Lions Club Member Sets Sight on Vision Charity

A Seminole Chronicle Article

By Marisa Ramiccio | September 13, 2012 

Oviedo-Winter Springs Lions Club
Chairman Paul Schwimmer,
partnered with Cindy Shadron,
Executive Director of
The Forgotten Ones,Inc.

When Oviedo-Winter Springs Lions Club chairman Paul Schwimmer began collecting eyeglasses and setting up eye exams for the sight-impaired residents of Seminole County, he never thought he'd end up visually impaired himself. But during a yearly checkup, Schwimmer's doctor discovered a problem and sent him to a retinal specialist who diagnosed him with macular degeneration, an eye condition that causes loss of vision.

"He said 'If you had macular degeneration 10 years ago, I would have told you to get a dog and a cane,'" Schwimmer said.

Schwimmer was able to receive eye injections - six in his left eye and 17 in his right eye - to slow the progression of his macular degeneration. He said he can read large-print books and can still drive in familiar areas, but what he can no longer do is collect eyeglasses for those in need, a long-time mission of both Schwimmer and the Lions Club.

Schwimmer originally joined the Lions Club in Michigan in 1965. When he moved to Central Florida in 1973, he decided to join the Winter Park branch because it hosted meetings at night. He later transferred to the Oviedo-Winter Springs branch once it was created.

"In 2000, the Oviedo-Winter Springs club got started, and being a former Lion, I was one of the principal members of the club," Schwimmer said. "The new members would ask me what the other clubs did and I said the one thing they do is go out and collect old eyeglasses [for those who] can't afford them."

The Lions Club, which formed in Chicago in 1917, officially adopted the cause of sight preservation in 1925, when Helen Keller addressed the club. Schwimmer said that this cause somehow fell on his shoulders, but he took it and ran with it.

For five years, he collected eyeglasses from 44 locations in Seminole and Orange counties, from Lake Mary to the airport and across I-4. One of the reasons he can no longer continue collecting is because he can only see well enough to drive on familiar roads. A request from family and friends also persuaded him to stop.

"One of the reasons I had to give this up is because some family and friends said 'You're 81 years old, and while you're in one of the seedy sections of Greater Orlando, one of these days someone will try to do you harm to steal your truck.'"

Aside from collecting eyeglasses, Schwimmer and the rest of the Lions Club also became involved in setting up eye exams and securing surgeries for those in need.

Because of Schwimmer's acquaintance with Cindy Shadron, the executive director of The Forgotten Ones charity in Oviedo, the two organizations partnered to assist those who can't afford eyeglasses or surgery.

"It helps us to know that they can come here," Shadron said. "We had one guy who needed surgery and we got the guy's surgery. He was crying because he had been to so many places but he couldn't afford it. Nobody was helping this man."

When someone is identified as being in need, a member of the Lions Club meets him or her at the Vine Outreach Thrift Store, which is owned by The Forgotten Ones. The member walks that person through the paperwork and establishes whether or not the person's in need of financial aid. If they are, the Lions Club will pay $200 per eye per surgery, which can cost up to $5,000. The rest of the cost is picked up by the Lions Foundation for the Blind.

"I love doing it. I've helped in excess of 2,000 people, and I felt great about the fact that I've been able to help these people," Schwimmer said.

One of the people he's been able to help is Genitha Nickson, a volunteer at The Forgotten Ones. Nickson started doing community service under the guidance of Shadron, who asked her if she needed anything. Aside from an ID and her birth certificate, Nickson also needed eyeglasses. Shadron called Schwimmer, who met Nickson at The Forgotten Ones and set her up with a pair of glasses.

"Since I've been here, my life has changed a little bit," Nickson said. "They've helped me out a lot."

Schwimmer's life, of course, has also changed. Though he no longer collects eyeglasses for the Lions Club, he's still very much an active member. As the chairman of the club, he's involved with projects including Right to Sight, which promotes programs that fight blindness and loss of vision. He oversees fundraising events, such as the club's bingo night at St. Alban's Church on Aloma Avenue.

"Every penny that comes in is used for the benefit of the neighborhood and the surrounding areas," Schwimmer said.

But his work doesn't stop there. He's also busy training the three Lions Club members who will take over his collection duties, and he's still helping people who are in need of eye surgery.

"I've still got clients who are in the process of getting surgeries and I'm taking care of them until they're finished," he said.

For more information on The Oviedo-Winter Springs Lions Club, email Dennis Dulniak at ddulniak@ucf.mail.edu. 

For more information on The Forgotten Ones, visit www.theforgottenonesinc.org.

The Vine Gets Dose Of Own Medicine From Scout

A Seminole Chronicle Article

By Alicia Mandigo | August 02, 2012

Eagle Scout Andrew McCrary
stands in front of
a collection of items for sale.
Money made from
The Vine Outreach Thrift Store
ultimately funds plans
for the Shiloh Ranch.

It sits just at the crest of the hill in downtown Oviedo in the shadow of the giant Baptist church across the street. It's The Vine Outreach Thrift Store, a modest store that screams "look at me" with street-side displays of eclectic wares and signs offering free bread and pastries. Perhaps you've noticed it without realizing that its purpose is to serve the people in our community who go unnoticed.

"We try to give people their life vision back, or perhaps give them a new vision," Director Cindy Shadron said.

Shadron opened The Vine five years ago as a way to raise money for a proposed ranch that would serve as a transitional facility for teenagers aging out of foster care. Plans have named it the Shiloh Ranch, and it will provide children with a chance to participate in a working ranch while acquiring the skills and services they need to transition into adulthood. Of course, the ranch concept requires money, so Shadron created an umbrella nonprofit called The Forgotten Ones, and The Vine operates beneath it by generating the bulk of the nonprofit's funding.

The Vine is housed in what used to be a downtown cottage. It holds an abundance of stuff that is strikingly well organized throughout The Vine's small space. A steady stream of people shuffle through. Some of the visitors are there to shop, but most of them are there to visit Shadron and her volunteers.

"We try to connect with people; we don't simply give them bread and send them on their way," Shadron said.

The people who come through are people in need of services and moral support, and The Vine provides it. A woman newly arrived from Puerto Rico needed help securing identification. She can't get a job without ID, so The Vine helped her. An alcoholic homeless man who cleaned up his act needed to clean up his appearance, so The Vine provided him a haircut and a shave.

"We do so much; it's hard to quantify," Shadron said. "We've taught people to read, we help them find work, we try to meet them where they are in life and give them a hand up."

However, the tables recently have turned for the nonprofit. Now, The Vine is receiving their own hand up from a 16-year-old scout working toward his Eagle Scout rank.

"I decided to do a project for them because they've been giving to the community for years, and I thought it was time somebody gave something back to them," prospective Eagle Scout Andrew McCrary said.

The Vine has outgrown its space. In the lot behind the thrift store, The Vine has a tractor-trailer so overloaded with Christmas decorations that spill out when the door is opened. The decorations will provide good revenue when the season hits, but right now, they can't even be displayed. So McCrary proposed building shelves to put in the tractor-trailer for his Eagle Scout project. It's an enormous undertaking. The trailer first has to be emptied. He will then build sets of 6-by-8 foot shelving for displaying the Christmas decorations. When it's complete, McCrary will have built a total of 360 square feet worth of shelving space. It's the kind of project that could easily intimidate someone.

"I was [intimidated] in the beginning because I had to raise $700 and I wasn't really prepared, but now I'm comfortable with it," McCrary said.

In addition to raising the money to pay for the shelving, McCrary has also recruited volunteers to help with the work. It will have been an eight-month long project when he completes it this month.

McCrary and his fellow scouts have volunteered at The Vine before, helping with things like serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless. He says he was particularly drawn to The Vine's mission of helping children aging out of foster care, and that's why he asked Shadron if he could use The Vine for his Eagle Scout project.

"She told me, 'I always have projects for Eagle Scouts,'" McCrary said.

That's understandable, since Shadron said the scouts always do impressive work.

Helping The Forgotten Ones

Photo by Brittni Larson

Luisa Perez cuts Dean Moscato’s hair at The Vine Thrift Store’s free lunch event where they also offer free haircuts.

"Helping The Forgotten Ones"

A Seminole Voice Article

By Brittni Larson July 12, 2012 3:31 p.m. 

The stories about the “forgotten ones,” even in our own backyard, are endless. The mom of three whose husband has been out of work for six months, the man who lost his job and can barely scrape up enough money to get groceries, the good guy who let his tough life lead him to drink too much — all just snippets of the daily struggle that many just don’t see.


But Cindy Shadron is one of the few who not only knows their stories in detail, but also helps to change them into something better.


“People are hurting everywhere … the people right here,” Shadron said. “A lot of them are starting over and they don’t know what to do.”


Shadron, a native of Oviedo and resident of Geneva, started The Vine Thrift Store in Oviedo when she wanted to create a way to give back. She spent 11 years as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, a person who is court appointed to represent children who have been taken out of their homes because of abuse or neglect, to make sure they find a safe and caring permanent environment. After seeing what those children go through, she knew she needed to do more. She started The Forgotten Ones Inc., which is a non-profit that encompasses her thrift store and an outreach center.


“She’s dedicated her life to others,” said Linda Moscato, who used their food pantry to provide for her son when he lost his job.


Shadron’s goal is to start a working ranch for young adults 18-25 who are aging out of the foster care system, being released from a juvenile correctional facility, or are homeless or runaways. They’d be able to learn love, leadership and hard work while being mentored by people who truly care about them, Shadron said. Not only that, the ranch would be home to rescue animals and offer horticulture classes for the public. She hopes it will be up and running next year.


But she had to start somewhere, and for her The Vine was the beginning. Right now, it’s her whole life, but she never stops looking toward her ultimate goal.


“I got so busy here, it’s absorbed all my time, but it didn't absorb my heart and goals,” she said about her dream of starting the ranch.


So far, The Vine has spawned The Resource Center there, where Shadron, her husband Mike and volunteers help those in need become self-sufficient. Their services include an emergency food pantry and referrals to organizations that can assist them. They also pay for and assist in paperwork to get identification, such as Florida State ID cards and social security cards, which are required to get help from many food pantries and to gain employment.


Most of all, they offer support and encouragement. Many lose their vision and goals or have never had anyone ask them what they are in the first place. Shadron gives hugs, and tells people she loves them. Some can’t remember the last time they've heard that.


“I’ve seen that light they had that’s kind of gone,” Shadron said.


For more information about Cindy Shadron’s The Forgotten Ones, located at The Vine 98 W Broadway Street in Oviedo, visit www.theforgottenonesinc.org or call 407-495-5100. The last Saturday of every month they serve free lunch to the public. They also have an emergency food pantry for those in need.


Shadron needs volunteers and funds to continue helping locals in need and to get her ranch off the ground. Emailinfo@theforgotten... or call 407-495-5100 if you’re interested in helping.


She tries to kindle that fire with hope for the future. People like Mike Sykes of Oviedo are helped every day. Sykes, who was homeless and an alcoholic, finally asked them for help after attending their free lunch event a few times. The Shadron's took him to the hospital for detox, got him into a program to recover from his alcoholism and let him stay with them for a couple weeks. In reality, Sykes was a stranger when they helped him through all that. Now, he’s part of their Vine family. He said he wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for them. He’s been sober for almost two years.


“It’s impacting lives and mine in a very positive way,” Sykes said. “They showed me how to care about other people and myself.”


Dean Moscato said he’s learned a lot from his hardships, too. When he lost his job, his mother got food from The Vine and sent it to him in Colorado for about a year. Once he got down to Florida, seeing all the good work they do made him want to volunteer his time while he looks for a job. The experience has changed his whole outlook on life and people, he said.


“I used to be a lot more judgemental,” Moscato said. “I've learned how to be a better person.”


Mother of three Shanti Suarez-Correa said that Shadron has been a blessing in her life, giving guidance, groceries and friendship whenever she’s needed it. And just like Shadron always says, God has put it on her heart to give this help. It was meant to be.


“Never feel ashamed to say you need help because God puts the right people in your path, and when you least expect it,” Correa said. “And that she was for me, definitely an angel.”

Thrift Store Has Second Annual Thanksgiving Lunch

"Thrift Store Has Second Annual Thanksgiving Lunch"

A Seminole Chronicle Article

By Jerriann Sullivan | November 23, 2010

Lena Logan (left),
Vine staff member and 
Cindy Shadron (right), 
executive director of the Vine.

The Vine's Thanksgiving lunch was held Wednesday afternoon.

Cindy Cook Shadron, executive director of the Vine thrift store in Oviedo, said she felt compelled to host the event, which was held for the second time since the organization opened its doors in 2007.

"Wherever they feel love to give, we will take them," Shadron said of those who volunteered at the lunch.

The midday meal was open to all community members but was designed to provide a place for people who otherwise might not have had the opportunity to celebrate the holiday.

"Some people feel isolated and don't have anywhere to go," Shadron said.

Last year the Vine fed about 300 people and passed out about 200 bags of groceries. Shadron said some of the guests took buses from Sanford to the Vine just for the free meal. She said it felt like there would be fewer events for Thanksgiving this year, making the Vine's lunch even more necessary for the Oviedo community.

Shadron wasn't sure how many people would show up to receive the free meal or bag of groceries.

"You don't know; you just put it there and feed as many people as you can," Shadron said.

The Vine's sponsors, including Fifth Third Bank, Riverside Park, Rippin' Riverside Skate Park, Metro Church, SNAP Fitness and central Florida fire stations 44, 46 and 48, collected food this year. The radio station Z88.3 reported live from the event.

Shadron said she hopes to continue collecting food in order to host a bigger dinner to celebrate the Christmas holiday next month.

The Vine is also a Christian-based ministry, which Shadron said originally set out to provide funding and support for children who have aged out of the foster care system.

"I just have a big heart for the kids," she said. "But we help where we can."

Shadron worked as a guardian ad litem through Seminole County for 11 years, which is where she learned about the needs of foster children.

"A lot of those kids fall into the cracks," she said.

With some success, the Vine grew and is able to offer support and resources for children, single moms, single dads, troubled teens, homeless men, needy families and lonely or hurting people of all age and backgrounds.

"If we keep going in that direction, I think a lot of people will be helped," Shadron said.

The Vine produces funds for the non-profit organization through sales made at its thrift store. Shadron and her volunteers operate the store, where they sell brand name clothing, accessories, books and housewares.

When able, the Vine will also send trailers of clothing and furniture to other non-profit organizations. Shadron said they are always looking for volunteers and donations.

Capturing a Dream at Any Age - Learning to Read

Photo by: Kristy Vickery

Seventy-year-old James Carter practices reading, in the back office of the Vine Thrift Store in Oviedo, with his 70-year-old teacher Jim Lewis, a retired English teacher who volunteers at the Adult Literacy League.

"Capturing a dream at any age"

A Seminole Voice Article

By Milon Townsend

June 3, 2010 5:54 p.m. 

In the back of a crowded room, James Carter rigorously studies the sentence, slowly reading one word at a time, "Dan-n-n picks up the box and puts the s-s-snake in the r-r-river."

Carter may be reading at a first-grade level, but he has far out-aged grade school. He is learning to do something most people take for granted, learning to read — at the age of 70.

"It's been rough for me," Carter said. "But I think I am doing good."

Growing up was not easy for Carter. He started working at when he was 9, and said he never spent a single day in school.

"I just worked all the time," Carter said. "I traveled all around the world on boxcars."

Carter is finally getting the chance he never got growing up, with the help of an Adult Literacy League volunteer and the Vine Thrift Store in Oviedo.

Jim Lewis, a 70-year-old retired English teacher who volunteers his time at the Adult Legacy League, has been working with Carter an hour and a half, twice a week, for the last year.

"Mr. James is a client, but he is more than that — he is certainly a buddy, and although he started off really basic he's doing very well now," Lewis said. "He never got to learn any comprehension skills or think quickly, until now, so it was all about survival… not a single day in school for an American citizen, isn't that a tragedy?"

The two began meeting at the library, but quickly decided The Vine Thrift Store, the place that brought them together, was better suited for their weekly sessions.

"We decided the library wasn't working for us, but this (the Vine Thrift Store) did," Lewis said. "And Cindy was like the angel in the middle."

Vine Thrift Store owner Cindy Cook said she helped the two become a pair after she learned Carter, who is known as Mr. James around her store, could not even read simple things like street signs.

"We're not angels, we are just doing our part, and this is just a little part," Cook said. "If everybody would just do a little bit, then the world would be easier for other people. If we just pay attention to them and listen to them and maybe see who they are really are, then maybe Mr. James would have learned to read a long time ago."

She also said they are so happy to be helping him, and everyone at the store is so proud of his progress.

"We are so excited for Mr. James; it's like a dream come true for him," said Cook. "That was all he wanted all his life was to read and write."

According to the Adult Literacy League's Web site, one in five Central Florida adults reads at or below the fifth-grade reading level.

Carter is trying to overcome this statistic and live the life of he's always dreamed of; a life not of just survival, but of accomplishment.

"I prayed all my life for something like this to happen to me," Carter said. "My dream's come true now."

For more information on adult literacy visit www.adultliteracyleague.org.

Second-Hand Steals Hit Runway at Vine Show

A Seminole Chronicle Article

By Kelly Allen | October 21, 2009

OVIEDO - A different kind of fashion show is hitting the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo as The Vine Outreach Thrift Store puts its used clothing on the runway.

Models young and old - comprised of the Vine's volunteers and customers - will strut their stuff Oct. 24 in outfits selected by the Vine. All the clothes will be donated items found in the thrift store.

This may not be your typical high-fashion, big-dollar fundraising event, but that's not really the Vine's style.

Oneida Rodriguez, a volunteer for The Vine for two years, said this event is for the whole community.

"This fundraiser is different all around," she said. "The ones participating are just average people, they're not high-fashion models. They're everyday people who walked in the store.

"Everybody is going to get a personal and spiritual reward by participating."

Not only will people from the community get to participate in the show, but the community will also benefit from it. While tickets to the show cost $10, prizes and gift certificates will be given out throughout the event and clothing from The Vine will be available for half price, Rodriguez said.

There will also be refreshments, vendors and live music, as well as a live and silent auction. Among other items, you can bid on the outfits worn on the runway.

The proceeds from the event will go to The Forgotten Ones, The Vine's ministry that helps all those in need, but specifically aims to reach "aging out" foster kids - people ages 18-24 who have no one and no where to go.

Founder Cindy Cook gained a passion for this age group while volunteering as Guardian ad Litem with Seminole County for 11 years.

According to the Guardian ad Litem Web site, a Guardian ad Litem is a volunteer appointed by the court to protect the rights and advocate the best interests of a child involved in a court proceeding.

Cook worked mostly with teens, and she is still in contact with many of the teens she helped. She said she sees a special need in teens and young adults.

"They break my heart, they're so lost," she said. "Especially that age. if you don't help them, then they go to jail, especially the foster kids because they're out there and they don't have support or mentors.

"There are just so many kids out there that need guidance. It's such a vulnerable time, and the world just sucks them in. We could change so many lives if we help them with prayer, advice, mentoring and spiritual awareness."

Eventually, Cook hopes to open a ranch where she can provide more assistance to young people in need. She is working with a grant writer to get the funds for the project.

But in the mean time, The Vine and The Forgotten Ones help as much as they can. Cook said one man who came to volunteer in the store was almost 70 years old and didn't know how to read. The Vine set him up with a tutor. He is helping at the store, but now he knows how to read. The outreach also threw him the first birthday party he's ever had.

"The Forgotten Ones can be anyone that has needs," Cook said. "Someone who walks in and just needs a hug and we talk with them and pray with them."

Rodriguez said that spirit of outreach is what makes her want to volunteer at The Vine.

"It's something in my heart to volunteer for a good cause," she said. "I feel that there's a need in the community for more than just a thrift shop.

"We've got hundreds of thrift shops. What makes us different is we have outreach programs and a vision of doing something bigger for the community and those in need."

The Vine also helps by providing free lunch and groceries the last Saturday of each month at The Vine at 98 W. Broadway St., Oviedo. All are welcome, whether you need a free meal or want to learn how you can help.

There are all kinds of ways to volunteer, including mentoring, cashiering, organizing donations and more. But the outreach also needs help in the form of donations.

"We give the things we want to give, but we also have to pay the rent and the overhead and do all that, so we need support in doing all this to help them," Cook said.

The Vine and The Forgotten Ones' Evening of Fashion will be from 5 to 8 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo, 263 King St., Oviedo. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 407-971-8135 or e-mail info@theforgottenonesinc.org

A Generous Heart A Seminole Chronicle Article

A Generous Heart 

Have a seat: Vine employees
stand outside The Vine Thrift
 with a newly acquired
 piece of furniture.
The Vine is a nonprofit
store that provides
household items.

Local woman's thrift store benefits young people and community alike

By Jeff Gardenour | September 26, 2007

When Cindy Cook saw two disheveled teens walking outside her store during Labor Day weekend, she offered to feed and clothe them and find them shelter.

"They were probably about 18 or 19 years old," Cook said. "One had no shoes - well, it was actually a shoe that was falling apart - and the other had a backpack that was held together by paper clips. I could tell they were street kids."

Cook said the teenagers were shocked and standoffish at first, but then welcomed her hospitality with undying gratitude. It was apparent to Cook that this act of kindness didn't come their way too often. But for her, acts of kindness are a way of life, a way of reaching out to help the needy and those down on their luck.

"People don't realize it, but it's everywhere," she said.

For years, it has been Cook's mission to help the underprivileged from all walks of life, all over the world. If she has anything to say about it, there will someday be a lot less underprivileged people in the world.

Mexico, Jamaica and Haiti all have been graced by Cook's presence. A member of Metro Church of Winter Springs, she has been on numerous missions, helping to build homes, organize schools and give clothes out to the destitute. No place is too far; no task too intimidating.

Cook feels the same way about The Vine, a non-profit thrift store in down town Oviedo that raises money for foster kids who have aged out of assistance programs. Her goal is to help young adults ages 18 to 25 find their way by offering a helping hand.

Through the success of The Vine, Cook recently opened the Shiloh Ranch Retreat in Geneva, where aged-out foster kids can stay and establish some goals for themselves. The Shiloh Ranch, previously known as "The Forgotten Ones," sits on 10 acres of land in east Seminole County, a testament to what hard work and commitment can accomplish.

"Our mission is to help those kids," she said.

The Shiloh Ranch became a reality after Cook opened The Vine four months ago. A widow with two grown children, Cook helped convert the 1,900-square-foot shop from a motorcycle-moped business into a successful thrift shop, where casual or habitual shoppers can find almost anything they need.

"It's set up like a boutique," Cook said. "We have clothes for women, men, teens. We have collectibles. We have furniture, beds. And, we keep our prices good and everything is clean."

The Vine has been such a success that donations have poured in from all over. The store gets a mix of new and used items, things that would surprise most folks.

"I had one guy bring in a brand-new armoire," she said. "I've gotten brand-new stuff from warehouses, even Ralph Lauren clothes with the tags still on them. And, the used clothes we get are in good shape; they're not faded or anything. It's amazing."

Store items range in price from $1 to as much as $300. The Vine even has "Bag Day" sales where customers can buy a bag of merchandise for only $5.

The Vine also holds fundraisers and participates in The Charity Challenge, where nonprofit businesses sell tickets to assist the needy. "If we sell 50,000 tickets, for instance, we make 80 cents on the dollar and the sponsors match it," Cook said.

When Cook isn't busy with The Vine or setting up fundraisers, she serves as a guardian for children in court-appointed cases. She ended up adopting one 17-year-old boy whose father didn't want him. Today, he lives on his own and works for an electric company in Orlando.

Cook currently is housing a family of three, hoping her kindness will help give the family some direction. "If everybody did one little thing and passed it on, we could do a lot," she said.

A lot of people are benefiting from Cook's generosity. The proof is in the deeds, as well as in The Vine in down town Oviedo.