[IL-Talk] FW: Support for the Blind Vendors

[Edward Birmingham]

This may help if you are having issues.  I was able to fell it out on my Iphone, but I did have some minor issues.  I have enough vision to be dangerous 

 

From: Kathy Ungaro [mailto:icbv at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2020 3:24 PM
To: Kathy Ungaro
Subject: Support for the Blind Vendors

 

***CALL TO ACTION***  Support for the Blind Vendors - when you follow this link you need to get to the bottom of the box on the right, click next. On the next screen fill in your information. Then at the bottom of the box on the right click preview. On the next screen click submit all.

 

Proposals for COVID-19 Relief: Randolph-Sheppard Blind Vendors

The COVID-19 pandemic has had and will continue to have a devastating economic impact on the nearly 2,000 Randolph-Sheppard blind vendors who feed federal, state, and local government employees every day.

The Randolph-Sheppard Act grants priority to blind persons licensed by the State Licensing Agency (SLA) to manage and operate food services in all federal buildings. Most states have companion statutes that extend similar priority to state and local government buildings. On the national level, the program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration. In states, the agency that provides vocational rehabilitation services to the blind also administers the programs. The blind vendor’s income are the profits generated by food service businesses. These food service businesses generate over $700,000,000 in annual sales with the median income for all blind entrepreneurs being approximately $40,000. The blind entrepreneurs pay a percentage of the profits back to the SLA to fund the overall program. Nationally, the total comes to approximately $15,000,000.

 

Due to shut-downs in federal and state facilities across the country in response to COVID-19; blind vendor's livelihoods are threatened. It is being proposed that a one-time allocation of $35,000,000 be appropriated to the U.S. Department of Education to provide relief for these blind vendors.

 

Urge your lawmakers to pass this essential relief.

 

https://blindmerchantsspeakout.org/alert/-proposals_for_covid19_relief/message/congress/write

 

 

 

Thank you,
Kathy Ungaro
ICBV, Business Manager
(630)234-4444


Illinois Committee of Blind Vendors
53 W. Jackson Blvd. Suite 502
Chicago, IL 60604

 

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