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ABVI-Goodwill Celebrates Expansion

Randy Gorbman
/
WXXI News

A local organization that serves the blind and visually impaired has reached an important milestone.

ABVI and Goodwill of the Finger Lakes have now officially opened their newly expanded campus on South Clinton Avenue in Rochester. The $8.5 millon dollar project began in 2009 and was completed this year with the opening of the new vision rehabilitation center and a low vision clinic.

ABVI President Gidget Hopf says the facility is now considered a “Center of Excellence” which is important in how they are perceived by their clients and the medical community.

"People come to us with that level of confidence, and more importantly doctors are willing to refer their patients to us knowing that they are sending them to a world class facility that's a center for excellence. "

The campus expansion also includes a new parking lot which Hopf says increases safety for people being served at their facilities.

Hopf says ABVI has seen additional requests for its services over the last several years, as the population overall has been getting older, and many of the people they serve have visual impairment related to the aging process.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.