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Fellow federationists,<br>
Earlier in the newsletter, I mis-stated what should be done when honoring
pledges to the TenBroek fund that you made at the Spring convention.<br>
All checks should be made out to the tenBroek fund, not to the NFB of
Minnesota. They should, however, still be mailed to our affiliate
headquarters. The address is:<br>
100 East 22nd St.<br>
Minneapolis, MN 55404<br>
All the best,<br>
Ryan<br>
<br>
Ryan Strunk, President<br>
<a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nfb.org/" eudora="autourl">www.nfb.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nfbmn.org">www.nfbmn.org</a><br>
(612) 872-9363<br>
Live the life you Want.<br>
<br>
<b>From:</b> NFBMN President <president@nfbmn.org> <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, June 28, 2020 9:32 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> nfbmn-news@nfbnet.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Ten Thousand Dreams: The Action-Packed Edition<br>
<br><br>
<h1><b>The 10,000 Dreams Newsletter</b></h1><br><br>
<br>
<h1><b>The Action-Packed Edition</b></h1><br><br>
<br>
Federation Family:<br>
<br>
In the sprint up to the most anticipated event of the yearthe national
conventionthere’s a lot of information to digest. This go-round,
along with the usual excitement, comes all of the new adventures that
will accompany a virtual national event. More information is forthcoming,
including how you can get assistance if you need it. But I want to set
the tone for all of us that this is our opportunity to be a part of a
grand experiment. There will be aspects that work wonderfully and there
may be some challenges. Let's all work together to make this a unique and
memorable experience for everyone through that Federation determination
we all have within us. I'm excited to embark on this journey with
you.<br>
<br>
Warmly,<br>
Ryan<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>News You Should Know</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
<h3><b>NFB Independence Market Now Taking Phone Orders</b></h3><br><br>
Although the National Center is still closed to the public, our NFB
Independence Market is now accepting orders via telephone. Our helpful
staff is ready to take orders for slates and stylists, cane tips, and
cooking utensils. To place an order, call 410-659-9314 and press 3 for
the Independence Market. Please remember that they have been closed for a
significant period of time due to COVID-19 and would appreciate your
patience as they work to provide quality customer service to every
customer.<br><br>
<h3><b>New Resource for Children: Access Pinna, On-Demand Audio
Service</b></h3><br><br>
The National Federation of the Blind is proud to partner with Pinna, an
on-demand audio streaming service providing hundreds of hours of content
to children across the country. From science and fantasy to interactive
game shows and mysteries, Pinna has hundreds of hours of audio
programming including music, audiobooks, and podcasts. A featured series
is Opal Watson Private Eye, a Pinna original podcast about an
eleven-year-old blind girl. Pinna is currently providing a 60-day free
trial with the promo code NFBGET60. To take advantage of this, you can
<a href="https://pinna.fm/?promo=1.">create an account</a>.<br><br>
<h3><b>We're Going Virtual in November</b></h3><br><br>
Our Minnesota fall convention will be virtual this year. In order to keep
all of our members safe during the ongoing pandemic, the board of
directors voted to find innovative ways to celebrate our 100th
anniversary while physically distanced. We won’t be together in person,
but we will be together in spirit, and we will celebrate together as soon
as we can.<br>
<br><br>
<h2><b>What You Can Do</b></h2><br><br>
<br>
<h3><b>Requesting Captioning Services</b></h3><br><br>
For those deafblind attendees that will be joining us for the 2020
Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, we are committed to
providing captioning for every general meeting and for other meetings
that will be attended by deafblind participants. Once the convention
agenda has been published, our national office will need a list of the
convention sessions you will be attending. You may also
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/divisions-committees-and-groups/divisions">
contact the DeafBlind Division</a> for further information.<br><br>
<h3><b>Submit Your Resolution by June 30th</b></h3><br><br>
The deadline for resolution submission is June 30. Do you think we should
change a government policy, take a stand concerning an agency for the
blind, or create new regulations? If you do, consider writing a
resolution. At the 2020 National Convention, the Resolutions Committee
meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 15. The committee will debate and
discuss resolutions on a wide variety of subjects. If passed by the
convention, these resolutions will become the policy statements of the
organization. To ensure that your resolution will be considered by the
committee, please send it to the committee chair (Sharon Maneki) at
<a href="mailto:nfbmd@earthlink.net">nfbmd@earthlink.net</a>. If you have
an idea but don't know where to start, please reach out to President
Strunk at
<a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a>.<br><br>
<h3><b>Enter the Convention Memory Minute Contest to Win
$200</b></h3><br><br>
For many, the first convention becomes a life-changing experience. As a
means of encouraging others to attend this year’s convention, please
share a video or audio message about a special memory of your first
convention in less than sixty seconds. Use #NFB20 in a social media post
or submit the entry directly by email or phone and be entered to win a
cash prize and have your story shared at this year’s convention. You can
find the
<a href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/convention-memory-minute-contest">
contest rules</a> here. <br><br>
<h3><b>Veterans’ Celebration of Freedom</b></h3><br><br>
Vernon Humphrey, president of the National Association of Blind Veterans,
is reaching out to all veterans that will be taking part in the national
convention so they can participate in the annual Celebration of Freedom.
Please contact him at
<a href="mailto:mr_president@nabv.org">mr_president@nabv.org</a> or
706-329-7960 if you are, or you know of, a military veteran that will be
in attendance.<br><br>
<h3><b>Earlier Deadline for Submitting TenBroek Pledges</b></h3><br><br>
The affiliate is matching all TenBroek pledges that are made before
August 1st. This is an earlier deadline than previous years but will do
immense good for the organization. Please make out your checks to the
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota and put TenBroek Fund in
the memo line. You may mail checks to our headquarters at:<br>
National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota<br>
100 East 22nd St.<br>
Minneapolis, MN. 55404<br><br>
<h3><b>Contact Your Representatives About ATAA</b></h3><br><br>
The Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 2086, S. 815) is gaining
momentum in Congress. It is mor important than ever as unemployment
numbers grow that blind people have a variety of ways to gain access to
necessary technology which enables them to work and live independently.
We have both Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Smith's support on the Senate side
and Rep. McCollum on the House side. But there's still more to gain.<br>
When you call or e-mail, you might say something like:<br>
<br>
"Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I am a constituent of
[REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME]. I live in [CITY, STATE]. COVID-19 has
impacted employment and educational opportunities for blind Americans. In
a time of physical distancing, self-sufficiency is also paramount. I urge
[REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME] to cosponsor the Access Technology
Affordability Act [H.R. 2086 in the House/S. 815 in the Senate]. This
bill creates a refundable tax credit in the amount of $2,000 to offset
the cost of expensive access technology, such as Braille embossers,
Braille notetakers, and screen reading software. In the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic a bill that will help increase employment
opportunities, educational opportunities, and self-sufficiency for blind
Americans is needed more than ever. Thank you.”<br>
<br>
You can contact your member of Congress by calling the Capitol
Switchboard and asking for the office in question. The number is
202-224-3121. If you email your representative or senators, please copy
Jeff Kaloc at <a href="mailto:jkaloc@nfb.org">jkaloc@nfb.org</a>. It is
best to call or email the relevant tax staffer in your member of
Congress's office. If you need the name and email of the appropriate
staff person for any Senate or House office, please email Jesa Medders at
<a href="mailto:jmedders@nfb.org">jmedders@nfb.org</a>. Your calls and
emails do make a difference.<br>
<br><br>
<h3><b>One more Thing …</b></h3><br><br>
Special thanks to Briley O’Connor, who compiled this newsletter. She
reached out with a request to take up this project specifically, and I am
happy to have her help. If you, too, have a particular project you would
like to work on, please let me know.<br>
<br>
<br>
Ryan Strunk, President<br>
<a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nfb.org/" eudora="autourl">www.nfb.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nfbmn.org">www.nfbmn.org</a><br>
(612) 872-9363<br>
Live the life you Want.</blockquote><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
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