[Community-service] Skills Lead to Service

Darian Smith dsmithnfb at gmail.com
Thu Aug 11 01:50:12 UTC 2016 

 I might also  send it to my affiliate/chpter list if it were me. besides if a thing is so good, we share it.
 It would be interesting/beneficial to see  how people  react to it. this might help create a bit of excitement around your idea. I think it is cool to see how things  organically  develop  
> On Aug 10, 2016, at 6:43 PM, Cheryl Fields via Community-Service <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Well, I actually just sent him, President Richard Payne, the article.
> However, I am thinking of asking a speaker from Ohio AmeriCorps
> office, what do you think is the best way to handle this?
> I have always wanted to volunteer with this org and have never taken
> the next steps, smiles.
> I would love to be part of that group. In this job market there are so
> many blind people that may be able to build their skills and secure
> employment via this option.
> 
> 
> 
> On 8/10/16, Darian Smith via Community-Service
> <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Thank you for suggesting to forward this to your affiliate, and I think you
>> should do this.
>> What are you thinking regarding a speaker from AmeriCorps, it’s a large
>> program  which has may fits  for many of our members. Interested to  discuss
>> how to make it most impactful  for the largest  number of folks in the
>> affiliate.
>> 
>> There is also a service engagement committee which is set to convene soon.
>> people are needed to help think of ways we can help engage our affiliates
>> on a chapter level.
>> If you are inclined you should   consider joining it.
>>> On Aug 10, 2016, at 6:08 PM, Cheryl Fields via Community-Service
>>> <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> This is a great article and I am glad you shared it. Ohio is planning
>>> our state convention and I am forwarding this article to our President
>>> and suggest we have a speaker from AmeriCorps.Blessings, Cheryl
>>> 
>>> On 8/9/16, Darian Smith via Community-Service
>>> <community-service at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> I don’t really like sending stuff that has to do with myself because I
>>>> kind
>>>> of think it to be a bit arrogant.
>>>> Gary Wunder mentioned this article at our seminar and business meeting,
>>>> and I was both surprised and honored that he did.
>>>> This was an article I wrote for the braille monitor a few years back and
>>>> almost forgot that I had actually done so.
>>>> I hope you enjoy and I would love your thoughts of and relating to the
>>>> article.
>>>> Here’s hoping for more than something relating to “ nice article”
>>>> *smile*
>>>>> 
>>>>> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120606.html
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120606.html>
>>>>> 
>>>>> Braille Monitor                                                 June
>>>>> 2012
>>>>> (back
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120605.html>)
>>>>> (contents
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm1206tc.html>)
>>>>> (next
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120607.html>)
>>>>> 
>>>>> Skills Lead to Service
>>>>> 
>>>>> by Darian Smith
>>>>> 
>>>>> From the Editor: Darian Smith is one of the primary people working to
>>>>> form
>>>>> a community service division in the National Federation of the Blind. He
>>>>> believes that service can have a transformative effect on both those we
>>>>> serve and members of the public who observe us providing it. Here is
>>>>> what
>>>>> Darian says:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Looking back on my time as a student at the Colorado Center for the
>>>>> Blind
>>>>> (CCB), I realize that that experience has given me many precious
>>>>> memories,
>>>>> a more positive attitude, and some valuable skills. I expected a lot
>>>>> when
>>>>> I decided to attend the CCB, but never did I imagine that the staff
>>>>> would
>>>>> expect so much of me. Never have I been challenged at such a basic level
>>>>> to question my fundamental beliefs about blindness and to demonstrate
>>>>> them, not only in the words I say but in the actions I take.
>>>>> 
>>>>> After graduating from the CCB in April of 2004, I began to see just how
>>>>> many doors might open for me if I dared to try walking through them. If
>>>>> I
>>>>> was willing to try, my new attitudes and skills would not only let me do
>>>>> something good but actually do something great--great for enhancing my
>>>>> experience, great for strengthening my self-concept, and great for
>>>>> helping
>>>>> the country I yearn to make a better place. These realizations came
>>>>> quickly; the courage to implement them took longer to develop.
>>>>> 
>>>>> In early 2008 I decided I would join the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps
>>>>> is
>>>>> a government-funded network of service organizations and programs that
>>>>> engage people from diverse backgrounds, ages, and abilities in community
>>>>> service. Even before I attended the CCB as a fulltime student, my
>>>>> interest
>>>>> was piqued when I attended a 2002 summer program and observed a group of
>>>>> youth from the National Civilian Community Corps (an AmeriCorps program)
>>>>> working on the Braille library and doing other work on and around the
>>>>> building. Their friendliness and positive attitudes made such an
>>>>> impression on me that I hoped someday to do something as noble and
>>>>> inspirational to others as these volunteers were to me.
>>>>> 
>>>>> After completing programs at the CCB and growing up a bit, I decided in
>>>>> 2008 that I would take a good hard look at the AmeriCorps programs to
>>>>> see
>>>>> if there was a place for me. I applied and was interviewed. I talked
>>>>> about
>>>>> my background, my time as a student, the challenges I faced in learning
>>>>> to
>>>>> deal with blindness, and the lessons I had learned about helping people.
>>>>> I
>>>>> said that I thought AmeriCorps was the best way for me to turn my
>>>>> positive
>>>>> intentions into tangible action, and within two months I was accepted to
>>>>> serve.
>>>>> 
>>>>> In October I reported to the Denver campus, and there I met many great
>>>>> corps members, amazing team leaders, and an outstanding support staff. I
>>>>> was the first blind person to serve on the campus, and I faced questions
>>>>> about what a blind person could do. They ranged from the basic "How will
>>>>> you find the bathroom" to "How will you handle your tray in a food
>>>>> line?"
>>>>> Much of what I had to prove dealt with mobility: everyone thought I was
>>>>> smart and admired my motivation, but could I really get around by
>>>>> myself,
>>>>> and could I be competitive in situations where mobility was required?
>>>>> 
>>>>> My team leader for most of the corps year was Keara, who was kind,
>>>>> caring,
>>>>> patient, and socially aware. She also had a best friend who was blind,
>>>>> which was why she was picked to be my team leader. The assumption that
>>>>> someone with special experience or training would have to assist me
>>>>> turned
>>>>> out to be a problem throughout my training and service, but I can't say
>>>>> too much about Keara, her giving spirit, and her unflagging
>>>>> determination
>>>>> to see that I participated fully.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The first month of my ten-month term was devoted to training and team
>>>>> building. This is the routine for all corps members. In the training the
>>>>> team leader is the mentor, the disciplinarian, the coordinator, and the
>>>>> coworker who helps trainees on projects. In late October my class was
>>>>> inducted into the corps and went on to our first assignment. My team
>>>>> went
>>>>> to Boulder, Colorado, to work on an environmental project pulling weeds,
>>>>> working in irrigation ditches, and building and maintaining trails. This
>>>>> was hard work but well worth it, given the skills we gained.
>>>>> 
>>>>> My next assignment was in South Texas doing canvassing work. The team's
>>>>> job was to help people get aid as a result of the damage they suffered
>>>>> after hurricane Ike. The one thing that stands out for me is the
>>>>> Southern
>>>>> hospitality the residents showed our team and their unwavering,
>>>>> uncompromising spirit. Their generosity was nothing short of amazing;
>>>>> even
>>>>> in their time of need they expressed real concern and a commitment to
>>>>> helping their neighbors.
>>>>> 
>>>>> My third project was by far the most boring. I was in Alabama doing
>>>>> construction work, and, while members of my team climbed ladders and
>>>>> carried materials, I too often found myself pulling nails out of boards.
>>>>> Certainly this job needed doing, but it wasn't work that let me be very
>>>>> creative or helped me to feel that I was part of a team building
>>>>> something
>>>>> in which I could feel pride. The location of the assignment, an hour
>>>>> north
>>>>> of Tuscaloosa, also made it difficult for me to find after-hours
>>>>> activities. I spent a lot of time coordinating public relations and
>>>>> outreach events for my team and personally getting ready for the
>>>>> national
>>>>> convention.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The highlights of this part of my tour were working on an old school
>>>>> house, a nearly one-hundred-year-old structure we wanted to keep
>>>>> upright,
>>>>> and trying to make it through the rain storms that followed after the
>>>>> almost daily tornado warnings. In this part of my tour I applied for a
>>>>> team leader position on one campus. This in turn led to four other
>>>>> interviews. Unfortunately, I was not offered a position with any of the
>>>>> campuses, but I was determined not to let this disappointment detract
>>>>> from
>>>>> what I came to the corps to do.
>>>>> 
>>>>> My final project was in Denver. I was selected to be a crew leader in a
>>>>> Summer of Service program that engages at-risk youth in community
>>>>> service
>>>>> projects. The crew leaders make sure that structure is being maintained
>>>>> and that the young people are working as a team. The job also includes
>>>>> maintaining vital team records and a list of the team’s accomplishments
>>>>> while overseeing its finances. The team I led camped and worked in the
>>>>> local community and learned something about life for young people who
>>>>> are
>>>>> involved in gangs. We did some serious work, but we had time for fun and
>>>>> relaxation as well. We went to the movies and to several parks. One was
>>>>> the Lakeside Amusement Park, where I had my first ever funnel cake.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Graduation day was a proud moment for the youth participants in the team
>>>>> I
>>>>> headed. It was amazing to see how quickly they had bonded. We were
>>>>> surprised at what we felt; separation after only a few short weeks found
>>>>> us shedding tears and vowing to stay in touch.
>>>>> 
>>>>> A few weeks later it was finally time for my team to reflect and
>>>>> celebrate
>>>>> as our time in the program drew to a close. On July 23, 2009, AmeriCorps
>>>>> NCCC Class XV graduated. Again there were tears of joy and sorrow, for
>>>>> these ten months had forever changed all of us. Our call to serve had
>>>>> helped, if only in a small way, to better the parts of the world we
>>>>> touched, but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,
>>>>> and
>>>>> what we gave came back to us in blessings and memories we will carry
>>>>> throughout our lives.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Looking back, I see that my experience was not everything I had wanted
>>>>> it
>>>>> to be. Not everyone reacted to blindness as I hoped they would, but my
>>>>> participation did make a difference in perceptions--my own and the
>>>>> perceptions of others. This experience revealed things about me that
>>>>> have
>>>>> caused me to look more deeply into who I am, the service I want to give,
>>>>> and the person I want to become. I have had to come face to face with
>>>>> some
>>>>> shortcomings in myself, but I've also realized that I have an important
>>>>> asset. I am not afraid to try, not afraid to push the envelope, and not
>>>>> so
>>>>> afraid of failing that I am content to stay within my comfort zone.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Now that I've finished with the corps and have gone back to school, I've
>>>>> realized what a major impact service can have on others and on those who
>>>>> serve. Nothing is more fulfilling than finding a cause greater than
>>>>> oneself. I believe that our chapters can and should be involved in
>>>>> service
>>>>> and that, by visibly serving others, we will go a long way toward
>>>>> changing
>>>>> the perception of blind people. Through service we can move from being
>>>>> perceived as the takers who must be served to being the providers who
>>>>> not
>>>>> only do for ourselves but care enough to help in our communities.
>>>>> Through
>>>>> our words and, more important, through our actions, we will convince our
>>>>> fellow citizens that we have something to offer, and through service we
>>>>> will help to change what it means to be blind.
>>>>> 
>>>>> I'll leave you with a short reflection connecting service to blindness.
>>>>> When I went to the CCB, it was to learn skills and attitudes that would
>>>>> help me be the best I can. Service was my way of putting the theory I
>>>>> had
>>>>> been taught to the test. It was my way of figuring out whether the
>>>>> attitudes I thought I believed were things I could talk about and
>>>>> whether
>>>>> I believed them enough to translate them into action. Service has given
>>>>> me
>>>>> a way to show both me and the world that I can go to unfamiliar areas,
>>>>> meet new people, and make significant contributions. The CCB was the
>>>>> first
>>>>> step; service was the second. Both are steps on the staircase to
>>>>> independence and interdependence, and I commend both to all of you for
>>>>> the
>>>>> liberation climbing these stairs brings to all of us.
>>>>> 
>>>>> (back
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120605.html>)
>>>>> (contents
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm1206tc.html>)
>>>>> (next
>>>>> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm12/bm1206/bm120607.html>)
>>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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