Celebrating the Heart Behind the Mission | NewView Oklahoma

For Marcie, the path to NewView began with her daughter, Hannah.

What started as a familial connection quickly grew into something more. Marcie’s husband Darin — a Marine Veteran — learned that funding had been cut for the monthly Veterans luncheons at NewView. He didn’t hesitate to pledge covering the cost of meals himself. In true married fashion, Marcie teamed up with her husband to provide her cooking.

Among all the ways Marcie has given back, one moment stands out above the rest: the day she and her husband were invited to share their experience of raising a blind child with a group of parents walking a similar road.

For Marcie, volunteering is an expression of a deeply held belief: that generosity isn’t just about money — it’s about time, presence, and the small gestures that leave a lasting mark.

“I love helping people and making them happy. There is so much we can do for others. Say hi to a stranger. Have coffee and conversation with a senior citizen. It’s the little things that can do so much for someone. Make someone smile today.“

Looking ahead, Marcie hopes NewView will find ways to reach families even earlier — particularly in public schools — helping build a culture of acceptance for children with visual impairments before the challenges compound.

Kaylie brings something rare and wonderful to her work.

“I value NewView’s mission on a personal level. Being visually impaired myself, I love that NewView works to make all parts of life accessible.“

Joining the NewView volunteer community in February 2026, Kaylie wasted no time making an impact. Drawing on her background in personal training, she has led fitness and yoga classes for NewView’s support group participants — and the response has been everything she hoped for.

“Allowing volunteers to have firsthand experience, such as helping with support groups or art and enrichment, would show the process and outcome of making your actions count.”

Kaylie is excited to see NewView grow and continue to support and maximize the potential of those with vision loss.

Melissa first found NewView the way many families do — by being found in a moment of need. When her son Gabe was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, his ophthalmologist referred the family to NewView for occupational therapy and services to help him adapt.

“When we found out that Gabe was losing his vision, we were lost, not knowing how we could help him adapt and what his future would look like. NewView was life changing for us, giving us tools to help Gabe succeed.”

The family’s connection deepened in 2023 when they attended the Beep Baseball World Series in Norman, Oklahoma. Gabe was invited to join the Lookouts — and Melissa hasn’t looked back since. As a volunteer, she goes above and beyond for the team: serving as catcher, helping players reach home plate, keeping water and snacks stocked.

“I’ve really become team mom,” she says. “And it really doesn’t feel like volunteering to me. It’s something I love doing.”

Melissa hopes more people will step up to support adapted sports. Above all, she’s grateful for what NewView has given her family in return.

Myrna’s connection with NewView began with her daughter. She started paying closer attention to an organization she’d known only by its former name, the Oklahoma League for the Blind.

She’ll be the first to say she doesn’t consider herself an “official” volunteer — but the people at NewView would disagree. Over the years, Myrna has shown up for White Cane Day, attended accessible Lego night events, helped photograph enrichment activities, and spent hours collating, punching, and coiling the tactile coloring books that Leigh illustrated. Perhaps just as importantly, she’s always been the person Leigh calls when a new idea needs a thoughtful ear.

(As staff will attest, she also has a well-earned reputation for keeping the team fueled with coffee and snacks — which, as anyone at NewView will tell you, is essential to getting things done.)

But what has moved Myrna most deeply isn’t any single event — she has come to see the enrichment program as the heartbeat of NewView’s work.

“Having the technical skills you need to live independently is vitally important, of course, but the enrichment program is what vitalizes people. It embodies the whole person and shows them that they can still have their hobbies — they don’t have to lose them just because they’ve lost their vision.”

For Myrna, volunteering has been its own kind of education — one that has expanded her understanding of human resilience and possibility. “I’ve grown as a person,” she says simply. “I’ve learned so much about NewView and absolutely love the mission. I want to help spread it any way I can.”

Patti’s relationship with NewView began as a patient — one who, by her own admission, didn’t even want to be there.

When Patti started losing her vision, she feared her career was over. She resisted committing to the process.

“I did not want to use a cane. During one of my first mobility lessons, we started working with the cane in my neighborhood. I told the instructor that we could not work so close to my home — I didn’t want my neighbors to see me with a white cane.”

But NewView met her where she was and walked with her through it. She learned orientation and mobility, joined NewView’s rowing team, and gradually found her footing again — in more ways than one.

Today, Patti gives back with the same energy NewView once poured into her. She serves as a board member, sat on the committee for NewView’s 75th anniversary, represents the organization at events like the John Bramblett gatherings, has spoken on the Blind and Beyond radio show, and shows up for tours hosted for agencies like United Way. Her favorite volunteer moments are the tours — leading friends and community members through NewView’s plant and rehabilitation clinic and watching the understanding dawn on their faces.

For Patti, watching NewView grow and evolve over the years — from the time she first walked through the doors as a reluctant patient to today — is nothing short of inspiring. And her commitment to the mission is as personal as it gets.