[nabs-l] volunteering and missions

Ashley Bramlett bookwormahb at earthlink.net
Mon Dec 21 20:08:24 UTC 2009


Hi Robert,

Thanks for sharing your experience.  I figured this was doable; after all 
it seems  a pretty tactual thing.

What did you do to help the blind population in
Dominica?  That is a poor island so I imagine much needed to be done 
including getting them supplies.

That is impressive you assisted your father and helped on a church trip. 
Have you always been blind?  I have some central vision, but would do this 
sort of thing nonvisually because its safer.

For the roofing did you do anything differently other than use your sense of 
touch?  Have you mixed and laid concrete or bricks?

How did you learn this stuff?  Did someone show you?  How do you hammer? 
You can touch the nail but cannot do so while you are hammering.  Maybe you 
check your progress with your free hand after hammering a little bit.  I am 
in VA and Baltimore is near me; maybe I'll contact that chapter for tips if 
I have the opportunity to do a mission or Habitat house.

BTW I am also a United Methodist.  What a coinsidence.  My home church sends 
a mission team each summer to help repair buildings on the Lokota Indian 
reservation.  I am not into going overseas, at least not now.  There is 
enough to keep me busy in America.

Ashley
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Jaquiss" <rjaquiss at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 11:01 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] volunteering and missions


> Hello Ashley:
>
>     I have done some volunteer and missions work. I am currently the 
> Missions chairman for Faith United Methodist Church in West Monroe, 
> Louisiana. One Saturday each month, I help distribute food as part of our 
> work with Angel Food Ministries. As the Missions Chairman, I also deal 
> with a small budget and hold periodic meetings.
>
>     When I lived in Oregon, I went with a church group to help winterize a 
> house. I am familiar with the use of hand tools and I installed screw on 
> weather stripping which included a bottom door gasket. We also installed 
> plastic sheeting on the inside of the windows and I got the difficult 
> window that had an airconditioner in it.
>
>     In 1996, I went by myself on a short trip to the Commonwealth of 
> Dominica to investigate the needs of the blind living on that island. It 
> was quite an experience and I was able to provide a little help.
>
>     If I recall correctly, members of the Greater Baltimore chapter of the 
> NFB helped install vinyl siding on a Habitat for Humanity house. The 
> report I heard was that they did a very good job.
>
>     My thoughts on this sort of work are that doing some planning is a 
> good thing. Learn how to use hand tools. We can certainly hammer nails, 
> drive screws, cut boards etc. I have installed a garbage disposal, kitchen 
> sink faucets, a new bathroom sink and cabinet including all the plumbing. 
> When I was twelve, I laid the decking for an eight by twenty-one foot 
> deck. I have helped my Father roof a house and also helped with other 
> maintenance. In case you wonder, I am totally blind. If you want to go 
> overseas, I suggest trying a domestic opportunity first. Go with an 
> organization that has a good track record and experienced leadership. 
> Study about where you want to go, learn about the culture, the food eaten 
> etc. Of course learning a foreign language is also helpful. Hope this 
> helps.
>
> Merry Christmas,
>
> Robert Jaquiss
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 8:01 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] volunteering and missions
>
>
>>    Hi all,
>>
>>
>> This list is sure quiet.  I was thinking this is the time of giving 
>> around the holidays.  Have you participated in an outreach project? 
>> Anyone done Habitat for Humanity and if so what did you do and what 
>> alternative techniques did you use?  Can we hammer and drill safely?
>>
>> For those of you who are religious, have you been on mission trips?  I 
>> would like to do that someday.  So far I have been to a shelter to serve 
>> lunch with my church.  I have volunteered for the talking book library 
>> and political campaigns.  So what are you all doing lately?  I hope to 
>> hear someone has done Habitat because that is something I am interested 
>> in but I don't know how I can contribute.  I think I could paint  and mix 
>> and lay concrete outside.  Look forward to your responses.
>>
>> Ashley
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