[nfbmi-talk] Camp T Newsletter for December, 2012

Jason Meddaugh jj at bestmidi.com
Tue Dec 18 18:52:36 UTC 2012


Thanks for sharing. When did Fred get back on the board? Glad to see a 
change of heart.

Best Regards,
Jason Meddaugh
A T Guys
Your Assistive Technology Experts
(269) 216-4798
http://www.ATGuys.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "trising" <trising at sbcglobal.net>
To: "nfbmi List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 11:44 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Camp T Newsletter for December, 2012





WHAT'S UP, OUB???

Newsletter for December, 201    2



Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind (OUB) Board of Directors



Officers:

Casey Dutmer, Chair

Karla Piper, Vice Chair

Mary Sibley, Secretary

Renee Baird, Treasurer



At-Large Members of the Board:

Larry Alman

Robert Essenberg

Julie Kushman

Laura McGannon

Linda Miller

Scott Norris

Robert Wing-Proctor

Fred Wurtzel



Director:

Gwen Botting

Part-time/Volunteer Staff includes: Donna Posont, Naturalist; Osman Koroma, 
Communications Coordinator and Fitness Specialist; Nadia Cioffi, Office 
Assistant



Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind's mission is to enrich the quality of 
life of people who are blind and visually impaired through lifelong 
education and recreation.



* OUB is a charitable nonprofit organization under Section 501 ©(3). We 
treasure your generous donations.



WHAT'S UP, OUB?

By Karla Piper, Editor

Welcome to our premiere issue of the newsletter of Opportunities Unlimited 
for the Blind (OUB)! OUB has been providing camping experiences at Camp 
Tuhsmeheta and other venues for children and youth who are blind or visually 
impaired for over 18 years.  We partner with the Michigan Department of 
Education, as well as the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP), 
National Federation of the Blind (NFB), local Lions Clubs, and many other 
generous contributers to allow our mission to thrive! Our main project are 
to support, promote and provide the many wonderful programs affiliated with 
Camp Tuhsmeheta, Camp-in-a Box, and Birding by Ear. Camp Tuhsmeheta 
(otherwise known as Camp T) has been operating since the early 1970s as a 
fabulous place for blind and visually impaired persons to learn about 
independence in a beautiful wooded setting in Greenville, Michigan. 
Recently, Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind has expanded its scope to 
include new programs such as Camp-in-a-Box and Birding-by-Ear. Camp-in-a-Box 
allows campers and staff to explore many adventures outside of the 
Greenville area, all over the state of Michigan, possibly in other corners 
of the US - maybe even the world! We are so excited to be able to provide 
these new experiences to enjoy nature and independence in a wide variety of 
settings. Birding-by-Ear is another excellent learning experience for blind 
and visually impaired campers. This program is sponsored by a grant from the 
University of Michigan Dearborn, and Donna Posont, a naturalist who is 
blind, teaches listening to the glorious sounds of nature, particularly its 
birds. In this way, campers learn how to enjoy birds by their sounds, rather 
than simply by sight. Our newsletter will keep you informed about all of the 
latest happenings at OUB. We welcome all of your contributions, suggestions, 
and feedback. Happy Holidays to all!



How to subscribe to this newsletter!

If you are receiving this newsletter addressed directly to your email, you 
are currently on our mailing list and you will receive this newsletter 
without doing anything, although you may certainly request that your name be 
removed from our list.



If you receive this newsletter through the Michigan Parents of Children with 
Visual Impairments list, or the MAER list, Facebook, or any other indirect 
method, you may NOT be on our list and you need to respond to Gwen Botting 
at gwen at campt.org to be added to the OUB list.  While we will continue to 
contact anyone who we think might be interested in what we offer, it is only 
fair to other organizations that we gather our own mailing list, giving you 
the quickest access to updates on new and exciting opportunities for you or 
your child or student!  We will only be able to make this newsletter 
available electronically through email, social networking sites and our 
website - saves trees, which we love!  And money, that we always need more 
of!



Contest for a fun title for our newsletter!!!

OUB is wondering if anyone would like to submit a great idea for a catchy 
title for this newsletter. It can be as creative and silly as you wish. We 
would love to hear from all of you who have enjoyed the fun at Camp 
Tuhsmeheta, Camp-in-a-Box, LIO camp, and/or Birding-by-Ear! The winner will 
receive an amazing prize. Please submit your title ideas by February 1, 
2013. You may submit them to the camp web site at www.campt.org , or send 
them to Gwen Botting, Director, at gwen at campt.org. We look forward to your 
title submissions!



Our newest program!   50/50 for 5 Challenge!

By Gwen Botting

Start your new year on the right foot - and the left! Opportunities 
Unlimited for the Blind challenges YOU - kids, parents, friends, and even 
its own Board of Directors - to a Healthy Living Challenge in 2013! 
Introducing the

50/50 for 5 Challenge!

Starting January 1, 2013, we are looking for 50 blind or visually impaired 
kids, their friends, parents and other family members, to commit to 
exercising 50 hours in 5 months. This is less than 3 hours per week! The 
culminating event - which is optional - is participation in the 5th/3rd Bank 
River Bank Run in Grand Rapids in the 5K run or the 5 K walk on May 11, 
2013. The objective of the 50/50 for 5 Challenge is to get into better shape 
and to have as many of our kids as possible RUN the 5 K on May 11, rather 
than walk it - or spend the day playing video games! Active bodies are 
healthy bodies, and we all could use a little more movement in our lives! 
Reminders and mini-challenges, mostly by e-mail and Facebook, will encourage 
you to keep on working out! You will have a chance to encourage others with 
your success, and get tips on keeping the calorie fires burning! There will 
be prizes awarded at various stages in the 50/50 for 5 Challenge, too, to 
keep you motivated.



Full details and registration materials will be available online at 
www.campt.org in December - watch for it! For more information, please call 
Gwen Botting, Director, at 989-855-2430 or email gwen at campt.org.





"Nearly Set In Stone" 2012- 2013 OUB CAMPS Schedule!



Including events at Camp Tuhsmeheta, Camp-in-a-Box, and Birding-by-Ear

(as of December 10, 2012)



December 1             Michigan Birdbrains  EIC/UMD, Dearborn

December 15           CANCELED - Christmas Bird Count Potter Park, Lansing

February 15-17        Snow Much Fun/Backyard Bird Count/Birding-by Ear,

                                    Camp T

April 26-27                Spring Birding-By-Ear, Camp T

May 10-11                 5th/3rd Bank River Bank Run Kick Off, Camp T

May 17-19                 Gardening Weekend, Camp T

May 31-June 2        VI Sports Day and OUB Open House, Camp T

June 9-June 14      Staff Training, Camp T

June 14-16               MPVI Family Camp, Camp T

June 17-21               MDE-LIO Camps, Camp T

June 23-29               Survival Arts Camp-in-a-Box, location TBA

June 30-July 5         Master Chef (Culinary Camp), Camp T

July 7 - 11                Music Camp, Camp T

July 16 - 21              NFB Braille Camp, Camp T

July 21 - 26              Making Sense of our Senses, Camp T

July 28 - Aug 2        NFB Science Camp-in-a-Box, location TBA

August 9 - 19          UP Adventure Trip Camp-in-a-Box, locations TBA,

                                    including Alpena,   Cheboygan and other 
points north!



Information for 2013 at Camp Tushmeheta is CONFIRMED.  Information on 
Survival Arts Camp, Science Camp and the Adventure Trip will be posted on 
our website as soon as possible.  Please check the Opportunities Unlimited 
for the Blind website frequently (www.campt.org) for more details.  Sign up 
for our newsletter to get email notifications of the new schedule when it is 
available.  Email Gwen at gwen at campt.org or call 989-855-2430.



2013 Camp descriptions:

Michigan Birdbrains - December 1, 2012 - Blind and visually impaired kids 
participated in an OWL PROWL at the University of Michigan Dearborn 
Environmental Interpretive Center.  Had a conversation with a screech owl!

Christmas Bird Count - December 15, 2012 - CANCELLED - we are sorry for any 
inconvenience

Birding-By-Ear - Dearborn - January - May, first Saturday of each month - U 
of M Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center - see article in this 
newsletter!

Birding-By-Ear - Lansing - January - May, second Saturday of each month - 
Woldumar Nature Center Snow Much Fun - February 15-17, 2013 - includes as 
much nature and cold weather fun as we can muster at Camp Tuhsmeheta!

Spring Birding - April 26-28 - come to camp at the peak of the spring 
birding season and learn to identify - and understand - all those beautiful 
songs we hear each year in April and May, plus all the usual great stuff 
about camp!

5th/3rd River Bank Run Kickoff - May 10-11 - blind and visually impaired 
runners and walkers meet their guide runners and practice with them at Camp 
T and travel to Grand Rapids for the BIG EVENT! A 5 - K run or walk.  See 
article about the 50/50 for 5 Challenge in this newsletter!

Gardening Weekend - May 17-19 - come help us plant the garden at Camp T! 
Lots of fun for everyone, and there will still be lots of birds singing!

VI Sports Day and OUB Open House - May 31-June 2 -  come spend a relaxing 
time at camp before and after attending VI Sports Day in Grand Rapids, 
sponsored by Spectrum Health.  Check out Camp T and discuss summer camping 
options with OUB staff.

Staff Training - June 9-14 - for OUB summer camp staff - we are looking for 
staff for the summer at this time - please check out our website at 
www.campt.org in January for staff applications.  Counselors-in-training 
must be 17 years-of -age.  Counselors must be at least 18 years-old.  Half 
of our staff are persons who are blind or visually impaired.  We also hire a 
nurse, lifeguard, and at least two staff members over 21 with driver's 
licenses and a good driving record.

Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments Family Camp - June 
14-16 - MPVI sponsors this camp, which will focus on teaching skills such as 
clothing care, cleaning and cooking to children who are blind or visually 
impaired at home.  It's a great opportunity to network with other families, 
get to know the staff, and make new friends!  At Camp T.

Michigan Department of Education Low Incidence Outreach Camps - June 17-21 - 
These half-week camps are sponsored by the MDE-LIO and staffed by OUB CAMPS. 
Primary consideration is for students from inner-city Detroit.  Further 
details will be on the OUB website.  At Camp T.

Survival Arts Camp-in-a-Box - June 23 - 29 - This is camp as it should be! 
We will mix "Survivor" with Art Camp! Explore how early peoples learned to 
make vessels for everyday use with clay they dug from the ground, decorated 
their tents and clothing, and why art and music are central to our existence 
as humans, all while living in tents, cooking outside, and doing all things 
camp to the max! Location TBA.

Master Chef - June 30 - July 5 - our culinary camp is one of our most 
popular!  Learn to actually cook entire meals from beginning to end without 
needing to use your eyes!  Get the hang of using knives and stove and oven 
safely.  Learn food safety, cool measuring tricks, and of course, eat great 
food!  At Camp T.

Music Camp - July 7- 11 - this camp is all about using our ears and minds 
and bodies to produce beautiful and expressive sound.  Explore how sound can 
be manipulated by various acoustic instruments and even electronics - of 
course, a lot of singing and fun at Camp T!

National Federation of the Blind of Michigan Braille Camp - July 16-21 - 
learn how valuable Braille can be, even for students with some vision. 
Learn speed reading techniques that will help you in high school and 
college.  Have fun on field trips and learning skills of blindness!  At Camp 
T.

Making Sense of Our Senses - July 21-26 - a great way to bookend our time at 
Camp T, this is the companion camp to the 5th/3rd River Bank Run event for 
visually impaired and sighted students to explore what our senses can do for 
us.  This camp will foster deeper understanding of how persons who are 
missing one or more sense can use other senses to get information about 
their world and learn to navigate and become a successful adult. At Camp T.

National Federation of the Blind of Michigan Science Camp-in-a-Box - July 
28- Aug 2 - come explore how Michigan was formed and how humans have 
affected where we live!  An exciting science experience designed just for 
children and youth who are blind or visually impaired.  Be prepared to camp 
out and live outdoors for a fabulous time!  Location TBA.

Upper Peninsula of Michigan Adventure Trip Camp-in-a-Box - August 9-19 - 
Spend part of the week at camp Chickagaume as we explore the eastern side of 
northern lower Michigan near Alpena - including shipwrecks and islands, and 
then venture out to "rough it" in the wilderness of the UP.  More details to 
follow.  Locations: Camp Chickagaume and TBA.



Family Camps (all weekend camps) are open to all ages.  Weekday camps at 
Camp T are open to children and youth aged 7-18 or 26 for those who have not 
yet graduated from high school.  Camp-in-a-Box programs open to children and 
youth aged 12 and older.  10- or 11-year old students may be accepted to 
Camp-in-a-Box programs with prior approval from the camp director and must 
have attended at least one weekday camp at Camp T in the summer of 2013.



OUB makes changes to Board of Directors

Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind is the organization that has held most 
of the camp sessions at Camp Tuhsmeheta for children and youth who are blind 
or visually impaired for the last 18 years. Over the past 9 months, 
Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind has made some important changes to its 
structure. New board members and officers were elected in September. The 
officers of OUB are:



Casey Dutmer, Chair (Retired BEP operator, Lions Club officer)

Karla Piper, Vice Chair and Newsletter Editor (VRT and former Camp T 
counselor)

Mary Sibley, Secretary (business owner, OUB CAMPS office assistant in 2013),

Renee Baird, Treasurer (Amway/Alticor and parent of 2 young adults who are 
blind or visually impaired)



Gwen Botting is the Director of OUB (parent of a young adult who is blind, 
past president of Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments, and 
former OUB board member).



At - large board members include:

Larry Alman (Lions Club officer, retired businessman)

Robert Essenberg (BEP operator, former camp director at Camp T)

Scott Norris (Michigan Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped)

Julie Kushman (O&M Instructor, KRESA)

Robert Wing-Proctor (Retired captain, US Army, parent of young adult who is 
blind)

Fred Wurtzel (Retired administrator for the Michigan Commission for the 
Blind, past president of NFB of Michigan)

Linda Miller (Willis Insurance and Greenville area resident)

Laura McGannon (TCVI Greenville area and former Camp T counselor)



My Experiences at Camp T

By Taylor Arndt

Hi. I'm Taylor Arndt. I attend Hopkins middle school. I love Camp T Because 
I get a ton of independence. I love independence at Camp T because I learn a 
lot and apply what I learn at Camp T at my everyday life at home. One thing 
I have learned is Building on my cooking skills. Every year I attend, I get 
more independent. This is made possible because of all the amazing blind 
staff and mentors. Things I had picked up on since I have attended in 2007: 
I learned how to pour milk. Another thing I developed at Camp T is I have 
more leadership thanks to Camp T.



Why kids should attend camp: If you are 7 years old or older and you're 
blind, you can gladly check out the amazing Camp T with your kids and 
family. All you need to do is visit www.campT.org. You can also come with 
your family on a weekend in the school year. You also may check out the camp 
schedule to see what camps you would like to attend and register and fill 
out the forms and you will be set.



What camp will offer? We have some camps off site, which means that we 
aren't at camp. This teaches kids to develop better Mobility skills and 
independent skills. There are some camps at the regular camp. We do 
swimming, boating, and much more.



What camps I've attended: I have attended music camp. I liked it but I 
really don't have a talent in music. My favorite camp is art. I love art 
camp because I can be creative. If art camp is offered when you want to 
register, you should give it a try. One of the camps I have also gone to is 
culinary camp. This camp is so very good and it teaches cooking skills that 
are needed. A new camp that was offered last year was field birding. This 
camp, you had to be 12 years of age to attend. The camp was in Williamston 
at Sleepy hollow state park. We did a lot of natural activities that week. 
They included going on walks and much more. Those are some of the best camps 
I've attended.









Snow Much Fun!

By Gwen Botting

Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind first camping event in 2013 will be 
Snow Much Fun! February 15-17 at Camp Tuhsmeheta, Greenville, MI. This is a 
family event, although campers may come on their own for a slightly higher 
fee. Mark your calendars, and look for registration information on the 
website, www.campt.org soon! It will be a fun weekend of winter activities 
that will include, (hopefully, with enough cold and snow!), snowmen, ice 
skating, snowball fights and snowshoeing or cross country skiing, plus the 
Great Backyard Bird Count, cooking, crafts and more! Snow Much Fun! Don't 
miss it!













Tandem Biking at Nature Camp

By Donna Posont







During August 2012 Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind partnered with the 
University of Michigan Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center in 
providing our first Nature Immersion Camp. We established our camp site home 
along the shore of Lake Erie and traveled daily to the UMD Environmental 
Interpretive Center. However, nature was not the only item on the schedule. 
We greatly enjoyed an activity which kept us outside, but used some muscles 
and provided an experience which few previously had.



OUB partnered with John Waterman and the PEAK program, which provides tandem 
biking or specialized biking for people of all ages with special needs. We 
gathered in Heritage park, Taylor, MI for a beautiful evening adventure, 
pairing our campers who are blind or visually impaired with sighted 
counselors and PEAK volunteers. Counselors and volunteers were the 
"captains" of each team, riding in front and steering and braking, while 
participants with less vision were "stokers" from the second seat.



One of our campers, Steven Crouch, from Flushing was delighted to see Nino 
and Marie Paccini at the event. They are two adult blind friends that he 
knew from his previous experience with Michigan Ski for Light. Nino and 
Marie helped us make the connection with PEAK and they were present to train 
some of our staff as captains. Steven said that the opportunity of tandem 
biking provided him with the experience to feel the breeze in a way 
different than his usual life activities. To keep his experience fresh, 
Steven recorded the sounds during his bike ride on his Victor Stream, a 
reading, recording device for the blind. Steven would also like his 
appreciation conveyed to John Waterman, the director of PEAK, for this 
exciting opportunity!

According to Taylor Arndt from Allegan, the tandem biking was a great 
experience. She thought it was a good idea because it allowed her to 
participate in a sport that she had not done before, and she loved it!



A first time camper from Detroit, Delacy Tart-Morgan, was thrilled with the 
tandem bike riding experience and expressed that he would really like to 
have the opportunity to ride a tandem bike again. He said he would 
definitely come back for more of that activity.



The chance to ride a bike was clearly a high point for the campers . 
Children who are blind or visually impaired rarely, if ever, have the 
opportunity to ride a bicycle like their sighted friends do. The time spent 
in Heritage Park, experiencing the freedom of riding bikes in a safe 
environment, was a real winner for them , and something they will not soon 
forget. Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind greatly appreciates the 
partnership with John Waterman, PEAK, Nino and Marie Paccini, and the 
helpful captains which were so dedicated to making sure our campers had a 
memorable, safe, and enjoyable experience tandem biking. We look forward to 
working together again in the near future.



By Donna Posont, Field Services Director





Accessible Science - Birding-by-Ear in 2013

By Donna Posont

In 2012 Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind inaugurated a new program, 
Birding-By-Ear. This program emphasizes using sound - and auditory memory 
skills instead of vision - to identify wild birds in natural environments. 
By participating in this program, students and adults who are blind or 
visually impaired will be able to fine tune their ability to use their sense 
of hearing to better navigate in urban, rural and natural areas, learn about 
wildlife, natural history, and ecology, and enjoy listening to and 
identifying birds that can be heard every day. Participants in this program 
may also see improvements in their personal mobility, physical fitness, and 
self-esteem. This program is funded largely through a "Difference Maker" 
grant to Donna Posont, Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind's naturalist. 
The program is led and facilitated by Donna in Dearborn and Lansing, and 
classes are planned for Grand Rapids in the spring.



In the new year 2013, more opportunities for Birding-By-Ear in Michigan will 
be available to all. The University of Michigan Dearborn Environmental 
Interpretive Center in Dearborn will be the site of monthly Birding By Ear 
classes on the first Saturday of each month. It will be held from 10a.m. 
until noon and part of the time will be outside investigating the natural 
area surrounding the center. The "Michigan Birdbrains", a group of visually 
impaired and blind youth, will continue to be the backbone of this group.



The Woldumar Nature Center, southwest of Lansing, will host a monthly 
Birding By Ear class on the second Saturday of each month from 10a.m. until 
noon. We are looking forward to a wonderful partnership with Woldumar. This 
location is easily accessed from both sides of lower Michigan and is open to 
all ages.



Don't forget about attending Snow Much Fun where we will once again be 
participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count in partnership with Cornell 
Lab of Ornithology. As the birds are migrating back in the spring we will 
welcome them with a birding weekend, April 26-28. Both of these programs 
will be held at Camp Tuhsmeheta and will contain lots of programming about 
bird eating habits, nesting, and fascinating bird behaviors. Please consider 
joining any or all of these activities and gain an awareness of your natural 
world. For more information please contact Donna Posont; Field Services 
Director; Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind 313-220-8140 or 
Donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com.



Why I Love Camp

By Ashlee Wycoff, camper and 2012 staff



Camp Tuhsmeheta is a great camp for kids and teenagers who are blind or 
visually impaired. If your child/children feels alone in the world, they are 
not. Let them know that there is a place they can call home for a few weeks 
or a month during the summer. It is a place where they can meet and talk 
with others who have the same disability as they have. The staff they hire 
each year is wonderful and their summer programs are so much fun! You get to 
do all kinds of things, such as learning how to cook, do science 
experiments, work on daily living skills, etc. so, parents, I encourage you 
to tell your child/children that they have friends and family who would love 
to spend some time with them!



My experiences on a sighted kids swim team

By Taylor Arndt



It all started when I wanted to find a swim team besides Special Olympics. 
My mom and I were searching for a team. We found a team in Allegan.

On the first day of practice, my mom and I started figuring out the 
routines. The coach was glad to have me on the team and it was really 
working out.

Practice started off really good and it was very accessible and descriptive.



Tips for being on a sighted kids swim team:

1. Make sure that the blind person wants to try.

2. Tell the coaches about the kid and give some ways to help.

3. Try what the sighted kids are doing and adapt according to the kid's 
needs.

These are some of the tips that might help.



Adaptations that have been made to help me:

One of the adaptations that have been made is having the coach take me to an 
area of the pool and practice. The other thing is the coach meets me by the 
stairs and we practice the strokes or the other things. These are the 
experiences I have had.



Michigan Birdbrains and Birding by Ear

By Donna Posont

A group of blind and visually impaired youth have affectionately named 
themselves the Michigan Birdbrains. What distinguishes us from other birders 
is that we learn to identify birds first of all by sound. As our experiences 
grow interacting with our feathered friends we learn how to include other 
clues for identification such as habitat, season, and geographic location.

While enjoying environmental encounters we have gained confidence in our 
orientation and mobility skills. Without even realizing it, as we travel the 
trails listening for birds we are improving in abilities to navigate new 
territory as blind people. This confidence gained leads to greater 
independence and an improved sense of self-worth. In a visual world it is 
refreshing to be one who recognizes and finds something first by sound. The 
approach of "Birding by Ear" brings realization for participants that they 
can compete in a sighted world by the use of other senses. While putting all 
our clues together with auditory information we have learned to identify 
many birds of Michigan by recordings and participating in nature encounters 
in the out-of-doors.

Highlights from the year 2012 include classes at the University of Michigan 
Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center, participation in the Great 
Backyard Bird count at Camp Tuhsmeheta near Greenville in February, a 
birding field day in March at Nature Discovery in Williamston, a Birding 
weekend in May at Camp Tuhssmeheta, a Field Birding camp at Sleepy Hollow 
State Park in June, participation in the Hawk Fest at Lake Erie Metro Park 
in September, and an Owl Prowl on December 1 at the Environmental 
Interpretive Center. During 2012 there were many opportunities to improve 
upon our skills as birders and add many new species to our life lists. In 
September we received funding through an Edward J. Baggel Difference Maker 
Scholarship to expand our Birding By Ear program.

In the New Year we will be holding Birding by Ear classes in Dearborn on the 
first Saturday of the month from 10a.m.-noon at the UMD Environmental 
Interpretive Center. On the second Saturday of each month we will be meeting 
for a new Birding By Ear class at Woldumar Nature Center southwest of 
Lansing. Also, we will be holding some birding activities an the Ann Arbor 
area. During the Snow Much Fun weekend February 15-17 at Camp T, we will 
once again be participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Our Spring 
Birding weekend is scheduled for April 26-28 at Camp Tuhsmeheta. While we 
are reinforcing our knowledge of bird songs and calls we will also gain 
knowledge of nesting, feeding and migratory habits of the birds returning to 
Camp Tuhsmeheta for their season of raising families. We will also have a 
ton of fun with camp activities such as camp fires, singing, playing games 
of all sorts, and making a bird-friendly craft.

If you would like more information about the activities of the Michigan 
Birdbrains please contact; Donna Posont Field Services 
Director/Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind 313-220-8140 or 
Donnabutterfly50 at Gmail.com





Camp-in-a-Box needs the BOX!

By Gwen Botting

Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind is looking for a used camper that can 
be pulled with a conventional ball hitch by our Ford 350 van. It does not 
need to be in great condition - OUB wants to create office space and a 
storage area for camping equipment in it - and ideally would like this 
camper donated to them. Donating a vehicle or camper is really very easy. If 
you know of anyone who has a camper that is not being used, or someone who 
plans to upgrade

and doesn't know what to do with their old one, please let them know of 
OUB's need. Other items on the OUB wish list can be found at

www.campt.org.  Thanks!





UNITED WAY CAN HELP US!!!

It has come to our attention that the United Way charitable organization can 
contribute to Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind. If your place of 
employment offers you the opportunity to donate through United Way, you can 
designate OUB to help us provide the great programming you, your children 
and friends love. You simply add OUB as a "write in", designating us as the 
nonprofit organization of your choice. Any contributions from United Way 
would be greatly appreciated. We have many wonderful programs and 
opportunities ahead of us, and extra funding is a huge help to making our 
organization thrive.



How else can you help?

Producing programming for children, youth and adults who are blind or 
visually impaired is a labor intensive process.  Many of our campers have 
other needs besides blindness, and our staff to camper ratio is frequently 
as low as 1:1.  This takes money.  Your donations are extremely valuable to 
us and to "our kids".  Help them get the skills of independence that they 
need to become successful, contributing adults.  Please consider OUB for an 
end-of-the-year donation.  Please send your checks to:



Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind

P.O. Box 46

Greenville

MI 48846



Thank you!



For more information on any OUB CAMPS or other opportunities offered by OUB, 
please go to our website, www.camp.org, or contact Gwen Botting, Director, 
gwen at campt.org, or 989-855-2430 or 616-755-2221.



See you at CAMP!

Voice lessons and Braille Tutoring available. Contact Terri Wilcox MA at 
trising at sbcglobal.net or (734)663-5040.
_______________________________________________
nfbmi-talk mailing list
nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nfbmi-talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/jj%40bestmidi.com





More information about the NFBMI-Talk mailing list