Royer-Greaves School Welcomes Vanguard Day of Service Volunteers

A team of Vanguard volunteers brought the muscle, and Royer-Greaves School for Blind students and adults made the music during a recent afternoon of clean-up and connection on the Paoli Campus.

Royer-Greaves School for Blind – which serves children and adults who have both
visual impairment and developmental, emotional, or physical disabilities - was selected for the March 28 Day of Service by Vanguard’s Women’s Initiative for Leadership and Success (WILS).

The 19 women and men who donated their time learned about Royer-Greaves School for Blind’s mission and programs during lunch, then got right to work.

The volunteers hauled old furniture, cabinets, outdated electronic equipment, and more from a former dormitory, then sorted the pieces for recycling or reuse. The emptied building is now ready for future improvements in support of program needs. And, thanks to the creative and environmentally friendly suggestion of the Vanguard team, two regional animal rescue programs benefited as well: they are
receiving old blankets and bed linens for their shelters.

The Vanguard volunteers also spent time reading children’s books to Royer-Greaves’ younger students – an activity enjoyed by all participants.

The day ended with the Vanguard crew joining Royer-Greaves’ students, adults, faculty, staff, and families for a celebration capping off National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Music plays a key role in the lives of Royer-Greaves students and adults, many of whom are non-verbal. They love expressing themselves through performance, and entertained the audience with a range of song and dance.

“The entire Royer-Greaves School for Blind community was thrilled and thankful to have the Vanguard volunteer team help us,” said Vicky Mayer, Executive Director of Royer-Greaves School for Blind. “Sharing their collective time and talent was a great resource for Royer-Greaves. We look forward to collaborating with Vanguard’s staff on other projects in the future”.

About Royer-Greaves: Royer-Greaves School for Blind, founded in 1921 and located in Paoli, PA, serves children and adults with a visual impairment/blindness and a co-occurring intellectual and/or physical disability. The Royer-Greaves community focuses on developing the unique abilities of each person served through individual support and attention. For more information, please visit www.royer-greaves.org .