[nfbmi-talk] letter of appreciation from President Riccobono

[Michael Powell]

Hello Federationists

Thank you to all who participated in the airport meeting today.  Thank you
to the rest of you for encouraging and supporting us here on the home front.

Since this was in my email I thought I would share it as it is always good
to know that our efforts, regardless how little or how much we contribute to
our cause, are appreciated.

Thank you to all, members and friends of NFB.

Mike                                      

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 <https://nfb.org/> Home >  <https://nfb.org/iof/2017/11> Imagineering Our
Future, November 2017

 

Dear Friends,

I know of nothing more powerful in life than when a group of people come
together for a common purpose. We enhance that power when the individuals
are volunteers-when they are driven by purpose and action rather than
compensation. In the National Federation of the Blind we benefit from a
tremendous group of highly effective, talented individuals who work on our
staff--a staff that stands above comparable teams.

Yet, the energy and action of the Federation that allows us to employ staff
stems from our amazing volunteer base made up of both supporters and
members. Everything we do is born out of the caring of our volunteers who
want to make a real difference.  

>From local communities in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto
Rico, individuals volunteer their time, their talent, and often their
treasure to transform the dreams of blind people into reality. Our blind
volunteers provide the motivation, leadership, and true work engine of our
organization. Our sighted volunteers apply their unique talents in all of
the places where they are needed and they come to be "blind at heart." When
you combine all of these volunteer actions together you get the most
powerful vehicle for collective action to improve the lives of blind people
that exists anywhere.

I thank those of you who are volunteering now and I urge others to step
forward and help blind people to live the lives we want.

Whether it is knitting something for an auction, providing transportation to
a meeting, handing out literature at a community resource fair, talking to a
newly blind person, putting together packets for the affiliate convention,
organizing a protest, leading a team around the state capitol, or hundreds
of other activities, you can find a Federationist volunteering to get the
job done.

When I go to do volunteer work outside the National Federation of the Blind,
I help to make those activities better because of the experience I bring
from working on behalf of the blind of America. I, along with other
Federationists, impact our greater society in positive ways. We take our
Federation values and make America better.

To the extent that we can grow the National Federation of the Blind by
finding more blind people, equipping them with our philosophy and the
practical volunteer experience of our work, we can grow opportunities
throughout all of society. Additionally, by bringing more sighted people
into the volunteer network of our organization and helping them apply their
talents to our work rather than steering them into the traditional idea of
providing charity to the blind, we will spread the message of our
organization to exponentially more people.

Undoubtedly, if you are reading this you have probably done some form of
volunteer work for the National Federation of the Blind. Thank you for being
part of the tens of thousands of hands that raise expectations for the blind
every day. If you have not yet contributed your talent, please do so. We
need you, and you are likely to gain as much as you give.

            

 

 

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