[nfbmi-talk] {Spam?} Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind TheBlind Planet

[Amy Shepherd]

OUB does not receive funding from the BSBP. In the past couple of years they have had Blind students who were placed at Camp T as counselors as part of the BSBP job training/placement program. Their salaries were paid by the BSBP.  It is a valuable collaboration and a good opportunity for Transition aged students to get on the job training and work experience they need. 

Amy Shepherd

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 21, 2014, at 1:58 PM, "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net> wrote:

> He is a state employee on the board of an outfit that is funded in part by BSBP
> That is why it is relevent. It is a conflict of interest.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "J.J. Meddaugh" <jj at bestmidi.com>
> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 1:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] {Spam?} Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind TheBlind Planet
> 
> 
>> How is this relevant?
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> J.J.
>> 
>> On 2/17/2014 5:15 PM, joe harcz Comcast wrote:
>>> Is Essenberg and are other BSBP employees still members of the OUB Board?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Posont" <president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>
>>> To: "nfbmi List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 4:47 PM
>>> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] {Spam?} Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind TheBlind Planet
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> The Blind Planet
>>>> February 2014
>>>> OUB is a charitable nonprofit organization under Section 501c3. We
>>>> gladly accept your generous donations!
>>>> 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.
>>>> 
>>>> Breaking News!
>>>> Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind is now partnering with four
>>>> organizations to provide great experiences for children, youth and
>>>> adults with blindness or visual impairment!  Our new camp home is
>>>> Indian Trails Camp in Grand Rapids, and we are working with Michigan
>>>> Parents of Children with Visual Impairments, the Association for the
>>>> Blind and Visually Impaired in Grand Rapids, and Running Blind, who is
>>>> sponsoring our fabulous Adventure Trip!  See inside for more details!
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> From your Executive Director, Gwen Botting
>>>> Happy February, everyone!  Who knew that we were going to have record
>>>> weather all over the country this winter?
>>>> If you are having trouble coping with this season's challenges, it
>>>> might help to imagine our Spring and Summer events and camps, coming
>>>> very soon!  All of our camps in 2014 are being offered through some
>>>> great partnerships with Indian Trails Camp (our new camp home),
>>>> Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (MPVI), the
>>>> Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), and Running
>>>> Blind.
>>>> Our Spring Fling will be a lovely weekend at ITC spent in nature,
>>>> enjoying each other and the music of our feathered friends and blind
>>>> and visually impaired campers!  So find your dancing shoes and come on
>>>> out for a great time!  Also coming soon is our Michigan Parents of
>>>> Children with Visual Impairments (MPVI) Family Camp weekend, where one
>>>> of our activities will be to install our new garden - requiring
>>>> woodworking as well as gardening, and we want everyone to have a
>>>> chance with a hammer and a shovel!  Previous experience not required!
>>>> We also have a completely new camp, Blindness Immersion, that is a
>>>> 2-week camp, or you can come to just the first week or just the second
>>>> - whatever fits your life and your schedule.  Blindness Immersion is
>>>> just that - all things blind!  Music, art, cooking, daily living
>>>> skills, sports, nature - everything will be offered both weeks of
>>>> camp.  If you are 14 or older and want to take part in the Association
>>>> for the Blind and Visually Impaired's Summer in the City program,
>>>> never fear!  We are currently working things out with ABVI so that you
>>>> can attend BOTH programs, and making transportation easier for your
>>>> family!  It's going to be an awesome opportunity!  We end the season
>>>> with two fantastic camps:  Survivor Art Camp, focusing on survival
>>>> skills at Camp Optimist and on exploring the art community in Grand
>>>> Rapids, and our Running Blind Adventure Camp, sponsored by Running
>>>> Blind, an organization dedicated to fostering athletic endeavors for
>>>> blind and visually impaired persons.  THIS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST
>>>> AWESOME ADVENTURE TRIP EVER!  Sign up soon, because, for only $200 per
>>>> camper, this trip is available to ONLY the first 15 campers to
>>>> register!
>>>> There is a lot coming up, and you can help and have fun by attending
>>>> our fundraiser, Bowling Blast!  This event will be held this coming
>>>> Sunday, February 16. See flyer inside for more details!  You can also
>>>> check out Indian Trails camp this weekend - see flyer for their Snow
>>>> Ball Dance!
>>>> Looking forward to seeing YOU at camp!
>>>> 
>>>> Gwen
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Winter Bowling Blast
>>>> Please mark your calendars for this exciting event:
>>>> Sunday, February 16
>>>> 2:00pm
>>>> Park Center Lanes, 2222 28th St SW Wyoming, Michigan
>>>> For $20 you get to bowl three games, includes shoes, 2 slices of pizza
>>>> and a pop. If you are not a bowler, join us for the Silent Auction
>>>> Sponsored by: Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 2014 Camp and Event Schedule
>>>> Locations:  Indian Trails Camp, 1859 Lake Michigan Drive, Grand Rapids, MI
>>>>         Camp Optimist, 10324 Lovers Lane NW, Grand Rapids, MI
>>>>         Camp-in-a-Box, Beaver Island and Lake Charlevoix, MI
>>>> Date Event Location
>>>> Jan 17-19 Snow Much Fun (family event) Indian Trails
>>>> April 4-6 Spring Fling (family event) Indian Trails
>>>> May 16-18 MPVI Family Camp/Open House Indian Trails and Camp O
>>>> May 27- June 1 Staff Training with ITC staff ITC and Camp O
>>>> June 4 - 8 Specialized Staff Training for OUB staff ITC and Camp O
>>>> June 8 - 14 Tech Camp (Adults 18 and over) ITC and Camp O
>>>> June 15 - 22 Blindness Immersion (Ages 7-HS)* ITC and Camp O
>>>> June 22 - 28 Blindness Immersion (Ages 7-HS)* ITC and Camp O
>>>> June 29 -  5 ------off------no camp
>>>> July 6 - 12 Survivor Art Camp (Ages 12-HS)** Camp O only
>>>> July 13-23 Running Blind Adventure Camp (Ages 12- HS)** Beaver Is,
>>>> Lake Charlevoix
>>>> October 24-26 Harvest Festival (family event) ITC and Camp O
>>>> *campers may attend either or both weeks of Blindness Immersion Camp.
>>>> Campers do not need to return home over the weekend between the two
>>>> weeks of camp.
>>>> **participants in Survivor Art may stay with us for the Adventure Trip
>>>> without returning home in between camps - but they will be expected to
>>>> help us pack!!!
>>>> Join us for a great experience - fun and learning and friendships
>>>> all-in-one package:
>>>> OUB Camps!
>>>> 
>>>> Camp Descriptions - Everything you want to know!*
>>>> *if we missed something, please call, email, or check out our website,
>>>> www.oubmichigan.org
>>>> Snow Much Fun January 17-19 - This was our first event at Indian
>>>> Trails Camp and it was SO MUCH FUN!  We "got lost" on a nature walk,
>>>> made cardboard sleds, creatures out of vegetables and gingerbread
>>>> houses, played games, ate s'mores and had hot chocolate, sat by the
>>>> fire and had a great time!  Indian Trails is a great camp for us!
>>>> Spring Fling April 4-6 - Don't miss this fun family event with nature
>>>> exploration, music, crafts, dancing, an auction and so much more!
>>>> Held at Indian Trails Camp.  Cost: $75 per family of 4, $20 each extra
>>>> person.
>>>> MPVI Family Camp/ Open House May 16-18 - We love Family Camp! MPVI
>>>> co-sponsors this camp which will give families a great opportunity to
>>>> explore both ITC and Camp Optimist, help put in our new garden at Camp
>>>> O, and just relax and have fun together, play games, do special crafts
>>>> designed just for you, and learn from each other. Held at ITC and Camp
>>>> O. Cost: $75 per family of 4, $20 each extra person.
>>>> Staff Training May 27-June 1 and June 4-8 - for those of you who are
>>>> considering applying to work as a camp counselor this summer, consider
>>>> working for OUB!  Staff training will be held with ITC staff May 27 -
>>>> June 1 and with OUB staff only from June 4-8.  Held at ITC and Camp O.
>>>> Tech Camp June 8 - 14 - for adults only (18 and over).  This camp is
>>>> for adults of any age who enjoy meeting others with blindness or
>>>> visual impairment, like to have fun, and want to learn more about the
>>>> latest in technical improvements and help with those they already own.
>>>> Brush up on your cooking and life skills, too!  Experts in the field
>>>> will lead classes, and fun activities will be planned for the
>>>> evenings.  All meals included. Held at ITC and Camp O.   Cost: $500
>>>> per person.  Hint: talk with your BSBP counselor about helping you
>>>> attend this camp!
>>>> Blindness Immersion June 15-28 (ages 7 - HS)  or June 15-21 or June
>>>> 22-28.  This camp includes - well - EVERYTHING!  Music, drama, art,
>>>> cooking, like skills, sports, field trips (even a baseball game!),
>>>> campfires, swimming (in a pool!), boating, singing silly songs - all
>>>> things blind, all the time!  Come to one week or both. SPECIAL
>>>> ARRANGEMENT: for those students who are 14 and over who would like to
>>>> attend the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired's Summer in
>>>> the City Program, we are currently working out details to make it
>>>> possible to do BOTH - OUB will provide transportation to and from this
>>>> great program in Grandville, and participants can then come back to
>>>> Indian Trails to participate in our evening and weekend activities,
>>>> including overnight accommodations and meals.  For more information on
>>>> Blindness Immersion or the Special Arrangement, please call Gwen at
>>>> 989-855-2430. For information about Summer in the City, contact Amy
>>>> Schreiner at the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired at
>>>> 616-458-1187 extension 332. Held at ITC and Camp O.  Cost: $1200 per
>>>> week or $2000 for 2-week camp.  Reduced rates based on ability to pay.
>>>> Scholarships available.  Blindness Immersion/Summer in the City
>>>> rates: $300 per week or $500 for two weeks.
>>>> Survivor Art Camp July 6-12 (ages 12-HS)  In this exciting reboot of
>>>> our wild and crazy new camp of 2013, Survivor Art Camp will be held at
>>>> Camp Optimist, learning survival skills, sleeping in tents,
>>>> participating in crazy challenges, cooking all of our own meals but
>>>> also taking field trips to explore and do extremely cool 3-dimensional
>>>> art with experienced artists in the Grand Rapids community. Held at
>>>> Camp O.  Cost: $1200.  Reduced rates available based on ability to
>>>> pay. Scholarships available.  Special Rate: for participants in
>>>> Survivor Art and Running Blind Adventure Camp, two-camp (2 1/2 weeks)
>>>> special rate is $600!  What a deal!
>>>> Running Blind Adventure Camp July 13-23 (ages 12-HS)  THE ADVENTURE OF
>>>> A LIFETIME!  5 days on Beaver Island and 5 days at Lake Charlevoix,
>>>> all sponsored by Running Blind!  Hop on one of our camp vans on July
>>>> 13 for the ferry to Beaver Island, spend 5 days there exploring and
>>>> camping, swimming and whatever else we can cook up, and then go back
>>>> to the mainland for 5 days of adventures including Fort Mackinaw, zip
>>>> lining, canoeing, track and field challenges, backyard barbeques and
>>>> even parasailing!  (That is, being lifted up on a giant kite over the
>>>> water behind a boat!  All events are with professional organizations
>>>> and are inspected and safe!)  You will NOT want to miss this! With
>>>> the financial and organizational support of Running Blind, we can
>>>> offer this camp for only $200!  Limited to first 15 participants.
>>>> Held at Beaver Island and Camp Whiting and various locations in NW MI
>>>> Lower peninsula.  Cost: $200 Special Rate: for participants in
>>>> Survivor Art and Running Blind Adventure Camp, two-camp (2 1/2 weeks)
>>>> special rate is $600!  What a deal!
>>>> Harvest Festival  October 24-26 It might be hard to think of the fall
>>>> of 2014 right now, but plan on taking part in our Harvest Festival
>>>> family event at ITC and Camp O.  See what our new garden produced for
>>>> us over the summer!  Held at ITC and Camp O.  Cost: $75 per family of
>>>> 4, $20 each extra person.
>>>> 
>>>> Pricing our camps - why so many options?
>>>> We are trying a new pricing structure this summer.  $1200 per week
>>>> might sound like a lot, but we run small camps with a lot of staff to
>>>> get a nearly one-to-one ratio of campers to staff.  We find our kids
>>>> learn best this way.  We also have to pay a little more to hold camps
>>>> at Indian Trails than in our previous location.  $1200 is what it
>>>> actually costs us to produce camps for your kids.  We know that, for
>>>> some families, paying $1200 may be what they can choose to do. But
>>>> for most, that much is out of the question.  So we are offering a $600
>>>> half price option, and we are offering that rate for those of you who
>>>> get scholarships from the State of Michigan Department of Education
>>>> Trust Fund.  That will allow you who qualify for those scholarships to
>>>> come to at least two camps for free.  For those who DO NOT qualify for
>>>> MDE-LIO scholarships, but cannot afford $600, we have a third option.
>>>> We will accept $200 from you, but we ask that you try to get
>>>> scholarship money from other sources to make up the difference. All
>>>> you have to do is write letters to local service organizations in your
>>>> area, and send me a copy to show me that you asked for assistance.  A
>>>> sample letter is included in this newsletter!  BUT HERE'S THE CATCH!!!
>>>> A lot of service groups like Lions Clubs don't meet in the summer!  If
>>>> you plan to ask for scholarship assistance, you need to do it NOW!
>>>> Better yet, ask your child to help you with the letter, so that they
>>>> begin to understand the process of politely asking for help from
>>>> groups that like to help others.  It always helps if you are willing
>>>> to share your child's story with the group you are asking for funds
>>>> from.  DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!
>>>> SPECIAL DEAL #1: Partnerships are allowing us to offer some camps for
>>>> extraordinarily low rates!  If you live in the Grand Rapids Area and
>>>> your child is 14 or older, you may have heard of the STEPS program
>>>> offered by the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the
>>>> Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, or their two-week (Monday
>>>> through Thursday) summer program called Summer in the City. This
>>>> program offers lots of experiences with cooking, managing money,
>>>> taking public transportation and other important skills under the
>>>> watchful eye of Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists and
>>>> Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists.  This is a really great
>>>> program with a terrific track record.  The only problem is, for some
>>>> families, that parents often have to provide transportation both to
>>>> and from this program 4 days a week for two weeks.  HERE'S THE SPECIAL
>>>> DEAL:  Your blind or visually impaired teenager can come to Blindness
>>>> Immersion Camp at Indian Trails AND to Summer in the City.  Your
>>>> student can stay with us overnight, have breakfast at Indian Trails,
>>>> then we will provide transportation to the SITC program, pick them up
>>>> in the afternoon, and they can stay with us and participate in all of
>>>> our evening activities.  They can also stay THROUGH THE WEEKEND, June
>>>> 20-22.  The cost is only $300 for one week or $500 if participating in
>>>> both weeks.  WE hope you like this new option that will help more kids
>>>> participate in both SITC and OUB CAMPS!
>>>> SPECIAL DEAL #2:  Running Blind, and organization dedicated to
>>>> fostering athletic endeavors with people who are blind or visually
>>>> impaired, is sponsoring our RUNNING BLIND ADVENTURE TRIP.  This is a
>>>> totally awesome combination - our great staff and programming ideas
>>>> partnered with Hal Wolf and his ability to organize and fund events
>>>> that he is passionate about.  Entirely due to this passion and
>>>> generosity, the cost to any camper attending this 11-day camp is only
>>>> $200.  Again, DO NOT DELAY.  Open only to the first 15 registrants!
>>>> This camp will fill fast!
>>>> SPECIAL DEAL #3: For those of you 12 and older who are REALLY into
>>>> Adventure, you can attend BOTH Survivor Art Camp AND the Running Bli