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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Please find below a note from our Maryland Association of Blind Merchants President Melba Taylor. Please, please, please take the action she and NABM is requesting – I promise it’ll take less than five minutes!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Yours,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Ronza<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>President</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><div><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> MABM Members and Supporters,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Thanks to those of you who submitted letters a few weeks ago. However the Randolph Sheppard Program was not specifically included in the C3 federal stimulus package. Therefore we are submitting more letters as part of our efforts to be included in the next stimulus package. Please see the below letter from NABM President, Nicky Gacos and click on this link to submit your letters: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><a href="https://blindmerchantsspeakout.org/alert/-urge_congress_to_appropriate_funds_to_help_blind_vendors/message/congress/write?style=webform" target="_blank">https://blindmerchantsspeakout.org/alert/-urge_congress_to_appropriate_funds_to_help_blind_vendors/message/congress/write?style=webform</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Please contact me if you need assistance or have any questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.2pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.2pt'><strong><i><span style='color:#A64D79;background:#F3F3F3'>Melba J. Taylor</span><span style='color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'> </span></i></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.2pt'><strong><i><span style='color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'>Maryland Association of Blind Merchants </span></i></strong><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.2pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#674EA7;background:#F3F3F3'>Phone: 240-381-1637</span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.2pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#674EA7;background:#F3F3F3'>Email: <a href="mailto:m.taylor@EncoreAssoc.com">m.taylor@EncoreAssoc.com</a> </span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Dear NABM Member: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our blind entrepr<a name="m_-4283543730510500740_m_-80304248095851"></a>eneurs. Approximately 75% of our blind entrepreneurs have seen their businesses either shut completely down or seriously curtailed. Congress has provided some relief for small businesses but the Randolph-Sheppard Program is unique. We need to let Congress know that more needs to be done to assist our hard working men and women who feed our government employees every day. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Please click on the link below and send letters to the President, both of your U.S. Senators, and your Member in the House of Representatives. The Randolph-Sheppard Act authorizes Congress to appropriate funds for the Randolph-Sheppard Program. It never has. We are asking Congress for the first time to appropriate dollars that can be used to provide relief for our displaced blind entrepreneurs and emergency funding to the states so they can meet their responsibilities as the state licensing agencies. Go to: <a href="https://blindmerchantsspeakout.org/alert/-urge_congress_to_appropriate_funds_to_help_blind_vendors/message/congress/write?style=webform" target="_blank">https://blindmerchantsspeakout.org/alert/-urge_congress_to_appropriate_funds_to_help_blind_vendors/message/congress/write?style=webform</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:27.0pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>It is simple. Just put in your name and address, click on “Preview Message” and then hit “Submit” and your letters will be sent. Act now and let the collective voices of the blind be heard. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Sincerely, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Nicky Gacos, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:16.2pt'><i><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Times;color:red'>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.</span></i><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:16.2pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:blue;background:#F3F3F3'> </span><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p align=right style='text-align:right'><span style='font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:blue;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p align=right style='text-align:right'><span style='color:#351C75;background:#F3F3F3'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>