[Greater-Baltimore] Relocating to Baltimore

[Marion & Martin]

Dear Federation Family,

 

                I wanted to let you know that Merry Schoch and I will be
relocating to the Baltimore/Pasadena/glen Burnie area early next year and
intend to be active in the Baltimore Chapter. Chris, WE WILL NOT BE
ORGANIZING A NEW CHAPTER THERE! (emphasis intended!) Our current plan is to
come to Baltimore on December 23 - January 8. Merry will have obtained her
Maryland LCSW-C license by then and will be seeking employment. I have a
couple business appointments in DC and, by the time we depart, we hope to
have purchased a new home. We hope to connect with our NFB family while in
town and break bread together!

 

                For those of you who do not know us, we currently live in
Tampa, Florida. Some of you may know my daughter, Aislinn Woody, her husband
Jeff, and our grandson, Archer. One reason for coming to Baltimore is to be
closer to them and help guide Archer through his future blindness path.
Another reason is to escape the heat of Florida, both its climate and its
culture! 

 

As for our Federation experience, I have ben active in the NFB since I
joined the Tri City Chapter of the NFB of Michigan while visiting family
there in 1984. I organized the Tampa Bay Chapter of the NFB of Florida in
October of 1987 and am still very active in that chapter. I also organized
the Florida Association of Guide Dog Users (FlAGDU) in 2001  and served as
president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)  from 2006
- 2020. I am currently the president/CEO of Advocates for Service Animal
Partners. 

 

I have also been a professional musician since 1972, performing under the
stage name "Marion & Martin". (I play a Martin D35.) In addition, I also
built a recording studio in my home and intend to do the same once we get
settled. Recording sessions, music Jams, and cook-outs are a regular part of
our lifestyle, so we are excited about making connections with those of you
who enjoy playing and/or listening to music, eating good food, and imbibing
in good beer and good rum!  

 

I brought my wife - Merry Schoch - into the NFB kicking and screaming in
2000 and we organized the East Hillsborough Chapter of the NFB of Florida
that year. Merry is currently a Florida licensed clinical social worker
(LCSW) and will receive her Maryland license soon. She has too many
certifications for me to list here but include accelerated Resolution
Therapy (ART) with specializations in post traumatic stress disorder and
working with youthful offenders.  Merry served as president of the Human
Services Division of the NFB for several years and is also currently active
in the Tampa Bay Chapter. Merry and I are both guide dog users working
Smooth Coat Collies from Freedom Guide Dogs.

 

We are looking forward to our house hunting and, most especially, our
housewarming party! We look forward to connecting with our Federation family
in Baltimore, renewing friendships, and creating new memories with many of
you. If any of the things you know about us interest you and you would like
to connect before our move or while we are in town, please do not hesitate
to write to us. My email address is SwampFox1833 at verizon.net
<mailto:SwampFox1833 at verizon.net> 

 

Fraternally yours,

Marion Gwizdala