[Community-Service] February 2022 Newsletter

[Maggie Stringer]

*“Beyond the Six Dots”*



National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division

February 2022 Newsletter

We use a white cane, slate & stylus, and screen readers in between,

We read from the left, write from the right, and will tap tap onto any
scene.

We want our communities to know what we’ve got, a commitment to serve,

Beyond the Six Dots!



*POP RIGHT To THE TOP*

The NFB COMMUNITY SERVICE DIVISION is proud to announce the dates for our
next mouth-watering, flavorsome, kernelicious POPCORN FUNDRAISER! That’s
right, we’ve brought back the Double Good greatness, and our NFB CSD
Willing Workers are diligently working-hard to setup a PopTastic popcorn
store near you!

Mark your calendars to start shopping on Friday, March 4th at 12PM, and
don’t stop until every bag has been sold by Tuesday, March 8th at 12PM EST!

We know the time is short, but these explosive flavors are popping out with
greatness! As a matter of fact, we believe your pantry is feeling empty
right now! It needs to know all about Butter Believe It, White Cheddar Go
Getter, Little Kettle That Could, and more!

Proceeds gained from this fundraiser will support the efforts of the
federation in addition to help promote the Community Service Division
projects. With that being said, get your mouse clicks and finger taps ready
because we’re going to POP RIGHT To The TOP, CSD Style!

Please contact Gloria Nathan-Cherry “The Popcorn Lady” for more information
at, (215)-971-6650.

If you listen very, very closely, you can almost hear the sizzles and
crackles of the hot oil. Double Good Gourmet has turned up the heat and is
ready for the CSD fundraiser to start cooking in service!



STOP, DROP, & LAUGH

Knock!

Knock!

Who's there?

Olive!

Olive who?

Olive you!

"My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to
love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.” by Maya
Angelou



SERVING IN THE NAME OF LOVE

*Can you feel the love of the Community Service Division? We cordially
welcome everyone to our monthly meeting on February 21, 2022 at 7 PM
Eastern Time. Please expect to be loved on purpose*.

POP in the Zoom Meeting 15 minutes early for a chance to win the lovely
POP-UP PRIZES!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89480609357

Meeting ID: 894 8060 9357

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,89480609357#

Why I ❤️ Volunteering?

>From a child, I witness my mother’s love for helping people.  What can I
say, “The Apple does not fall too far from the tree.” I absolutely love
volunteering. In my spare time, I actively volunteer in various roles in my
community such as Child Advocate for CASA, feeding the homeless,
home-visits to newly blind individuals, Greeter Ministry, Titians for
Christ High School Christian Club Sponsor, Buddy Program, mentorship
Program for at-risk youth and the list goes on... I served independently as
well with groups, and loved every opportunity to provide a helping hand. So
many people have help me in my walk of life. I would love to take this
moment to thank my blind community for embracing me since 2012. You all
taught me skills, confidence, and hard work pays off. Thank you,
federation, for being a loving organization as a whole that help me
overcome fears and wipe my tears with cheers!

Help CSD share the love of service through your stories in this loving
month of February. Why do you love to serve? Step up to the MIC, 60 seconds
to share at our upcoming meeting or write a reflection of your service, and
send it to,

price.jeanetta at gmail.com.



*FORGIVING FEBRUARY*

We challenge you to forgive someone who has did you wrong. We challenge you
to challenge someone else this challenge.

*Recipe For Love!*

Ingredients:

2 Hearts Full of Love

2 Heaping Cups of Kindness

2 Armfuls of Gentleness

2 Cups of Friendship

2 Cups of Joy

2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness

1 Lifetime of Togetherness

2 Minds Full of Tenderness

Method:

Stir daily with Happiness, Humor and Patience.

Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.

*(author unknown)*



BOOK WORMS SMILING WITH APPRECIATION

Written by Daria Bannerman

Do you enjoy walking into your local library? Do you love to browse the
many shelves filled with books in hopes that one of them will jump out at
you? How about the anticipation of being swept away by a captivating novel?
Or have you ever received books in Braille, audio, and large print formats
from libraries that specifically cater to your needs? If so, we are calling
for a celebration! It’s not just the CSD call for a celebration, the whole
nation is showing their heart’s desire for books, books, and more books!

February is known as National Library Lovers Month. Libraries are a
wonderful place to discover new and interesting reads, a great quiet place
to gather for meetings, provides ample resources to work on research
projects, or even a place to get away. We encourage you to show
appreciation for your local libraries by letting your local NLS librarian
know how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication as a public
servant. Also, inquire about potential volunteer opportunities your local
library may offer to the community and get involved. We also want to spread
the news about the National Library Service’s has recently changed their
name to National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled.

Happy Library Lovers month, CSD! Thank you to all the libraries in the
world! I am eternally grateful for everything that our libraries do to make
books, magazines, newsletters, and other publications accessible for us.
However, you wish to celebrate, I hope you do. I know I plan to!



BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHTS

* “I had no idea that history was being made.  I was just tired of giving
up.” by **Rosa Parks.*

*The Community Service Division celebrates Black History Month by shining
the spotlight on Black Blind Arthurs within the federation for their
accomplishments, service, and creative published writings. These three
influential authors have served tirelessly as leaders within our federation
and beyond. They have inspired generations before and after them, and they
are the movers and shakers in what it means to live the life you want.*

*Genuine Love*

*Published Author, Dr. Carolyn Peters*

“In the year of 2006, I was diagnosed as being legally blind. In 2008, I
decided to retired and pursue my doctorate degree in theology, which I had
acquired in 2011. And in 2012, self-published as a brand-new author of
“Knowing When to Go” based on the book of Ruth.

My book is a chronology of events that I have challenged myself through my
journeys in life. From my past, to my present, to embrace and honor my
future. My book is spiritually based and I Field with the what, when,
where, why, and how.”

*A Brilliant Scholar*

*Published Author, Dr. J.W. Smith*

“I have never really enjoyed writing but I’ve always enjoyed communicating.
I don’t consider myself to be a very good writer, but I do believe that my
life narrative is worthy of publication. This is probably the real reason
that I wrote my book entitled “From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the
Classroom: My Thirty- year Journey as a Black and Blind Professor”.

The intersectionality of my blindness and racial ethnicity has always
fascinated me and many others who know me. I was born with infantile
glaucoma, which meant that I could see out of one eye. After a freak
accident at the age of three, I lost the use of that quote on quote ‘good
eye’. Essentially, I’ve been blind since birth and this has significantly
colored and shaped how I see the world. My life narrative covered in this
recent memoir focuses on my journey as a professor in academia since 1985.

I would characterize my writing style as anecdotal, free flowing, and
personally driven. When I write a song or a book, I must start with the
title. When I get the title, the rest seems to just fall into place. The
title of this book came to me while literally riding a bus from Cincinnati
OH to Athens OH. For obvious reasons, my job and life goals require me to
write, but I love the fact that I have earned the right to write what I
want and in the way that I prefer.”

*Soaps of Hope*

*Published Author, **Natassha Ricks*

I’m Natassha Ricks also known as Author N. Lichells who writes contemporary
romance novels. Reading romance novels earlier in life fueled my
inquisitiveness of love and relationships. My passion for the genre
inspired me to write my first story.

I found myself engrossed in the lives of the characters I read about and
wanted their stories to continue long after the epilogue.  So, I found
myself coming up with various scenarios to keep the story going. Looking
back, I have to laugh at how I turned some of my favorite reads into soap
operas.

Over the years, these stories along with new ones took up residence in my
mind and refused to leave. Two years ago, I told a good friend about the
stories housed within me and how they would be better suited in a book. The
following day, I received an email about a writing workshop, Finding The
Writer Within offered by GLAAWC. Participating in this workshop led me to
attend other workshops and joining a writing group, # I AM Writing,
facilitated by Author Abby L. Vandiver. The more active I became in the
writing community, the deeper I fell in love with writing.

It’s no secret that blindness comes with its own set of challenges.
However, I wasn’t prepared for how my lack of vision would impact me as an
author. The wind was knocked out of my sail when I shared my first story. A
group member said she had difficulty reading it. But difficulty didn’t stem
from the words I’d written, rather how they’d been presented. As an audio
book reader, one doesn’t see how dialogue is displayed within a book, you
just hear it. And unfortunately, that’s how I wrote it.

With the help of my writing group, I’ve overcome many obstacles related to
lack of sight. Patience is truly a virtue, and I can’t thank them enough
for providing me with the support and resources I’ve needed to get to where
I am today.

*“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”*



*BOOKS ON THE MOVE*

*Written by Stacie Leap*

Literacy is one aspect of education that some children struggle due to lack
of those reading resources like books and we hope to bridge the gap. Many
studies show that as literacy rates increase, so does self-esteem,
confidence, employment rates, higher education acceptance, and the
expanding of knowledge.

On Monday, January 17, 2022, The Community Support Program of Philadelphia
(CSP Philly) collected 1,523 books for their annual book drive during the
Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service.  As we exceed our yearly goal of
1,000 books, we donated these amazing books to various organizations and
agencies including: National Federation of the Blind, Salvation Army
Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Belmont Charter Network,
Lombard Central Presbyterian Church, and the Y.  We also donated these
books to various neighbors in West Philadelphia.

As we are approaching our third year in 2023, we are hoping for some
assistance in obtaining books. These books can be for all grade levels and
appropriate for adult readers. We will be donating these books to various
schools, organizations and agencies within Pennsylvania. Our goal for 2023
is to collect 1,500 books.

Everyone who contributes to our book drive will help us reach more children
and adults with the gift of books and the promise of literacy.

As we head towards our third year, we are asking for your help as well.
Please consider donating books to CSP.

We are asking for books for all grade levels, reading levels and reading
abilities. This includes books for newborns/toddlers,
elementary/middle/high school students, college and trade school students.
We are also asking for audio books, picture books, Braille books, ASL
books, etc. for children and families with various disabilities. We greatly
appreciate all efforts being put into this book drive.

Thank you, Philly, for going BEYOND THE SIX DOTS!



A SPLASH OF LOVE

National Wedding Month

Written by Adrienne Nelson

" Going to the chapel and we're gonna get married!”

A magnificent celebration of two individuals coming together as one! O how
romantic! Allow me to offer my expertise on the trendy colors of the 2022
wedding season!

As the bride chooses her most elegant gown, we are now looking for the
glamorous attire for the wedding party. It's important to have a good color
palette because sometimes it can be difficult. These are some of the colors
being highlighted.

(1) Burgundy / bottle bottom- maroon will always be stylish. Loving that
people are turning slightly to a light purple gives different light mood
and the color palette. Good for spring and summer. Recommend jasmine or
scarlet to complete.

(2) Deep sea palette ranging from fouulti-color light to dark, creating mix
and match for bridesmaids’ dresses accessories with gold mood or whimsical
and romantic. Recommend mortally deep sea, teal and sky.

(3) Love Jewel tone for all seasons with Dusty rose complements everyone.
Emerald adds formality and instead of chiffon go satin is formal. Good for
evening and weekends. Recommend Jasmine, camel or creamer.

(4) Classic Navy blue - dark enough to be moody, sophisticated, slimming
and lighter than black. Add gold and you have elegant look. Chiffon is for
summer and satin for fall.

(5) Yellow/ cannot go wrong with all yellows, Mustard yellow with dusty
under tone popular for fall weddings. Can go with any color and enjoy
greenery look. Stay close to gold to accent everyone complexion.

(6) don’t be afraid to stick with one color using different shades of under
tone and pastels. One color theme can be Pink. Good for mix match looks,
but allow the bridesmaids to choose their own colors.

For wedding flowers and bouquets, I recommend the following:

(1) beautiful bouquet with dried poppy.

(2) Lily of the valley blooms is still popular. For romantic, traditional
and elegant wedding with white flowers and green stem.

(3) Peony, great for June, big colorful flowers and great fragrance. Good
for garden and romantic wedding.

(4) Delphenium beautiful flowers with long stem, bold bloom added to flower
bouquet, for outlining the aisle and for centerpiece. Beautiful colors of
pink, white and cobalt blue. Perfect for garden or whimsical romance.

(5) Roses can be found in different hue. May be used for bouquet or
centerpiece for traditional wedding.

(6) Hydrangeas big bloom heads. Can find in different colors include white,
purple, pink and blue. For bouquet and centerpiece for garden and whimsical
wedding

It’s your Wedding Day! Make this your own beautiful paradise.

Lights! Camera! Smile! You are a handsome Groom and beautiful Bride!!!!



LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

National Heart Disease Month

Contributed by Hannah Litman

February is American Heart month, a time when all people can focus on their
cardiovascular health. CSD wants to shine a light on a non-profit
organization going the distance in providing an awareness, resources, and
educating their local communities on heart disease.

“I love being able to talk with and work alongside others in the non-profit
world!” says Hannah Litman of The Heart Foundation located in Westlake
Village of California.

“The Heart Foundation’s mission is to save lives by educating the public
about heart disease, promoting early detection, and supporting the research
taking place at Cedars-Sinai under the direction of world-renowned
cardiologist Dr. P.K. Shah in the quest to find more effective ways to
prevent and treat the #1 cause of death in the U.S.

We dedicate ourselves to this mission in memory of Steven S. Cohen, an
incredible husband, father, son, brother and friend.  Too often, the only
sign of heart disease is sudden death. Steve exercised regularly, didn’t
drink, didn’t smoke, wasn’t overweight and had just received a clean bill
of health two months prior at his annual check-up. Steve died suddenly with
no warning signs or symptoms. His wife, daughters, family members and
friends were left behind in a state of shock and disbelief. How could this
have happened to someone so young, vital and seemingly healthy?  Driven to
do something to honor Steve’s memory and save other families from suffering
the tragic loss of a loved one to heart disease, Steve’s friends, family
and community formed The Steven S. Cohen Heart Fund in 1996. In 2004, the
name was changed to The Heart Foundation.

Over the years, The Heart Foundation has hosted celebrity galas, CPR/AED
Certification courses, days of well-being, fitness classes, and live
conversations with influential people—all to spread awareness of heart
disease and the importance of heart health.  We are also proud to announce
that in 2021, Dr. P.K. Shah and the colleagues in his laboratory received
FDA approval for a phase 2 human clinical trial for a vaccine for
atherosclerosis.”

A healthy heart will give you the courage to face and overcome any
challenge in life!



*MY WELLNESS JOURNEY*

*Written by CaspHer of Boston, MA *

I have shared many experiences in my life about what it means to be
deaf-blind and so forth, but I’ve never come close to sharing my personal
experiences when it comes to health and wellness.

I come from a lineage of repetitive health conditions passed down from
generations. Those health conditions consist of, diabetes, high blood
pressure and high cholesterol. Both of my parents have been plagued by
these common diseases, which has contributed to their health issues.

For me, I have lived with obesity my entire life and didn’t pay much
attention to what was happening with my body. I just went through the
motions of life with the same habits of poor dieting and not much physical
activity.  If I did not develop any additional health problems, I would be
fine. I knew deep down that everything doesn’t remain the same and that I
would need to start making changes before it was way too late.

One of the most embarrassing moments was on the day of my Mother’s funeral
and I was looking for a suit to wear. I realized that none of my plus size
pants fit me and I was usually properly fitted. I had also realized that
even when I found the right size, I still couldn’t hide the additional
weight. The extra weight came from grief eating and poor dieting habits. I
was silently cursing at myself about how much extra weight I had gained
during this awful pandemic and felt awful because the embarrassment was
completely preventable.

I knew what I had to do and what the best practices would be for a better
me. I started out slowly by changing the portion of my meals, cut out all
the unhealthy foods, and began cooking my meals at home. With the home
cooked meals, I knew what I was putting into my body. I also started
changing the frequencies of my meal intakes. During my annual checkup, my
doctor noticed that I had lost around thirty pounds, and at that time I
hadn’t even stepped foot in a gym. He told me that whatever I had been
doing was a great thing, and that I had significantly reduced my risk of
becoming diabetic or having a heart disease. I left the hospital completely
motivated to change and keep working on myself. It was time to take care of
myself inside and out from now on!

Once everything surrounding the funeral started to calm down, I would drag
myself out of bed to go for short walks, then they became longer walks. In
May of 2021, I was determined to make fitness a part of my everyday life. I
invested in a personal trainer and even began changing my diet along with
the added training. I made sure I went to the gym five days a week and even
met with a dietician once a month, to track my progress. I collectively
have lost about sixty pounds! But I did not stop there. I wanted to learn
more training techniques and turned to accessible jogging! So, I will
collaborate with my O&M instructor and trainer for safer techniques. I am
one that enjoys staying open to new experiences outside of my norm and
looking forward to what’s to come!

It’s very important that I hold myself accountable and maintain the mindset
that I’m responsible for myself only. Making healthier food choices and
exercising regularly could be the changes my body had been craving all
these years. Friends and family also noticed an entire positive
transformation. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat out at restaurants, but I
make better choices when I do.

I invite all of our readers to take the best care of yourselves as there is
only one of you. Stay as safe as possible and keep being amazing
individuals!



REPRESENT YOUR STATE

*THE HEALTHY BITES*

*Written by Stacie Leap*

As a big urban city, homelessness and availability of nutritious food has
been a problem for many citizens of Philadelphia.

Lombard Central Presbyterian Church has offered hot breakfast and lunch to
the homeless and the neighbors of West Philadelphia. The meals are offered
every Friday until 2pm EST. Many volunteers come together to prepare, prep,
cook, and serve the meals to those who attend. As people come for a hot
meal, they are also given resources throughout the city of Philadelphia
such as a listing of shelters, food pantries, free clinics, and other free
or low-cost programs. We also offer a food pantry for individuals through
the donations provided by the SHARE FOOD program and Trader’s

S Joe supermarket.  These donations include but not limited to: fresh
fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, meats, along with other perishables and
non-perishables items. Since the pandemic, Lombard Central Presbyterian
Church has served hundreds of people in the community. If you wish to
donate time, food, money, or anything to the church, please contact, Stacie
Leap.



*RESOURCES*

Celebrate Black History Month: Learn, Grow, & Volunteer

https://www.tomsofmaine.com/good-matters/helping-hands/celebrate-black-history-month-learn-grow-and-volunteer



The Heart Foundation and to spread awareness of heart disease, head to:

www.theheartfoundation.org



For more information on the publications of our featured authors:

Book title: Knowing When to Go bye Dr. Carolyn Peters

To obtain a copy, call Dr. Peters,

Phone: (937) 657-5134

Email: Dr.carolyn.peters at gmail.com



Book title: From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the Classroom: My
Thirty- year Journey as a Black and Blind Professor by Dr. J.W. Smith

Purchase from: Amazon, Barns & Noble, Audibles, and/or request a braille
copy (two volumes) by emailing,

smithj at ohio.edu



Book title: *Santa Claus Comes To Town* by N. Lichells

Purchase from Amazon, Audibles, and/or Kindle

More titles: The first fifteen episodes of *Batshit Crazy In Love* will be
available on Kindle Vella in February 2022, *A Rock And A Heart Place *will
be available in all formats on Amazon in April 2022



To learn more about the Community Support Program of Philadelphia, please
email:

phillycsp at gmail.com



Alabama State Affiliate Convention

Connections, Independence and Empowerment: A Formula For Success

March 4 to 6, 2022

 https://nfbal.org/civicrm/event/info?id=1&reset=1



Massachusetts State Affiliate Convention

Choosing to be Champions

March 31 to April 3, 2022

https://www.nfbma.org/state-convention



NFB 2022 National Convention

July 5 to July 10, 2022

New Orleans, LA

Website: https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention

Will NFB22 be your first National Convention?

Learn about the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship that helps active
NFB members, blind or sighted, attend their first NFB National Convention.

If you have questions, please contact us at:

Phone: (410) 659-9314

Email: nfb at nfb.org



*EDITOR’S NOTES*

We want to feature you in our next issue! Write about your personal
experience with your community service project and submit the article by
the first of the month.

We also want to help promote your community projects and state affiliate
events. Share your calendar with Beyond The Six Dots and we will feature
your events in the ‘Represent Your State’ section of our next issue.
Contact our editor to submit your calendar events and featured articles.
(The editor may edit the Length and/or wording of your article.)



*NFB Community Service Division*

www.facebook.com/communityservicedivision/

President Jeanetta Price

Email: price.jeanetta at gmail.com

Mobile: (409) 344-1005

Newsletter Editor: Maggie Stringer

Email: Ravensfan784 at gmail.com

Mobile: (443) 750-0070



*ONE MINUTE MESSAGE*

The National Federation of t*he Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. We are survivors!*
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