News & Events

Inspiring stories that showcase our growth and success and the community partnerships that make it possible.

Duvall Homes DeLand

ADT Valentine’s Day Celebration

Duvall Homes Valentine’s Day Celebration – Group Home Residents and community participants of Duvall Homes’ Adult Day Training (ADT) in Glenwood, Florida, enjoyed an outdoor Valentine’s Day celebration Tuesday, February 14, 2017, complete with a photo board, refreshments, music, and dancing under the perfect balmy Florida skies.

Technology DuvallPhoto board images were captured by both ADT educators and participants using iPads as part of Duvall’s curriculum to develop communication skills and broaden knowledge in technology in its Opportunities Enrichment Center. This form of programming provides essential learning tools used to encourage participants to engage socially and is especially effective for participants who are non-verbal communicators. The iPads were purchased for ADT following the award of the 2015 Greenfeather Grant from Stetson University.

View additional images on Duvall’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/DuallHome.

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Duvall Homes Allstate

Allstate Foundation Grant

Duvall Homes received a $1000 “Helping Hands in the Community” grant from The Allstate Foundation. Facilitated by Allstate Agent Nanette Rosevear (left), the award, handed to Elizabeth Bhimjee, Duvall Homes’ Chief Marketing and Development Officer, comes as a direct result of Rosevear’s many hours of service to Duvall Homes and the developmentally disabled people we serve.

Nanette Rosevear Duvall HomesAs an ambassador and committed volunteer, Nanette has enabled the growth and success of Duvall Homes’ Art For Everyone Program. Its future is certainly in good hands thanks to her contributions of time, talent and treasure!

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AFP Duvall Homes

Our Philanthropy Day Champion

December 12, 2016 The Volusia/Flagler Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) celebrated the 4th annual National Philanthropy Day, recognizing Volusia and Flagler champions for all they do for our community. Duvall Homes congratulated Kay Laws its 2016 Philanthropic Champion.

Kathryn Laws embodies the philanthropic spirit through her tireless commitment to others. As a long-time friend to Duvall Homes, Kay has demonstrated a true dedication to making the world a better place for people with developmental disabilities. Once a week, every week, for more than ten years, Kay has visited Duvall Homes to share her kindness and compassion with Duvall residents. Guiding them on outdoor walks, reading a good book, or simply taking time to chat over lunch, Kay has been more than a friend – indeed she has been a surrogate family member to many.

As moderator of the Presbyterian Women’s Group at First Presbyterian Church in DeLand, she worked to organize special drives and fundraisers for Duvall Homes. She has spearheaded collaborative projects within her congregation to ensure that all residents of Duval Homes receive holiday presents and birthday cards. To this day, she delivers handwritten cards to Duvall residents each month to commemorate special occasions. Through the years, Kay has worked as a volunteer at many Duvall Homes events and has organized additional volunteer groups on our behalf, acting as our advocate and champion at every turn.

In addition to her contributions to Duvall Homes, Kay has been an active volunteer for Hospice of Volusia/Flagler and a member of the Philanthropic Education Organization, providing scholarships for women.

A quiet humanitarian, Kay Laws teaches us all a lesson in humility and the gift of giving. Recently, she has been heard to say, “I am slowing down a bit” – this just after celebrating her 90th birthday, then asking, “Is there anything else I can do to help?”

We don’t think she’s slowing down at all and we are proud to recognize Kay as the Duvall Homes 2016 Agency Champion – the exemplary model of selfless service every organization dreams of having.

Image: Left to right, Elizabeth Bhimjee, Duvall Homes’ Chief Marketing & Development Officer; Michael Ugarte, Duvall’s Board of Regents’ Member; Kay Laws, 2016 AFP Agent of Champion Recipient; Duvall’s CEO, Steven DeVane; and Rob Walsh, Duvall Board of Regents’ Chair.

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Duvall Homes

Duvall Teams Up with HOSA

On November 10, 2016, Duvall Homes was invited to be part of Deltona High School’s Health Services Academy Fair, an academy developed under the mission of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). We were honored to join the group of community health care professionals and aspiring young leaders interested in working in numerous health care fields upon which we all depend.

This young generation of high school juniors set up informative tables of their own beside professional organizations each with a common goal – to shed light on real health care issues that require assistance in creating ongoing awareness and in attracting future professionals.

Deltona students had a SWAT table. No, it wasn’t a law enforcement table, rather a Students Working Against Tobacco table, which was enhanced by two sets of beating pig lungs – one healthy one smoked – provided by Daytona State College Respiratory Therapy students.  Other tables were hosted by Volusia County’s EVAC/EMS, retirement facilities and various student tables including one for Mental Health Awareness, Teen Pregnancy and others.

Duvall Homes’ CEO, Steven DeVane, informed students of the function of Duvall Homes’ and its mission to serve those with developmental disabilities and the impact students could make in their near future due to the growing need to fulfill positions for direct support personnel. It was enlightening to learn how many students actually know or have an individual with developmental disabilities in their family.

The afternoon ended with a drawing from dozens of students names entered to win a basket of items with original artworks created by residents of Duvall Homes. Thank you to Brandy Meadows, Deltona High School’s Medical Academy Instructor and to Brandon Shadeed, their Health Academy President. Shadeed is a shining example of what this academy aims to achieve. With a 4.0 average and more than a thousand hours of volunteer service, Shadeed has his sites aimed at attending University of Florida’s College of Medicine in 2018. View more photos from the day by clicking here.

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Duvall Homes

Community Outreach 2.0

On November 2, 2016, after being educated on the ongoing importance of raising awareness for those fighting cancer and further developing their vocational and creative skills, Duvall Home’s Adult Day Training participants took to the sidewalk proudly wearing personally designed t-shirts created at the Center. This full-circle educational exercise is only one inspiring example of the many ways in which Duvall Homes’ residents and community participants get involved and practice community engagement and awareness for all populations in need of attention.

The Stetson University Greenfeather Grant was awarded in 2015, and the funds used for materials to support Duvall Homes’ Day Training Program in its Opportunities Enrichment Center continue to benefit people with developmentally disabled residents in our care.

Other funds from the Greenfeather Grant supported technology and software training equipment vital to enabling users to engage socially and increase self-expression.

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Medtronic Duvall

Medtronic Donates to Duvall Homes

October 26, 2016 After completion of a special company-wide drive, Medtronic employees in DeLand presented numerous household products collected for the residents of Duvall Homes. The items donated will be used among the 16 group homes operated by Duvall Homes. Medtronic is a global leader in medical technology, services and solutions. Left to right, Diane Knepple, Medtronic Interim HR Manager, and Maryann Terrone, HR Assistant.Thank you Medtronic!

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Duvall Homes

CEO Awarded FARF Excellence in Innovation

October 20, 2016 Duvall Homes is proud to announce that this year’s recipient of the Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (FARF) Excellence in Innovation Award is CEO, Steven DeVane.The award was presented to DeVane on September 21, 2016, in Tallahassee, Fla., by FARF President and CEO, Suzanne Sewell (right), and FARF Board Chair, Shirley Balogh (left). The award is given annually to a director or company in recognition of continuing excellence in comprehensive community services, innovation in the application of technology to meet needs of individuals with disabilities, and consistent, successful achievement that goes above and beyond the call of duty.

“Steven DeVane combines innovative thinking with the desire to always do what is in the best interest of the individuals Duvall Homes serves,” said Sewell. “He is quick to explore innovative practices from other states and is always willing to go the extra mile to solve problems for the program he leads, as well as for all Florida members of the Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. We cannot think of a more worthy recipient of this award.”

Within the last two years, Duvall transitioned almost 100 individuals out of a large congregate dormitory-style building on their main Glenwood campus into community group homes throughout the County of Volusia. Initially, the transition faced concerns from families and other stakeholders; however, today, they are thrilled with the positive changes that have occurred in the lives of their loved ones.

“I’m so proud of the Florida ARF recognition given to Duvall Homes and its leadership team,” said DeVane. “This gargantuan task could not have been accomplished without leadership from the entire administrative team and Sabrina Patterson (a member of Duvall’s Board of Regents.) They all worked so hard to make this a reality.”

DeVane added a special thank you to the Duvall staff who were challenged to collaborate and develop innovative ways to continue providing the best service to those in their care. Making up the executive team of Duvall Homes are Marsha Shankleton, Chief Operating Officer; Juleith Webster, Chief Quality Assurance Officer; Karen Kummerer, Chief Financial Officer; and Elizabeth Bhimjee, Chief Marketing and Development Officer. For more information, visit DuvallHomes.org.  Read Daytona Beach News-Journal article.

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Duvall Homes

Duvall Homes’ Hits a New Milestone

October 17, 2016 With deepest gratitude, the Board of Regents and Staff of Duvall Homes would like to thank friends, families and sponsors for their support of this year’s Inspiration Gala, which took place at the Sanborn Center in DeLand, September 23, 2016. In only its second year, the organization’s newly established annual fundraiser topped nearly $80,000.

“For several years we have been working very hard to raise community awareness about the good work that goes on here at Duvall Homes,” said Duvall’s CEO, Steven DeVane. “We certainly saw, first-hand, the power of one as sponsors, staff and the community came together for a great cause and a great evening, and I personally thank everyone involved. While our work is not done here, the future is bright and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Florida ranks 49 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in funding services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and that shortage has a ripple effect on family members, employers, the community and the state. Donations that come through fundraisers like the Gala are vital to sustaining Duvall’s mission.

“Duvall Homes serves a function of taking care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” said longtime Duvall supporter Bert Reames, President of Reames Employee Benefits Solutions. “I feel the rest of us have a moral obligation to take care of those people, and through Duvall Homes we get that done. Thank you to Duvall Homes for permitting us to be part of the family and give support to their projects.” Bert and Julie Reames are the 2016 recipients of The Alanson and Thelma Duvall Memorial Award for Outstanding Community Service, presented at the Gala.

“Duvall Homes’ mission of caring for its residents greatly mirrors the commitment we feel to our patients, our teammates, and our world,” said Jason Cline, VP and General Manager of DaVita Labs who served as the Gala’s Presenting Sponsor.

Other corporate sponsors included Florida Hospital, Tower Realty Partners, Florida Public Utilities, Park Shore Pharmacon, Florida Health Care Plans, Gateway Bank of Florida, Mainstreet Community Bank of Florida, Marshall Law Office, Merrill Lynch, and Olivari & Associates, to name just a few.

“It was an amazing team effort,” said Elizabeth Bhimjee, Duvall Homes’ Chief Marketing and Development Officer and Gala Coordinator. “We received an outpouring of support from the community again this year. It was inspiring to see so many individuals and organizations come together to help us achieve another new milestone in Duvall’s long history.” For more information, visit DuvallHomes.org.

Duvall Homes 70 Years

Celebrating 70 Years of Care

February 4, 2016 For more than 70 years, since 1945, Duvall Homes remains steadfast to its founding core values and mission to benefit individuals with developmental disabilities who require extensive services and care. Licensed by the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Duvall Homes is a non-profit 501c3 corporation that provides quality residential care and day training programs for adults with a broad range of developmental disabilities, such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome to name just a few. Duvall Homes seeks to provide the highest quality of life and greatest level of independence for each resident by creating an individualized plan that includes opportunities for  personal growth. Providing social and vocational experiences in the community are key components in an effective program that leads to a life of dignity and independence for each resident.  Learn more in this video.

Duvall Homes

New Sign & Award for Duvall Homes

January 20, 2016 A new sign for Duvall Homes is installed at the Grand Avenue campus in Glenwood, Florida and the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce  “noticed.”

You may have noticed the recent changes taking place on our main campus. So have others. The “We Noticed” Award is presented by Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce to a member business that has made noticeable improvements to their property/business.

sign
Previous sign

Photos were taken with Chamber Ambassadors and sent to local media outlets, placed in Chamber communications and promoted through social networks. The plan was to provide greater visibility for Duvall Homes.

 

Duvall Homes Sign
New Sign for Duvall Homes

After months of clearing trees and debris, applying fresh coats of paint, removing old fencing and demolishing buildings, the facilities staff at Duvall Homes could take a bow. This initial facelift is just the start of changing features and physical improvements to come, so keep watching!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art for everyone

Duvall Homes Showcases Clients’ Art

December 24, 2015 ‘ART … FOR EVERYONE’ Exhibit tours the county, collects admirers

Kristin Burrhus dabs her brush into a puddle of blue paint, then stirs it into the white.

She gets lost in her art, stroking her sky-blue mixture onto paper. In an hour or so, she adds a green and brown tree, two yellow suns and a nativity scene. Painting becomes art and from there, experience has shown her, anything can happen.

Burrhus is a 50-year-old client of Duvall Homes, a private nonprofit provider of housing, health care and living skills to adults with developmental disabilities. She was born with an extra chromosome, a condition called Down syndrome that causes cognitive delays and other health problems. But Burrhus has emerged as an artist who takes her craft seriously and has sold some of her paintings.

One day this month, she was among a dozen artists working under the instruction of Amelie Bush-Rogers. The art classes are both the end of a cycle that began about a year ago with a simple showing of works by Burrhus and other Duvall Homes artists.

The classes are also the beginning of something: Painters getting instruction, materials and time to create.

* * *

Duvall Homes was looking to raise its profile in the community last year. Elizabeth Bhimjee, the director of development, said the organization agreed to host a DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce business after hours event. She got permission to host the event at the Hand Art Center at Stetson University, rather than at Duvall’s Glenwood campus, as she figured more people would attend.

“Because I had seen some of the artwork being done here, and I thought it was very good, I asked if we could showcase our artwork (at Stetson),” Bhimjee said.

Tonya Cribb Curran, director of the Hand Art Center at Stetson, said it was not hard for her to green-light an exhibit of Duvall Homes’ clients from a philosophical standpoint.

“For me, the idea of arts education is important for people of all ages and all ability levels,” Cribb Curran said. “I believe that art can be very powerful with regard to helping people express themselves. I’d like to support and give voice to them because art is for everyone.”

Much of what she saw she would classify as contemporary folk art.

“There is sort of a raw feel to these works that is really appealing,” Cribb Curran said. “It speaks to the artists’ experience, what they enjoy, what they like.”

So the event was held last February and 120 people attended, Bhimjee said. That’s more than three times the usual number.

Nick Conte Jr., executive director of the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce, and his staff saw the response to the Duvall artists’ work.

“We said … we’d love to display it,” Conte said.

So for the month of March, any visitors to the DeLand chamber’s offices were exposed to the Duvall art.

“Some of the work they had was amazing. … Incredible abstract stuff,” Conte said. “To give them the platform to show the world is a big place and appreciates their contribution, that’s a pretty small price for those of us who appreciate the arts.”

The Duvall art program exhibit, dubbed “Art … For Everyone,” started making its way around Volusia County. In April, the Gateway Center for the Arts in DeBary showed it. In May, it went back to the Victoria Gardens Clubhouse in DeLand, then DeLand City Hall in June.

In July, the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center displayed the collection, which then went to the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach in August and September. It has since also been part of a Duvall Homes 70th anniversary celebration, shown at the Athens Theatre in DeLand and will continue showing until Jan. 10 at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens.

* * *

While shown, the works were spotted by a patron connected with the Bond Foundation of Winter Gardens, and before long, the Duvall Homes received a $3,000 check to support “Art … For Everyone.” An art teacher, Bush-Rogers, was hired to work with Duvall Homes clients.

“This has taken on a life of its own,” said Steven DeVane, CEO of Duvall Homes. “I don’t know if we’d call it surprising, but it is encouraging to see how it has played out. From my perspective, the biggest factor is the community engagement.”

Moving the art around Volusia County has given Duvall Homes exposure to people and places it normally doesn’t reach.

Bush-Rogers, the teacher, said she has seen growth in many of the Duvall Homes students.

“I’m 71 years old and they inspire me,” Bush-Rogers said. “I work with kids normally. Here we have a group of adults who are 50 years old and up, and I’m blown away at the growth in self-esteem I see.”

One is a client who cannot be named because of her family’s wishes. When Bush-Rogers started teaching, the student would only use red. After several weeks of classes, she now uses her full palette.

“That seems pretty small, but it’s mammoth,” Bhimjee said. “It’s hope and a whole new dimension.”

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. Read in Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Glenwood

Duvall Home Changes Name

December 18, 2015 A massive transformation, decades in the making, can’t possibly be reflected in one letter. But the Duvall Home is now Duvall Homes. Plural.

One thing that isn’t changing, though, is the headquarters for the private nonprofit provider of housing and care for adults with cerebral palsy, autism, and other developmental disabilities. Duvall Homes will remain at its rural campus in Glenwood, officials say. (3395 Grand Avenue, Glenwood, FL)

In 2000, Duvall housed about 250 people in residence halls at the 16-acre campus at the corner of Grand Avenue and Lemon Street in this unincorporated burb northwest of DeLand. This year, the private, nonprofit provider moved the last of its clients from McGaffin Hall into one of its 17 group homes across West Volusia.

The name change reflects that transformation at the same time the Duvall Homes board faced a decision: What to do with the Glenwood property now that no one lives there.

The board tried to sell the property for 10 months but after no sufficient offers were received, Duvall Homes’ officials say they will hang onto the property bought by the organization in 1952.

“It became evident through market research the property was worth far more to us than to some developer,” said Steven DeVane, CEO. “The decision was made to back off from selling it.”

The Duvall staff and board will soon work with engineering and architectural firms to craft a master plan for the property, said Elizabeth Bhimjee, director of development.

The property, made up of 17 buildings, has 100,000 square feet under roof and a self-contained water and sewer system, plus back-up generators.

The staff will be evaluating which buildings will need to be razed, renovated or constructed, DeVane said.

He intends to keep Duvall’s administrative headquarters on the campus, as well as its day training and employment services facilities. Adults who live in Duvall-run group homes, as well as others who live with their families, come to Glenwood each weekday for programs, where they can work, take arts and crafts classes and learn other skills.

“My vision, and this is very fluid, but this place will be a place that will become a welcome center for people who are engaging with Duvall Homes for the first time,” DeVane said.

The move from the rural campus setting into group homes in communities such as DeLand and Deltona has found a market for new clients, Bhimjee said.  Duvall has continued to build and purchase new group homes to accommodate a growing number of potential new clients, often people in their 50s who have lived with their parents, who are now in their 70s and retiring.

Wilma Allen, Glenwood’s postmaster for the last 20 years and a onetime employee of Duvall Home in the 1960s, said she hears mostly good things about the decision not to sell.

“We are thrilled they’re keeping it. We’d hate to see anything else in there,” she said.

But Allen has mixed feelings about the changes at Duvall.

She said the rural campus in Glenwood has a relaxed setting well-suited to a comfortable life for residents. But Duvall’s residents’ exodus to group homes is a reflection of a federal mandate to allow adults with developmental disabilities and into communities where they can work, live and gain exposure to the world, officials there say.

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. Read article in Daytona Beach News-Journal.

* Prior to this name change, the Glenwood group home was also known as Presbyterian Special Services, Inc. (DBA Duvall Home).

Duvall Homes Newsletter

Duvall’s 2015 Fall Newsletter

Fall 2015 Flip through our 2015 Fall Newsletter. Inside this Special Anniversary publication you’ll learn about:
– A Timeline of Duvall Homes from Alanson and Thelma Duvall in 1945 to today
– An Anniversary Celebration
– Community Connections
– Innovative Programs
and more

To view the Fall 2015 Newsletter, click here.

Read the latest Newsletters of Duvall Homes by clicking here.

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Greenfeather Grant Recipient: Duvall Homes