[Community-service] Discussion starter

[Ashley Bramlett]

Darian,

I agree. When I think of doing community service, I think of helping the 
community, something that benefits society; of course volunteering one on 
one benefits the individual directly, but because we improve his/her well 
being, we improve society.

I volunteer now for a senior center once a month where I put on music 
appreciation presentations.
If I help just within the blind sphere or in NFB, its important, and its 
volunteering, but somehow I don't see that as community service.
There is so much else to me than legal blindness.
I don't put affiliation or volunteer service for NFB or anything blindness 
related on my resume or cover letters. I do, however, put my other service 
work down. I want people to see me as a person who can benefit society, not 
someone just receiving charity or handouts. I want to show case my skills 
and talents not my eye condition. So, blindness stuff is not put on resumes, 
applications whether for school, employment or other volunteer service.

You are so right in saying that society believes the only good we can 
perform is within our own sphere, helping others who are blind. I hear that 
all the time from my family.
I  do not agree and feel I can compete and do work within the larger 
community who is not disabled.

Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Darian Smith, President,National Federation of the Blind Community 
Service Division viaCommunity-Service
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2017 2:08 PM
To: Community Service Discussion List
Cc: Darian Smith, President,National Federation of the Blind Community 
Service Division
Subject: [Community-service] Discussion starter

Hi all,
Just figured I would put this out there to get  some debate going.
In a general  sense, the definition of community service can basically be 
boiled down to doing something for the benefit of a group of persons.
In the NFB, we might consider community service  as anything we can do for 
the benefit of blind people, both within our membership and outside of it.
In the Community Service Division, we tend to look at community service as a 
thing that a blind person might do that would benefit the larger community, 
not just other blind folks.
We believe this distinction is important to make because often society 
believes that the only way that a blind person  can do good  is  if they are 
doing that  good within the bounds of blindness and the blind community.
Do you agree with this assertion? Disagree? why or why not?
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