Inspiring stories that showcase our growth and success and the community partnerships that make it possible.
Great News, We’ve Moved!
Please make note of our new addresses:
ADMIN OFFICE
827 S. Spring Garden Avenue, DeLand, FL 32720 | 386.734.2874
ADT OFFICE
211 N. Amelia Avenue DeLand, FL 32724 | 386.734.2874
June 15, 2021 – Learn more about the Essential Qualifications applicants must meet for both Permanent Residency and Adult Day Training. More.
December 31, 2020 – Dear Friends, as we close out a dramatic and unprecedented year, we would like to thank all those who offered their help with exceptional generosity during these exceptionally trying times.
In spite of the challenges the pandemic continues to present, your faithful support has lifted us up in so many ways. Your confidence in the work we do has inspired us through these most difficult times and we are deeply grateful. Without your kindness and understanding, our work would be all the more difficult.
Times remain tenuous, yet as we face the unknown, we look to 2021 and a New Year, filled with hope and continued dedication to the mission that has sustained Duvall Homes for seventy-five years.
Our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the families and friends, individuals and church groups, corporate and private foundations and businesses that have enabled us to continue to serve the individuals in our care.
On behalf of everyone at Duvall Homes, please accept our humble thanks for all you do to make life better for others!
The work of art here was created by a participant in Duvall Homes’ adult day training program, offered at the Opportunities Enrichment Center. Acrylic, c. 2019.
September 14, 2020 – This year, Duvall Homes marks 75 years of service… to thousands of people with developmental disabilities and to their families. From our early beginnings in 1945 – to this day, Duvall Homes continues to remove barriers for others. A commitment to best practices is foremost in our vision, as we focus on helping this vulnerable segment of our community attain quality of life, personal success, and the greatest independence possible.
A seventy-five year anniversary is a remarkable achievement and one that would normally call for great celebration! Plans to commemorate this incredible milestone were on the drawing board, as we imagined our Sixth Annual Inspiration Gala to be the perfect time to celebrate. Now – faced with a global health crisis and in response to coronavirus safety guidelines, these plans are off the table. The Gala, of course, has been canceled, as we grapple with challenges far more urgent.
In recurring tradition, each year the Gala brings together several hundred guests. Through this strong participation, proceeds from the past five years have helped fulfill a wide variety of crucial needs for Duvall Homes. Furnishings and power-generators for our Group Homes, program enrichment materials and classroom upgrades for our Day Training Center are just a few of the things Gala support has enabled us to provide for our residents. It is impossible to overlook the importance of this support and our biggest fundraiser of the year… so rather than simply set it aside, we will continue the tradition again this year… but in a rather untraditional way.
Welcome to the Phantom Ball ~ Beyond the Ballroom – just our way of keeping things on track and maintaining some sense of normalcy during this trying time. Yes, we will have an empty ballroom, (and miss the great fellowship, food and entertainment), but we hope you will participate with us again in spirit! Beyond the Ballroom reminds us that although we cannot be together, we can continue to celebrate the good work brought about by our collective efforts. We invite you to join in this alternative fundraiser and hope that you will support us during this especially critical time of need. Duvall residents are depending on us!
Like many organizations, Duvall Homes is facing new and unexpected financial pressures driven by COVID-19. We could never have imagined the additional costs for personal protective equipment, cleaning and safety materials, increased utility bills, overtime wages and special dietary/food costs centered around our 175 residents and the frontline staff that care for them every day.
In lieu of sponsorships, tickets and donations associated with our annual Inspiration Gala, we hope you will now participate in our Phantom Ball. No need to disregard stay-at-home practices or social distancing protocols. No attendance is necessary, but your support is vital.
Simply make your donation and let your gift do the rest!
By check: Duvall Homes, P.O. Box 220036, Glenwood, FL 32722. (Please note Phantom Ball)
By click: Duvallhomes.org/donate
By call: 386-734-2874 Ext.102 (We can apply your credit card over the phone.)
Partnerships have a tremendous impact on the work we do, enhancing our ability to maintain an exceptional environment where our disabled residents can reach their fullest potential. Supporters like you share their resources with us because they believe in Duvall Homes’ mission, and these combined efforts place Duvall among the best organizations of its kind. We are tremendously proud of the work we do and grateful that you stand beside us. You are a partner in Duvall’s success and we deeply appreciate all you do. Your generosity has meaningful impact and makes all the difference in the lives of others!
Thanks for helping us through this unprecedented time, for recognizing the importance of our 75th Anniversary, and for your continued confidence in the work we do.
Wishing you good health and best regards,
August 31, 2020 – Everyone is shopping Amazon more than ever these days. Help make it count! Purchase power can be especially meaningful when used to support people with developmental disabilities at Duvall Homes!
Go to smile.amazon.com and choose Duvall Homes, Inc. (EIN: 59-1159090) as the charitable organization you would like to support and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your total eligible purchases to Duvall at no cost to you. You’ll still receive your same products at the same prices with the same service.
Thank you.
June 26, 2020 – This year, Duvall Homes nominated ADT Participants who volunteered throughout the year in numerous activities that helped our community. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, The Salvation Army and Rise Against Hunger benefit from their service, and we were proud to bring their work forward for consideration for a prestigious Communitas Award.
Communitas Awards is an international effort to recognize exceptional businesses, organizations and individuals that are unselfishly giving of themselves. Winners are recognized for specific programs involving volunteerism, philanthropy and ethical practices. They are located throughout the world and include such recognizable companies as MasterCard, Honeywell, Dow Chemical, Toyota and Vonage!
Being a Communitas Award winner is a tremendous achievement and Judges found that Participants in Duvall Homes’ Day Training Program clearly exhibit the spirit of communitas, a Latin word that means people coming together for the good of a community. Participants were honored with the 2020 Excellence Award in Community Service and Social Responsibility! Congratulations to the whole team of Support Specialists at Duvall’s Day Training Center and to Shirley Vonnevylle, Duvall’s Director of ADT.
See Duvall Homes listed in Communitas Awards: Second Quarter 2020 Winners.
June 7, 2020 – This past December, we reported the Duvall fleet of passenger vans logged thousands of miles transporting residents, and thanks to a $246,000 federal grant awarded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), three old vehicles have been replaced. Here are a couple photos of one of the three new vans recently purchased with the grant. Read Big Gifts.
May 22, 2020 – Thanks to tremendous support from our friends at Publix, Duvall’s Adult Day Training Program opens its new Plein Air Art Studio.
Months ago, before all attention turned to COVID-19 and the world health emergency, a special group of Volunteers from Publix Supermarket visited Duvall Homes. Offering their time, talent, and remarkable kindness, they worked to create an amazing outdoor art studio for participants in Duvall’s Day Training Program. This new space expands the current indoor ART for Everyone Studio and allows ADT participants greater freedom to explore natural subjects and lighting.
The Volunteers managed all aspects of the mural production – from design and materials purchase, to prep and painting. The colorful theme ties directly to the geometric pieces patterned by participants in their paintings and merchandise.
The ADT Rec Hall and Life Skills Classroom have a new look, with renovations that include fresh paint, new window treatments, appliances and furniture. Final touches are still to come!
March 1, 2020 – Duvall Homes was recently awarded a work contract from Big Dog Signs & Graphics, a Central Florida company that provides custom promotional products, signage and more. The new contract adds to the growing skills being mastered by ADT participants and helps create awareness in the community about how Duvall Homes can help manage workload challenges.
The first 30,000-piece project went off without a hitch and twelve participants added a new level of training to their skill sets.
Product cards were delivered by Big Dog to Duvall’s Opportunities Enrichment Center, where participants off-loaded to begin assembly. Three buttons were attached to pre-printed cards and sorted into bundles. Some individuals worked the production line, while others served as quality control oversight.
If your place of business needs help with an assembly project, give us a call to learn about how we can help! Contact Shirley Zonnevylle, Duvall Homes’ Opportunities Program Director, at 386-734-2874, extension 103.
February 15, 2020 – Seated in the newly renovated lobby of the Opportunities Enrichment Center, Shirley Zonnevylle, Director of Duvall Homes’ Adult Day Training Program, researches new activity opportunities for our participants.
Volunteer service, multiple work contracts, and a variety of social and leisure activities keep ADT participants busy year-round, thanks to Zonnevylle’s diligence.
Our latest volunteer project connects participants with The Salvation Army, in a coordinated effort to serve the senior citizens of our community. Several participants travel to the DeLand location every Wednesday, to help ready the dining room for more than sixty seniors who arrive for lunch each week. Setting the tables in preparation for the luncheons keeps us engaged with our neighbors and helps promote good will.
Did you know that ADT Participants also volunteer at Publix, Habitat for Humanity, Council on Aging, Rise Against Hunger…and more? If your company or organization is working on a special project, let us know! We may be able to help you, too!
January 1, 2020 – The families, residents, staff, and Board of Regents of Duvall Homes are thrilled to recognize the beginning of the 75th Anniversary of our great organization. More news and events planned for 2020 will be shared with the greater Duvall community in the coming weeks that will celebrate the many milestones and support of our steadfast mission of empowering people with developmental disabilities.
December 24, 2019 – Happy Holidays from the staff at Duvall Homes! After decorating the hallways, doors and classrooms at ADT and preparing the group homes for the joy of the holidays, staff enjoyed a festive gathering at the Glenwood campus.
The end-of-year Employee Appreciation Lunch Celebration was filled with fun raffles, a delicious buffet and holiday bonuses made possible by the generosity of the families and friends of Duvall Homes. Congratulations to Davonna R., who won the annual “Tower of Candy” guess! View additional images.
December 16, 2019 – If you shop at Winn-Dixie, you can join others who support Duvall Homes in just a few easy steps.
Southeastern Grocers, Inc. (SEG) has launched the Community Bag with a Giving Tag Program, a reusable-bag initiative that enables customers to make a difference in their communities while helping the environment. With each purchase of a reusable Community Bag with the Giving Tag, customers can make a $1 donation to their chosen local nonprofit.
Made from recycled materials, the specially designed reusable bags are available for purchase at Winn-Dixie, and thirty shoppers have already joined in to help support Duvall Homes!
Each Community Bag has an attached Giving Tag featuring a blue heart and instructions on how to make the donation. When they purchase a bag, customers will be directed online, where they’ll have seven days to remove the scratch-off layer from the bag’s Giving Tag to uncover and submit a unique identifier and choose the nonprofit to receive their $1 donation.
Every little bit counts, and this is one way that many small gifts can come together to make a difference!