[NFB-Idaho] A 2nd Opportunity to Get Active: NFB Community Service Project Choices

[Erin A. Olsen]

It's Time for NFB of Idaho Members to Give Back to Our Communities!
Most of us realize, that without the support, generosity and empathy of others, we most likely would be in a very different place. This includes not only due to our blindness, but to life in general. In living the life we want, we need to acknowledge that others in our life make things possible. We want to exude competence and compassion for those in our communities. Doing so is easy .Why bother? The reasons are simple:

  1.  Helping others builds our own sense of value, self-worth and competence
  2.  Using a variety of skills and knowledge helps us expand our own skills and confidence in our abilities
  3.  Working in the community strengthens the societal image that blind people are capable of functioning in society like others do
  4.  Demonstrating that people with disabilities are not just "takers", they are contributors as well
  5.  Our communities support us, we need to support our communities.
With all of that said, at the State Convention in Twin Falls in 2018 (yes, it took a year to get this together), we identified some areas we thought would be good opportunities for us to participate in community service. Last month, the Treasure Valley chapter created a list as well. The combined list is below. Now comes the time to consider these options and make some decisions on how we'd like to give back.

Other chapters, please feel free to use the generic items in the list to build your own list of activities and get your chapter active in community service! The first list items are specific and should be adopted by all of our chapters, across the state. The latter items are more generic and can be modified for your own locations.

Be sure to let us know what you're doing and include pictures we can post on our website calendars and social media sites!

Please consider the list and identify what your top three choices would be. Please DO NOT worry about logistics. Once we decide what we want to do, we will figure out how we will get it done.

Please select THREE of your top choices and send them back to Erin Olsen (eolsen at pckeys.com<mailto:eolsen at pckeys.com>) by August 19th so the votes can be compiled before our next meeting. DO NOT reply to the list serv. Send an e-mail directly to Erin. If you include the actual list number and item as it appears in the list, it will be helpful.


  1.  Christmas baskets/Adopt a family for Christmas
  2.  Dr. Suess' Birthday (March 2nd)
Celebrate his birthday by reading books in braille to school-aged children at a local library or classroom
  3.  Loui Braille's birthday (January 4th)
Read a braille book to school-aged children at the library or classroom, telling of his life and teaching braille with sample card
  4.  Read a copy of Pedro and the octopus to school-aged children at a library or classroom
This brand new tactile, twin vision book was written by NFB's own Deborah Kent and was highly publicized at national Convention
  5.  Represent the blind at a community disaster preparedness activity or committee
  6.  Boy/Girls Scouts
Any type of demo including braille, audio books/BARD, O&M, simple shaded ADLs
  7.  Stem demo's
  8.  Help with a Habitat for Humanity house project
  9.  Volunteer for a community Rake Up or Paint the Town event
  10. Start some sort of collection (school supplies, clothing, jackets, hats/mittens, canned food drive) for an area school or community organization
  11. Salvation Army Bell Ringers during the holidays
  12. Place flags at local cemeteries   for Veteran's or Memorial Day
  13. Greenbelt cleanup
  14. Bronco fit fair
  15. Idaho fine arts academy
  16. Gooding school for the blind
  17. Salvation Army Booth Home
  18. Idaho Food Bank
  19. Women's & Children's Alliance (WCA)
  20. Fix meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House
  21. I Heart Treasure Valley (Spring 2020)


Erin A. Olsen, MEd/MCT
PCKeys Technology Solutions
eolsen at pckeys.com<mailto:eolsen at pckeys.com>

I don't plan to make life a journey to the grave arriving safely in a pretty,  well preserved package.
I'm going to arrive skidding in broadside, well worn and exhausted
with a lifetime of experiences and loudly proclaiming, "WOW! What an adventure!" :)