[nabs-l] volunteer experiences

Sun May 9 21:33:09 UTC 2010

Jewel,
Those are great opportunities you were in.  I volunteered at the talking 
book library but not regular library.  Great idea to label CD books in 
braille.
There may be opportunities at the library; I'll see about it; reading to 
children or leading a discussion or something like that.

Thanks for sharing!
Ashley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jewel S." <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 10:59 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] volunteer experiences

>I have done mostly volunteer work at animal shelters. I only volunteer
> at no-kills, for one thing, and I particularly like the cat-only
> shelters. Most of the stuff I do at the shelter is what I do for my
> kitty at home...give them food and water, clean out litter boxes,
> socialize and play...I can also clean out cages, sort laundry, and
> talk to potential adopters. I really enjoy it.
>
> I have also volunteered at a public library. I really enjoy telling
> people about good books, and am pretty good at the online catalog, so
> I can find a book in the catalog and give the the call number, though
> I can't find it on the shelf since there's no Braille or such. But
> anyone can help them find the book once I locate in the catalog on the
> computer.
>
> I am in the middle of getting started with another volunteer
> opportunity at the local public library. I'm working on starting the
> fundraiser for it. I want to get the books on CD labelled in Braille
> like the books at the library for teh blind. I twould cost 11 cents
> per book, so that's not bad...but there are lots of books! Imagine the
> worlds that would be opened if we could check out these books
> ourselves, in addition to t he library for the blind's, RFBD,
> Bookshrare, audible.com, and all the rest! I brought it up at the last
> NFB meeting, and they are going to support my endeavours with a
> contribution and help with the fundraising. It is the sort of
> fundraising I really like, raising money toward a specific goal that
> will advocate the blind and Braille and educate others, while giving
> us more independence!
>
> Volunteer work doesn't have to be structured. Look around your
> neighbourhood and see what needs doing. If you plan on working with
> kids, perhaps volunteer to start a fundraiser to update the local
> playground to be more accessible or safer. If your preference is
> working with people in need, maybe join the Big Brothers, Big Sisters
> program? Show that child how great a role model you are, teach them
> the bus routes and how to walk around the area safely, take them to
> museums and zoos and the park and places like that...you can do some
> real good as a mentor to a child.
> The best advice I can give though is to find what needs doing, and do
> it! Yes, working at a soup kitchen will work on your resume, but if
> you start a new program that brings a smile and a meal to needy people
> who live on the streets or in the woods, that would be better (yes,
> people still live in the woods...I met one the other day, real nice
> guy, just down on his luck). Volunteering as a tutor will work, but
> starting a new after-school program for teens would look better.
> Reading to kids at the library would work, but it'll look better if
> you raised funds for a new playground or a collection of TwinVision
> books for the library, or some such.
> Just some ideas,
> Jewel
>
> On 5/8/10, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Can you share what volunteering you've done.  I think volunteering has 
>> many
>> beneficial purposes including building skills, experience, networking, 
>> and a
>> way to help the community.  Often organizations serve blind and disabled
>> people, so if we volunteer we can serve being on the other end.  I am
>> putting out volunteer applications to nonprofits while I look for a job; 
>> I
>> don't want a big gap on my resume.
>>
>> I volunteered at my talking book library checking/rewinding tapes.  I 
>> also
>> volunteered at  a shelter with my church.  I tutored children as well 
>> with
>> Campus ministry in college.
>> But have not done too much in depth.
>>
>> Anyone volunteered at a food bank at a warehouse where you sort food? 
>> Soup
>> kitchen?  I've thought about that but not sure if its visual; I mean 
>> would
>> you need to read labels to sort food items.  For serving at a soup 
>> kitchen,
>> I imagine its big with lots of people; I wonder if you need to see the
>> dishes and people so you know they are there to serve.  I know once I 
>> have
>> the dish, serving can be done by just placing the food on the plate and I
>> can judge the amount and where the food is by feeling with the utensil. 
>> I
>> have tunnel vision so I'd use that too.
>>
>> I'm also looking into volunteering at hospitals and nonprofit offices. I
>> don't foresee much access issues in the office as long as jaws is 
>> compatable
>> with the programs on their computers.
>>
>>
>> Any advice or ideas would be helpful.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Ashley
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