10 percent of the purchase price to us.

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Wilma A. Power Leaves Bequest to AMIBRemembering an AMIB Group Home Resident

Wilma A. Power (nee Spina) died August 6, 2020 at the age

of 99. She was born in Newark, NJ in 1921. She graduated from Irvington High School. Wilma, a loving wife and mother, raised her family in Clifton, NJ where she lived for more than 70 years. She received her Bachelors’ Degree from Fairleigh Dickenson University while working at Hoffman LaRoche in Nutley, NJ. Wilma was predeceased by her husband, Francis, and her son, Frank. She is survived by her nephew, George Spina, her niece, Laurel Spina Petersen, and many loving and loyal friends.

Wilma Power has left a bequest to AMIB in remembrance of a North Dover, NJ Group Home resident, Paul Martucci, pictured with his mother, Muriel Martucci, below. Wilma’s husband, Frank Power, had worked at Benjamin Moore Paint in

Newark, NJ. He was a good friend of Vincent Martucci, Paul’s father, who is also deceased. The two couples (Wilma and Frank Power & Muriel and Vinnie Martucci) were friends for a long time when Paul was growing up. The Power family supported St. Joseph School for the Blind, where Paul was a student; and the two families frequently went on skiing trips together. Paul’s mother, Muriel, said “Paul went everywhere his father and I did, so Wilma knew Paul well from the two family’s friendships and especially by their shared skiing trips together. Every Christmas, Wilma would send a Christmas card and a $50 check to Paul for him to provide a pizza treat to his fellow group-home family.

Wilma always had a warm spot in her heart when it came to Paul, who is blind but is a great conversationalist and has an extraordinary memory. He follows

most sports on the radio and can recall somethings, such as all the Super Bowl games, name the teams who played, what the date was, what the scores were and the same with Baseball teams. His Mother said, “I refer to Paul a lot to recall many of our family memories, where we were, what year it was, what the highlights were for every occasion. He has a photographic memory.” His cousins call him: “King of Trivia.”

AMIB is grateful to Wilma for remembering AMIB in her will, and especially for her long-time friendship with Paul, one of AMIB’s amazing group home residents.

The above photo of Wilma was provided by a close friend and neighbor of Wilma’s, James Malloy, who was a photographer and had saved many photos of her. We appreciate his sharing the photo for this article.

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In gratitude we recognize 2020 donors...

Amazon SmileBey Lea DairyBradford T. Blauvelt Memorial Trust FundMr. and Mrs. Kenneth P. CarsonMr. and Mrs. John J. Chickering III Sally Corcoran Albert R. Costa Unitrust Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth H. Fields Mr. David S. FitzMaurice The Peter M. Galanti Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Gordon Mr. and Mrs. John Gross Mr. and Mrs. James F. Kelly

Mr. and Mrs. David Langer Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Larkin Mr. and Mrs. Gerry Malcolm Mr. Al P. Maneki Mr. and Mrs. Richard ManusMs. Nancy MaranoThe David Mathey TrustMs. Mary McCarthyMs. Margaret J. McLeanMr. and Mrs. Raymond NerhusMr. and Mrs. John PehlivanianThe Peter R. & Cynthia K. Kellogg FoundationMrs. Lucille Petti-Goldblatt

Mrs. and Mr. Elizabeth PeytonMr. and Mrs. Earl RaffelMr. and Mrs. Winton RamsayMrs. and Mr. Edith ReckholderMs. Jeanette Russo-AlesiMr. Robert E. SimpsonMr. and Mrs. David R. SmithMs. Marie SmythMr. and Mrs. George SpinaMr. and Mrs. Samuel TarshishMs. Ethel TolenMr. and Mrs. James F. WeeksDr. and Mrs. Joseph B. White

AMIB Annual Fund

Ms. Janet Wilson AlternativeDr. and Mrs. Douglas N. BensonAlice BergMr. and Mrs. Harry BernsteinMr. and Mrs. Peter J. BistanyMr. and Mrs. Michael R. BrandiMr. Andrew BurakFrederick J. CarboneAmelia J. CardoSaulnier, M. D.Mr. William CollopyMr. and Mrs. Gerald ConnellDebbie GiardinaMr. and Mrs. Frederick L. ConninMr. and Mrs. John DamianoMr. and Mrs. Frank B. FalknorMr. David S. FitzMauriceCantors Daniel GreenMr. John L. GutbrodKimball HalseyMr. and Mrs. Patrick O. HansonMr. John Haydu

Mr. and Mrs. John J. HealeyMr. and Mrs. Sean C. HealeyMrs. Marilyn JacobsonMr. and Mrs. Eric K. JohnsenDr. and Mrs. Ryan A. JonesMr. Thomas C. KahlerMr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Kelley IIIMr. Anthony KokollMr. and Mrs. Mark A. KoltiskaMr. and Mrs. Thomas G. LarkinGeorgia Burke LuMr. and Mrs. Daniel Mangan, CPAMr. and Mrs. Richard ManusMrs. Muriel MartucciMr. Richard F. McCannMs. Mary McCarthyMs. Margaret J. McLeanMr. Richard J. MeyerCarol F. MoranMr. and Mrs. A. Perry Morgan, Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Frank F. Mountcastle, Jr.

Mrs. Deborah MunstererMr. and Mrs. Michael J. O’DonnellMr. William T. OlsenMs. Beverly ParryAstrid PedersenMrs. Lucille Petti-GoldblattMr. and Mrs. Jack Z. RabinowitzMr. and Mrs. Winton RamsayRegina M. RiebeMrs. and Mr. Marie SimonsenMr. Robert E. SimpsonMr. and Mrs. Matthew SkoveMs. Marie SmythMr. and Mrs. Samuel TarshishTees & NoveltiesMr. and Mrs. Arthur TeisenMr. Mark WeberMrs. Nathalie WeberJoan A. WelshBetteJoy Wilson

AMIB Year End Appeal

In gratitude we recognize 2020 donors to the AMIB Annual Fund and Year-End Appeal and the AMIB Endowment Fund, Inc. All of you have helped to make a difference in what we have been able to accomplish in our group homes and in the lives of our residents.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. GillespieJohnsen Family FundMarie H. Brookreson TrustJodi Perfectly Posh

Mrs. and Mr. Elizabeth PeytonMr. G. Michael RuscioMr. and Mrs. Aaron SotoMr. and Mrs. Jason Soto

The Hyde & Watson FoundationThe William G. & Helen C. Hoffman

Foundation

AMIB Building Fund

Endowment Fund, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Michael CarsonFacebookJohnsen Family FundMr. and Mrs. Don L. JonesMr. and Mrs. David PachterMr. and Mrs. Charles PaolinoThe Robert and Donna Pearson Charitable

Gift Fund Piper Sandler Companies - The Benevity

Community Impact Fund

AMIB In Honor Of...In Honor of George & Carol Martynuik Mr. Thomas L. Bonn

In Honor of Aunt Muriel and Cousin Paul Martucci Rita Corcoran

In Honor of Barbara Pambello Ms. Angela A. DeBoer Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Michaels

In Honor of Paul Martucci John Palmer

In Honor of Andrea Helle Mr. and Mrs. Daniel A. Sommerville

In Honor of the Work of Marge McLean Ms. Rae Ann Wessel

In Honor Benjamin Gentine and his Parents Molly Munsterer & Jonathan Gentine, and In Memory of Ben’s Great Grandfather and Volunteer for AMIB, John Jennings Mrs. Deborah Munsterer

AMIB In Memory of…In Memory of Her Daughter Marlene ComfieldMs. Ruth L. Comfield

In Memory of Marlene ComfieldMr. and Mrs. Carl L. AmodioLeonard AmodioMr. and Mrs. Herbert L. CarlburgJoanne M. ColemanMrs. Carolyn DenningMr. and Mrs. David DonkerMr. and Mrs. Alf H. JohnsenMr. and Mrs. Don L. JonesMr. and Mrs. Paul R. Trautwein

In Memory of Two Wonderful Cousins: Marlene Ruth Comfield and Beverly Christensen ParkerBetteJoy Wilson

In Memory of Clara & Austin HelleMr. and Mrs. Peter LevineAstrid Pedersen

In Memory of Grandparents Austin & Clara HelleMr. and Mrs. Aaron Clement

In Memory of Philip & Susan CaputoAngela Caputo

In Memory of Polly WilsonMs. Joan Collict

In Memory of Betsy FoerMrs. Muriel Martucci

In Memory of Louis WeberC. Spencer Smith

AMIB Group Home Residents and Staff successfully endured the year of theCoronavirus Pandemic adhering to safety measures (masks, social distancing,etc.), albeit having to do so in lockdown mode and closures of the residents’special day programs.

AMIB successfully coordinated the resident vaccination process the last several months & all who wanted the vaccine were able to receive it. Staff who registered for the vaccination have also been fully vaccinated to date. The renovations of the two newly purchased homes in Howell and Brick, NJ were fully underway, in spite of numerous disruptions experienced that delayed progress temporarily along the way (i.e. delays in shipments of materials and construction supplies due to slow down transportation caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.) Completion of the two new homes in will occur in 2021.

Darlene Venezia received the Sister Mary Byrnes Caregiver Award for 2020.

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Expenses Year Ending 2020

Programs & Services .....................91%

General & Admin ............................8%

Fundraising .....................................1%

Revenue Year Ending 2020

Fee for Service ................................95%

Government Grants ....................0.50%

Investments/Other ......................0.50%

Private Contributions .......................4%

Highlights of 2020

✥ AMIB Group Home Residents and Staff successfully endured the year of the Coronavirus Pandemic adhering to safety measures (masks, social distancing, etc.), albeit having to do so in lockdown mode and closures of the residents’ day programs.

✥ AMIB successfully coordinated the resident vaccination process the last several months & all who wanted the vaccine were able to receive it. Staff who registered for the vaccination have also been fully vaccinated to date.

✥ The renovations of the two newly purchased homes in Howell and Brick, NJ were fully underway, in spite of numerous disruptions experienced that delayed progress temporarily along the way (i.e. delays in shipments of materials and construction supplies due to slow down transportation caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.) Completion of the two new homes will occur in 2021.

✥ Darlene Venezia received the AMIB Sister Mary Byrnes Caregiver Award for 2020.

GROUP HOME ACTIVITIES DURING LOCKDOWN

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1

6

3

2

4

5

#1. Santa visits the AMIB Group Homes!

#2. Virginia, Jodi, Timothy & Lawrence showed their Christmas spirit at their Tinton Falls home.

#3. Rene spreading Christmas cheer to his group home family.

#4. Matthew & Jason enjoy a personal visit from Santa at their group home.

#5. Thomas & Greg from our North Dover

home shown enjoying the outdoors near the beach.

#6. Greg loved listening to the waves at

Manasquan Inlet.

Congratulations to Darlene Venezia who was recognized with the AMIB Sister Mary Byrnes Caregiver of the Year Award in 2020. Darlene is the Bayville Group

Home Manager. She is a working mother with 3 children (all boys) and one of her greatest recent joys is being a grandmother. She worked with AMIB from 2006 – 2017, and returned to AMIB in 2018, and has been with us ever since.

Sister Mary Byrnes was the former director of St. Joseph’s School for the Blind in Jersey City and a partner in the founding and growth of AMIB. Inspired by the “beatitudes of Sister Mary Byrnes” an annual caregiver award in her name was created to recognize a staff member who has demonstrated the most outstanding devotion in the challenging task of caregiving.

Indeed, 2020 has added even more than usual challenges to the staff who oversee individuals in each of our group homes. We are proud to add that our AMIB staff are all members of a strong team who are dedicated to AMIB’s Mission Statement and to the individuals we serve.

Darlene takes pride in enhancing each resident’s program and demonstrates unrelenting dedication to the individuals and staff who work with them. A group home manager is not just a 7 am – 3 pm position, as Darlene’s example exemplifies.

She has: covered overnights and staff absences and worked on weekends and holidays when needed to ensure her individuals are well cared for and her staff is also. She has prepared dinners at home and brought them in to work for her residents to enjoy. She has a unique way of communicating with her staff, allowing them to perform at their best and in the best interest of the individuals they serve.

Maria Leschinski, AMIB Program Coordinator, who along with Luciano Orsini, Director of Program Services, presented the award to Darlene said: “We are grateful to have Darlene on our AMIB team. What makes her unique is that she has worked direct care in other homes on her days off when vacancies occurred and provided coverage during the 2020 pandemic, knowing there were individuals in the home who tested positive for COVID-19 and worked overnights and weekend shifts so coverage could be sent to another home in need.”

It is with great honor and thanks that AMIB presented the 2020 AMIB Sister Mary Byrnes Award to Darlene Venezia.

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DARLENE VENEZIA RECEIVES THE AMIB SISTER MARY BYRNES CAREGIVER AWARD

Director of Program Services, Luciano Orsini, and Program Coordinator, Maria Leschinski, present the AMIB Sister Mary Byrnes Caregiver Award to Bayville Group Home Manager, Darlene Venezia (center).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JODY

Jody has lived in the AMIB Bayville Group Home for 22 years (since 1999). On January 15th, her 63rd birthday was celebrated with her group home family.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated that day as her sister, who came ladened with balloons and cake for the occasion, had to visit her at a distance (from the driveway) to be socially-distanced according to Covid-19 regulations that were in effect. Her brother and sister-in-law were able to celebrate with her a week later also being socially-distanced. Jody likes to write and has authored a drawer-full of her writings through which she can share her thoughts and ideas. Keep up your good work, Jody.

AMIB BOARD OF TRUSTEESKenneth P. Carson ..........................PresidentLillian Johnsen ...................... Vice PresidentSean Healey .................................. TreasurerColleen Healey ...............................Secretary

Janet Wilson Alternative;Kenneth J. Carson, Jr.; Edward Gillespie;

Gerard Malcolm, Muriel MartucciAMIB ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD

Jerry Perez, CPA ............................PresidentEdward M. Gillespie ..................... TreasurerCharles Paolino ..............................SecretaryKenneth J. Carson, Jr.; Michael K. Carson;

Jennifer Gottlieb; Robert Pearson;Beverley Parry Robinson;Melissa A. Terranova, Esq.

Our Mission is to promotecommunity integration and participation

of people who are blind or visually impaired and have multiple disabilities by providing

opportunities for community living,training and support.

AMIB, Inc. Lions Head Office Park35 Beaverson Blvd. Bldg.#13Brick, NJ 08723Please remember AMIB in your will

732-262-0082Visit us on the web at www.amib.net

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

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