[Nfbc-info] hopefully someone has some information

[Michael Peterson]

        Hi Mary.  Let's see what we can brainstorm here.  Melissa made some 
really great suggestions and I'm talking to someone, later this morning,  I 
think is a whiz as a college student in finding financial aid She may have 
some ideas.
Your VR counselor or a supervisor is the first place I would start 
especially because it's your last semester.
I hope somehow you can get involved with CABS and or your local NFBC chapter 
because this is one thing the consumer movement does well, heads off 
potential crisis's before they become disasters. Some chapters at some times 
I am sure have helped individual members in a situation like yours, not all 
chapters but some have.
But even if a chapter can't financially help they can be there in other 
ways.
Example, in October the affiliate gave away several scholarships and one 
could have had your name on it.
Let's assume though it didn't which in October happened to me, I didn't win 
money to use for college and oh how desperately, I wish I had.
I did win a stipend that helped me afford to go to convention and my 
Sacramento chapter also helped me.
 but even if I hadn't some how some way I needed to be there to walk on the 
bridge for Braille literacy and to find out what is happening in the world 
related to the needs of the blind consumer. In my case if that meant paying 
a credit card interest I don't have I felt I still wanted to go to 
convention and help others if I could.
Can't say the fundraisers I participated in raised a whole lot but still 
they helped people who couldn't afford convention expenses.
As noted, I didn't get money to pay off that $1,000 for a computer I had to 
buy, or perhaps to assist me buying a wardrobe of appropriate work clothes, 
which supplemental Security Income Plan of self Support  will never cover or 
the other books and things my last rehab counselor didn't pay for,
 But Still I gained lots of information that has been and will be helpful in 
heading off those crisis's I mentioned, maybe not all of them but enough to 
matter.
For example, I needed to deal with problems, big problems with Department of 
Rehab.  Using insights I gained helped me solve many major problems a 
previous counselor caused.
Off the top of my head with your time constraints let me suggest you do a 
couple things and this is because your talking hundreds of dollars not 
thousands.
1.  Immediately put together a letter explaining your need which gives exact 
dollar amounts. Your going to a private Christian university Take your 
letter around to the school clubs especially those in which you are a 
participant,   A might raise funds for you.  Don't be shy, use the 
telephone, computer, or go knock on there office door.
2.  If your active in your church, especially if it's large or financially 
secure, Some small churches are, tell the minister evangelist or elder 
whatever he's referred to there the situation He might help.  Again like the 
college larger churches have lay ministry groups don't be afraid to talk to 
them. Emphasize you need the money by January or February stress your 
deadline.
3. I don't know the Fresno area but if you know of local organizations of 
the blind again tell them your problem and ask.
4.  Contact an organization in the San Fernando Valley called "Helping hands 
for the blind"  This is the kind of situation I've seen them come through in 
during past years. Again be very specific state the Reason you are asking, 
amount you need and the date by which you have to have it.
5.  In the community there you have service groups, Kiwanis Moose lodges 
elks etc they can help.
6. If anyone knows of a radio station that is doing Christmas wishes let us 
know.
And, Mary, send in those Christmas wishes when we get those radio stations, 
call write use your computer whatever is required let them know your 
christmas wish and why it's so very important!  They have many people with 
many wishes  to choose from make yours stand out or get someone else to wish 
for you!

About ten years ago I knew a woman who was working as a teacher's aid 
supporting her eleven year old daughter, she was in the midst of a divorce 
living in a very small single apartment and they didn't even have a 
refrigerator.
First I started asking friends of hers including a gentleman I knew had the 
money to help.  He in fact, a friend of hers for many years,  told me about 
her, I got in a fight with him because he complained when I found a catholic 
church that was going to help me find a used fridge.  Boy was I mad when he 
gave me the riot act about how she doesn't need a used fridge and we all 
most parted company because I said what's worst than a used fridge?  Friends 
with money stocked away in savings and 501 k's who can tell the world about 
her problem but won't help when for $400 they could get her a fridge. He 
told me I was getting to carried away to involved.
I just needed to shut up and forget about it!
Next thing I did was wrote down my problem very specifically and honestly 
prayed a lot, I couldn't do much else, I didn't have the money.
God I'm sure gave me the inspiration so on a Sunday evening I think about 
11:00 p.m maybe later I wrote to General Electric explaining the problem. 
Within hours they wrote me back and they shipped her for free a small 
fridge.  It was one of those kind of like a beer fridge but just the right 
size and kept her juice and meat cold.Speaking of Christmas wish radio 
stations, Before contacting General Electric,   I also wrote to some 
Christian radio stations explaining the need and they gave her a $300 Target 
gift card along with I believe some groceries It wasn't on Christmas I think 
a day or two afterwards but she was given the card.  In fact the card is 
what prompted me to contact General electric in frustration I thought when 
she got the card the problem would be solved,
 but Target didn't carry the small fridge she needed  and the GE came 
through just at the right time.
I was frustrated as I said She had a card for $300 from Target and a friend 
who could but wouldn't help and I after fighting with him just kept 
brainstorming!

This woman was a normal sighted person who just had a big problem, God let 
me help. How amazing it was when the fridge came and it was in fact the 
exact one she wanted.

How many times it has been the other way around,  I needed others helped.
My point here isn't to toot my own horn I'm not wonderful just me helping 
who I can when I can but God helped me to be resourceful.
Learn to be your own best advocate!  Posting on this list is a great start 
but now let's get you that cash.  If I give you a fish you will eat for a 
day but if I can teach you to fish you will eat for a lifetime.
As members of the Student division we mentor each other in many different 
ways and you too have wonderful gifts you can share that will help other 
blind people having problems find a way out of a seemingly very dark place. 
Please do that when God gives you the chance.

I hope this helps you get off to a good start in your journey to find that 
college funding or at least a no interest loan speaking of which does any 
one know is Hazel Hurst still doing the no interest loans?
That could be another solution.
I will post again or write you off list if I discover something.  Please 
don't feel embarrassed this is a problem other students have so by me 
answering you here like this I might be able to help you and several others 
too!
Believe me I know it's not fun needing money, having to borrow at high 
interest or do without. But God can make a way where there is no way as the 
journey from Egypt to the promised land so vividly illustrates, And God uses 
what the world considers foolishness to confound the wise.

God bless:
Mike



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Miiller" <mlm6 at fpu.edu>
To: <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 11:04 AM
Subject: [Nfbc-info] hopefully someone has some information


>
> Hello
> My name is Mary and I am a blind college student attending Fresno Paciffic 
> University and I am hoping someone can tell me if there is any places I 
> can recieve scholarships or something to help me pay my tuition. I used up 
> all of my calgrant last year so I used my financial aid student loans and 
> money I saved to pay for the tuition but it left me a few hundred dollars 
> short. I asked the school if they could help but they said they couldn't. 
> all they told me is I have to pay the rest of the tuition or I cannot 
> return in the spring. I only have four classes left before graduating so 
> it wouldn't be smart for me to finish somewhere else.
> thanks for taking the time reading this
> mary
> _______________________________________________
> Nfbc-info mailing list
> Nfbc-info at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> Nfbc-info:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbc-info_nfbnet.org/its.mike%40att.net