The owner of a laundry business fought back from losing one business to fire and then from losing most of her sight.
By MEGAN SCOTT
Published September 12, 2004
DUNEDIN - Most of her customers don't even notice how her nose almost touches the paper when she writes out their slip. Or how every washer and dryer has a bright purple or pink sticker on the front. The colors are her tracking system.
Georgette Vance has no sight in one eye, and sees only a blur through the other. She wears bifocals, but they are of limited help. She can't drive. She can't read the newspaper. She can't even watch television.
But she knows her laundry.
Two months ago, she opened Caladesi Wash Bowl Inc. on Alt. U.S. 19 and Curlew Road. She does alterations and wash 'n' fold, and has several washers and dryers for people to do their own laundry.
"I want to let people know disabled people can work," said Vance, 57, who lives in Palm Harbor. "Because of my vision, I take extra care to prove to myself that I can do it."
Vance, an immigrant from Lebanon, used to own a laundry business in Causeway Plaza. But four years ago, she lost the business in a fire.
Then she began to lose her eyesight as well.
She had a cataract operation on her left eye that went bad, causing blindness. Doctors performed 13 more surgeries but were unable to restore her sight. In her right eye she has amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye.
"I was out of work," she said. "I lost my house. I couldn't make the mortgage. I went bankrupt because of medical bills. I couldn't get a job. Nobody trusted me because of the bankruptcy."
Vance turned to the Florida Division of Blind Services for help.
She underwent counseling, took job training courses and relearned life skills such as cooking, cleaning and banking.
She needed work. She had 20 years' experience as a certified nursing assistant.
But no one would give her a chance.
"It's very difficult to find employers who will work with folks with visual impairment," said Lynn Ritter, district administrator for the Division of Blind Services. "There was a lot of counseling to keep Georgette motivated. She would lose faith, get depressed."
Vance finally decided she wanted another laundry business. Blind Services hooked her up with Abilities Inc. of Florida, an organization that trains disabled adults for jobs. She learned bookkeeping, how to write a business plan and how to secure a loan.
But when she submitted her plan to the Tallahassee office of the agency for funding help, she was turned down - more than once.
Vance, though, kept tweaking it.
"A lot of folks just give up after the first or second try," Ritter said. "Georgette is just one of those people, she desperately wants to work. She is very much of a go-getter."
When her plan was approved, the state agency gave her $15,000.
And despite her credit history and several rejections, she ultimately secured a small business loan from United Bank for $25,000.
"In my 15 years, I can't recall an obviously handicapped borrower," said Lynn Johler, senior lender for United Bank. "I coached Georgette on what it would take to get the deal done. She went back, revised the plan and it pretty much met the requirements for the loan."
Vance is at work from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week.
On Sundays, she does the books - by hand. She doesn't like computers.
She does have some help. Her daughter, Jessica Hauser, 22, does the pickups and deliveries. She also drives her mom around and works in the laundry business. "I love it," Hauser said. "My heart broke when the last one burned down. I love working with my mom . . . bringing clean clothes to the elderly."
Vance doesn't broadcast the fact she is blind.
"I didn't know," said Joanne Thiry, of Dunedin, a customer, one day last week. "We have a laundromat in our building, but I like this one better because you can get it done faster. Everybody is friendly, very nice."
Another customer, Marsha Ford, said she had no idea.
"This is only our second time here, but it's great," she said. "We bring in a huge amount of stuff. She has it ready for us very soon."
Vance is working to build her clientele.
She already does the laundry for two motels on Clearwater Beach: Sunrise and Tropic Isle.
She got one motel because she heard it needed a housekeeper.
"I said, "I can't do your housekeeping, but I can do your laundry,' " she said.
"I feel like this gives me something to do," she added. "I'm proud of myself that with my vision I can do what I'm doing."
