[Community-Service] Checking in

[Darian Smith]

I know that this has been a very difficult, uncertain and scary time for all of us 
It is difficult to not feel the impacts of this global COVID-19 pandemic in our lives. We feel it in our jobs, our communities, our homes. 
We feel it when we talk to our neighbors, our family, our friends and our coworkers.
 Through this all, I  am very glad that we have each other as a federation family.
 We have  come together as a movement of people, human beings linked through the commonality of blindness, doing what we can to try to understand our needs and offer support through this difficult time.
We are trying to answer those needs be they financial, social or recreational or educational..
These are the things that remind me of how much of a  family we are, and what it is to come together as a family and yet another reason why I am proud to be a member of the National Federation of the Blind.
We are and will always be an organization that strives to raise the expectations of blind people by offering resources, and opportunities.
I’m sure that you have noticed a number of our affiliates and divisions have been offering opportunities to come together virtually in order to gain information and to keep our federation family together. 
Many affiliates may be supporting it’s  members in different ways while still continuing the work that moves the rights of the blind forward. Always feel free to reach out to youraffiliate president if you would like to support whatever might be going on in your state.
   
 Supporting one another through this time takes care, care for one another, care  to see that we are all doing as best as we can right now and a commitment to stand by one another to see that we get through this together.

If I can be a support to you, please do not hesitate to reach out and together we can see what we can uncover. Personally, I have enjoyed connecting with fellow chapter members to see how they are navigating this time.  I have also enjoyed reaching out to family, distant friends and my coworkers because it helps to keep us all connected, help us feel cared for and  makes this time maybe a little easier.
I am truly interested to hear how everyone else is doing.
 I am interested to hear about hobbies people have picked up or rediscovered, skills, techniques, tools and technology people might be using  as well as thoughts for service projects we can do or service projects that have been done since we’ve been staying home.  and if it might be helpful to get on a conference call together and talk through how we are feeling and how we are coping/what we are doing, I would be open to that.

 


 
 Much love, my federation family,
  Darian  .
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