The Fox Family: Connections of the Heart

It’s been said that seeing a single fox is considered good luck. So, how does that translate to having a whole fox family in your corner?

For Vision Forward, it’s been more than just good luck—it’s been decades of dedicated service and support.

Our fox family undoubtedly is no ordinary pack. It’s led by Janet Fox, a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), who has more than 34 years of service with Vision Forward (including her work at the Center for Blind & Visually Impaired Children prior to the merger), and her husband, Stanley, a retired manager of CT clinical development at General Electric Healthcare.

As individuals, both Janet and Stanley demonstrate a high level of empathy and have passed this quality on to their two children, Joshua and Emily. As a family, the Foxes have all taken on the mission of Vision Forward, providing support in a number of ways.
“We all want to make a difference,” says Stanley, referring to his family’s gifts of time and money. “We want to support an organization that has a good mission, and we want to know that our donations are well spent.”

For Janet, what started out as a college major with classes that were convenient in both campus location and start time—in other words, it was initially attractive because classes were close to her dorm and didn’t start too early—became her life’s work and her passion.
Janet is very fervent and selfless in her work with children. In fact, when she started volunteering at the Center for Blind & Visually Impaired Children in 1988, it took a whole year before the staff finally convinced her to become a paid employee. She truly loves what she does and can’t imagine ever retiring!

Stanley was on board with Janet’s passion for being a TVI and has been a regular contributor of his time and talents, building and reconfiguring products to accommodate the needs of Janet’s students in the classroom. Additionally, while Stanley was working, he used their annual contribution to Vision Forward to qualify for a matching gift from his employer, doubling the impact of their support.

Reflecting on their life and work, Stanley shares, “We both enabled each other to have careers we were passionate about.”

Additionally, as their children pursued careers, they also took on the heart of their mother’s profession. Joshua, his wife Katie, and Emily have all become Vision Forward donors and have leveraged support from their employers as well. In addition, they share the family desire to make a difference and are active volunteers and fundraisers in their own communities.

For Janet, her work as a teacher isn’t just a job: it’s a steadfast commitment that carries over into her everyday living. She continues to spread the message of the importance of specialized services for children who are blind and visually impaired, and she has even involved her grandchildren, Collin, 8, and Anna, 5, in helping with projects that support the important work she does.

Even after more than 40 years, Janet’s career as a TVI continues to give her purpose. “I wish more people would pursue learning to be a vision teacher,” she states. “Along with colleagues trained in special education and a variety of therapies, you can really change a child’s life.”

The entire Fox family is making a positive difference for people living with vision loss, and we are truly grateful!

Join the Fox Family by investing in those living with vision loss.

Together, with your support, we can positively change the present and future of people of all ages who are blind or visually impaired.