<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=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Fellow Federationists:<div class=""> </div><div class=""> As I’m sure you are well aware, we are less than two short weeks away from the 76th Convention of the National Federation of the Blind. </div><div class=""> On Saturday, July 2 The NFB Community Service Division will have our annual seminar and business meeting. This meeting will be located at Wekiwa 8, level 2. registration will occur at 6:15 and the meeting agenda will start at about 6:35.</div><div class=""> At this meeting we will hear from Chapter presidents, scholarship finalists and other leaders and luminaries in our movement about how community service raises expectations of the blind and lifts us up as human beings.</div><div class=""> We will also share with each other the positives and challenges associated with the blind serving in a community where we are the minority and contemplate the importance of this service for ourselves, our movement, and beyond.</div><div class=""> Of course, we will talk about the Habitat service project and our exciting trivia night. We will also discuss the programs, activities and overall future of our division. . </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> A very important part of this meeting will be the election of the board of directors of the Community Service Division.</div><div class=""> These elections are open to anyone who is present and has paid their $5 membership dues, allowing them to run and/or vote for any position at the time of elections .</div><div class=""> The offices up for election this year are as follows:</div><div class=""> President: Darian Smith </div><div class="">Vice President: Chris Parsons</div><div class="">Secretary: Hindley Williams </div><div class="">Treasurer: Corina Salinas</div><div class="">Board member: Jonathan Franks </div><div class="">Board member: Mary Church</div><div class="">Board member: Juan Munoz </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> What all is involved in serving on the board?</div><div class=""> a commitment to attend one teleconference board meeting a month. </div><div class="">Chairing a committee (e.g. membership, fundraising, etc) or heading up a major project (e.g. convention service project, trivia night, etc)</div><div class="">needs to be reachable and responsive via email, text,phone or some combination of these. (basically, you need to be willing to work)</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> possess a strong interest/belief in community service, it’s impact on the individual and community.</div><div class=""> Possess a strong belief in the true abilities of blind people and a desire to use service as a way to build up our blind brothers and sisters and to support the mission of the NFB and fellow federationists.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""> I also want to make very clear that a person can be an active member of the division,take a leadership role in the division and not be an elected leader to do so. </div><div class="">The truth is, that these people are at least just as important as those holding elected leadership positions, in fact a number of these off board leaders have already made important contributions to the work of the division at this year’s convention and my thanks goes out to them.</div><div class=""> If you are an individual that just wants to help and might not be interested in elections,please stay tuned, as I will be sending out another note asking for your help. </div><div class=""> </div><div class=""> If you are interested in running and would like further information regarding the division, please feel free to contact me regarding your question.</div><div class=""> My contact information is included in my signature below.</div><div class=""> Thank you for reading.</div><div class=""> Let’s Get Involved!</div><div class="">, Let’s Go Build The Federation! </div><div class=""> Darian </div><br class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<div class=""><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">Darian Smith</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">President, National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">Web: <a href="http://www.nfbcommunityservice.org/" class="">www.nfbcommunityservice.org</a></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">Twitter: @NFBCSDivision,@goldengateace</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">Facebook: search for “National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division"</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; color: rgb(71, 135, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;" class="">E-mail: <a href="mailto:president@nfbcommunityservice.org" class="">president@nfbcommunityservice.org</a></span></div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""> </p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">(415)215-9809</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">blindness is not what holds you back.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" 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="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""> Help drive change for the blind .</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">Donate your car to the National Federation of the Blind today!</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; color: rgb(87, 86, 214); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(87, 86, 214);" 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="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; margin: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-family: Times; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">“</div></div>
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