<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Dear Federation Family,<div class=""> I write to report back from the activities that took place at the 75th convention of the National Federation of the Blind surrounding the community service Division.</div><div class=""> We had a fun trivia night, with our Federation Trivia being Led by Amy Buresh of the National Board of directors and NFB of Nebraska President.</div><div class=""> She was a great MC and we are glad to have had her. Thank you, Amy!</div><div class=""> We had a very fun and energetic music trivia event where members raved about what a good time they had.</div><div class=""> I would like to thank all of you who came out to support it. I would also like to thank Corina Orosco,who helped us tabulate for that round of music trivia.</div><div class=""> I have been told By Corina Salinas that the limo ride and party was very fun and enjoyable by all who won entrance to it, and I would like to Thank Her for spearheading this effort.</div><div class=""> Our first ever division meeting was well attended and brought with that attendance great energy.</div><div class=""> From Dr. Maurer, to Jeanie Massay, our training center students and our lovely moderator for that panel, Conchita Hernandez, and our scholarship winners who spoke on the agenda, we learned a lot and became a more inspired, engaged and motivated group of people.</div><div class=""> I am glad for our diverse agenda and the promise that seems to come from the numbers that participated in every aspect of the meeting, from a blind veteran to a guide dog user, we probably boasted a wide-ranging topic and speaker pool that rivaled most of the meetings had at our convention this year.</div><div class=""> </div><div class=""> We also held elections for the board of directors to serve this year. all of these offices are for a one year term.</div><div class=""> President, Darian Smith, Vice President, Chris Parsons, Secretary, Hindley Williams, Treasurer, Corina Salinas and board members Jonathan Franks, Mary Church and Juan Munoz.</div><div class=""> each member of the board of directors has committed, by virtue of accepting their nomination and allowing themselves to be elected, to the division, it’s growth and development, and to work collectively and collaboratively to build the federation and to participate actively in the work of the division.</div><div class=""> each individual on the board will chair a committee and those committees will be confirmed and announced in the near future.</div><div class=""> If you should have ideas for committees you would like to see and work you would like to do, please be in touch via the information in my signature. </div><div class=""> </div><div class=""> </div><div class=""> </div><div class=""> <br class=""><div class="">
<div class=""><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Darian Smith</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">President, National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(71, 135, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;" class=""><a href="mailto:president@nfbcommunityservice.org" class="">president@nfbcommunityservice.org</a></span></div><p style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> </p><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">(415)215-9809</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> twitter: @goldengateace</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Connect with the Community Service Division </div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Facebook: search for “NFB Community Service Division”.</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Twitter:@NFBCSDivision</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 19px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">blindness is not what holds you back.</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> “We need your service, right now, at this moment - our moment - in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be; that's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history” — Barack Obama </div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Did you know that your unwanted vehicle can be just what is needed to help <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> drive<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>change for the blind .</div><div style="margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Donate your car to the National Federation of the Blind today!</div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(87, 86, 214); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(87, 86, 214); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">For more information, please visit: <a href="http://www.carshelpingtheblind.org/" class=""><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(71, 135, 255);" class="">www.carshelpingtheblind.org</span></a> or call 1-855-659-9314</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: Times; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">“</div></div>
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