[NFBMI-Talk] The Informant 2024- 09

Sun Sep 15 16:26:33 UTC 2024

National Federation of the Blind of Michigan (NFBMI)

The Informant 2024

Vol. 9: Falling Into Federation Change and Traditions.

September 15, 2024

Affiliate Zoom Link:
<https://zoom.us/j/9612695221?pwd=dHlxZDNwcVVZbUVTYUM5cEU4cDlndz09>
https://zoom.us/j/9612695221?pwd=dHlxZDNwcVVZbUVTYUM5cEU4cDlndz09 

>From the President: Happy September and welcome to a brisk, exciting issue
of "The Informant," where the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan
updates are fresh, frequent, and successful. I'm so happy to be back with
you all as we transition into the autumn season, a new academic term, a new
football season, the end of the baseball season, the advent of pumpkin spice
and my personal favorite weather ever! A fun fact about September is that it
technically was originally the seventh month of the year, as January and
February were not included in the original calendar and the French prefix of
the month, sept, translates to seven. The official flowers for September are
the Astor and Morning Glory. Astors bloom all year, can be found in red,
white, and pink; and represent the virtue of patience. Morning Glories are
found in a variety of colors; including red, pink, white, and yellow; and
represent the virtue of loyalty. 

The month of September is nationally recognized as harvest month, with
communities all over doing their due diligence to account for the fruits of
their labor. This tradition comes with seasonal change and is embraced by
many as a right of passage. Whether you are working as a hand in a larger
greenhouse or tending to the vegetables in your private garden, harvest
season is imperative for all producers, and I am confident blind people
understand this fact. Our local chapters and state divisions often
communicate and network with local and regional producers at farmers markets
and entrepreneurs in the agriculture industry as we educate the public on
our programs and volunteer at local events. These opportunities both raise
awareness of the need of more blind people in the agricultural field and
continue to embrace and promote the mission of the blind people's movement:
to live the life we want !

Important National Updates

*	The 2025 NFB national convention will take place at the Marriott
Hotel from July 8-13 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Additional information about
convention registration and hotel reservations will come shortly. To learn
more about our national convention, please visit
<http://www.nfb.org/convention> www.nfb.org/convention.
*	The 2025 NFB Ride Share Rally will take place on October 15, 2024,
from 10am until 3pm PT  outside the Uber and LIFT headquarters to educate
their leadership on our frustration regarding the ongoing rideshare denials
for guide dog handlers. If you are interested in attending this national
event, please contact your chapter or division president before September
23, 2024. Funding assistance is available for serious ambassadors.

Important State Updates

*	Visitors and members of the National Federation of the Blind of
Michigan can now view this issue and past issues of "The Informant" on the
NFBMI Webpage. You can access these issues by visiting
<http://www.nfbmi.org/informant> www.nfbmi.org/informant.
*	We encourage all chapters, divisions and members that are
considering ways they can support our organization more to join the
Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) plan for as little as $5 per month. To
learn more about the PAC plan and how it benefits members and programs of
the National Federation of the Blind, please visit  <http://www.nfb.org/pac>
www.nfb.org/pac.
*	The 2024 state convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Michigan will take place October 31- November 3, 2024. The convention will
take place at the Radison Plaza at Kalamazoo Center, located at 100 W.
Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Additional information regarding
registration is available by visiting  <http://www.nfbmi.org/convention>
www.nfbmi.org/convention.
*	The nightly room rate for the 2024 state convention is $129. To
reserve your room at the convention rate, please use the included link. <
<https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/KY78M6>
https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/KY78M6>
*	The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan excitedly welcomes
NFB Second Vice President Everette Bacon as our 2024 national
representative. Everett serves as the president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Utah and as a resolute leader of the blind people's
movement. I look forward to all he will offer us during our convention
experience this fall. 
*	The 2024 NFBMI state convention is accepting submissions for door
prizes. A door prize is an item that is given away during public convention
sessions (general session, hospitality events, banquet, business meetings)
and are designated for registered convention attendees only. If you have
items, whether new or gently used, that you believe would make an excellent
door prize; please contact Donna Posont, New Wayne County chapter president
at  <mailto:Donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com> Donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com.
*	The 2024 NFBMI state convention will be returning to its roots with
its live auction. The live auction occurs during the banquet on Saturday,
November 2, 2024, and is a fundraising opportunity for attendees to bid on
items donated  to support the Federation's programs for the next year.
Hosted by the Blind Michigan Seniors and our auctioneer extraordinaire,
Michael Powell; we are accepting donations for auction items. If you have an
item you would like to donate for our convention auction hosted by our
Michigan blind seniors, please contact Patricia Pyle at
<mailto:patriciajpyle at gmail.com> patriciajpyle at gmail.com.
*	The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan encourages all
members to attend our 2024 state convention, where a variety of exhibitors,
sponsors, rehabilitation professionals, seminars, and activities are
awaiting to engage and inform you. With so many opportunities to elevate
yourself, I invite you to take advantage of the tradition of reaching out to
your NFB family for financial support if there is a need to make the
convention experience a reality. All active members' protocol for applying
for state program financial assistance is to begin by applying with their
local chapter or division. After doing this and receiving assistance, please
send a request via email to  <mailto:President at nfbmi.org>
President at nfbmi.org that states your need for assistance and what you hope
to gain from the convention experience. Please note all applicants must be
dues paid members, be registered for state convention, and be prepared to
work as a volunteer at times during the convention. The deadline to apply
for state-funded assistance to the 2024 state convention is October 15,
2024.
*	The 2024 NFBMI Lansing Gathering will take place on Tuesday,
September 24, 2024, at 9AM. The legislative committee is still accepting
names of members to join us for this important advocacy initiative in our
state capital as we continue to push our issues to our elected officers. If
you are interested in joining us in Lansing, please contact your chapter or
division president or join our committee meeting via Zoom on Thursday,
September 19, 2024.
*	The 2024 NFBMI Dots with Distance fundraising campaign begins
October 1, 2024. Throughout Blind Equality Achievement Month, take some time
to commemorate the importance of braille by sending your favorite person, or
yourself, a personal, customized braille note. Great for daily affirmations,
reminders or even a love letter for a crush, all of our braille notes are
sent via Free Matter for the Blind for $5, but for $15 patrons can join the
"Braille Readers Brigade" or BRB, where they receive a braille list of the
NFBMI active chapters and divisions leadership contact, a braille NFB pledge
card, a braille NFB one-minute message card, and a customized NFBMI BRB
passport card with their name. The NFBMI BRB passport card is important
because aside from being both braille and print with our state affiliate
logo, turning it in during state convention after you have visited the
exhibit hall enters you in a drawing for $150 cash at our banquet on
November 2! To learn more about this campaign or to purchase your BRB
package, visit  <http://www.nfbmi.org/BRB> www.nfbmi.org/BRB.
*	The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan is grateful for the
generous donation of Detroit Tigers tickets we received from the Tigers
organization. A special thanks to both the Tigers and state affiliate
treasurer, Mark Eagle, for his tireless work to continue to promote the
presence and work of the Federation in our great state. The NFB of Michigan
looks forward to its "Tapping with the Tigers" event, taking place on
September 29, 2024. If you have registered for this event with your chapter
or division president, please stay tuned for coordination updates.
*	The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan congratulates
Flint-Genesee chapter president and state affiliate board member, Sheila
Fulmore, for being named the chair of the NFB's national community service
division. We appreciate Sheila's continued dedication to the programs of the
Federation, the mission of the organization and the message the movement
gives to so many.\

Chapter/Division Updates

*	At Large Chapter: We are excited to cohost our state convention this
fall with the Michigan Seniors. We will hold our monthly chapter meeting on
October 1 at 8pm. We will be looking for members interested in filling the
positions of vice president and secretary/treasurer for the 2025 year, as
well as continuing to discuss our participation at state convention,
specifically with volunteer responsibilities. 
*	Detroit Chapter: After winning concrete concessions from our
negotiations with the Detroit Water and Sewage Department (DWSD), we are now
doing our part in taking on the awesome task of informing the larger Detroit
blind and low vision community that we now have new options/rights including
in-person access to representatives working at DWSD's Randolph Office via
appointments (preferred) and/or walk-ins, + the option for blind customers
to receive their monthly bills in large-print; On August 24th, we hosted an
amazingly fun and successful Tandem Bike Riding for the Blind event on
Detroit's beautiful Riverwalk in which 33 people participated, birthing our
second signature annual event; At our last chapter meeting, a HUD
representative informed us about a range of existing low-income and Section
8 Housing opportunities existing across the city, and representatives from
the social justice group We The People delivered a powerful presentation on
the historic fight for greater water rights in Detroit; And, Our October
plans include getting out to vend at the Department of Elections' Oct. 19th
Get Out To Vote Block party, and Roller skating with the NFB, details TBA
soon.
*	Flint-Genesee Chapter: Join us for our chapter meeting on Thursday,
September 19, 2024. The meeting will be held at the Flint Public Library in
the Harrison Room from 5:30 to 6:45 PM. We are thrilled to welcome WJRT
Radio Host Alice Dee and Ann McKay-Bacon as our newest members. Please join
us in extending a warm welcome to them! Congratulations to our members who
participated in the Bobby Crim Races on August 24. A special shoutout to
Shaun Williams for securing 1st place in his age group and to Denise
Cunningham, our Crim Leader, for receiving the 2024 Lion Heart Award. The
Flint/Genesee Chapter recently participated in a voter outreach event hosted
by the Genesee County Disability Network. We provided a variety of NFB
literature to the participants, contributing to NFB awareness as an
important cause. A few of our members will be attending the Lansing
Gathering this month. This is an excellent advocacy opportunity, and we look
forward to hearing about the experiences and insights gained from it.
*	Michigan Association of Blind Students (MIABS): MIABS will be
holding an in-person meeting at the 2024 state convention on Saturday,
November 2, 2024, in Kalamazoo. At our monthly division meeting, the
division voted to have a representative from the National Association of
Blind Students attend our state convention. The request was approved at our
quarterly board meeting on September 7, 2024. If you are a student
interested in registering as a member, please email
<mailto:crawleyjerusalem at gmail.com> crawleyjerusalem at gmail.com or attend the
monthly MIABS meeting held on the NFBMI Zoom line.
*	Blind Michigan Seniors Advocating for Seniors (BMISAFS): Calling all
Seniors! Our upcoming BMISAFS monthly meeting is scheduled at ZOOM September
23rd at 8:00 PM. Please plan to attend. We need to finalize our plans for
the upcoming State Convention. I was so excited last month to hear how many
of you are planning to attend! Go SENIORS! 
*	New Wayne County Chapter: We are excited to announce that the next
New Wayne County Chapter meeting will take place on Saturday, September 28,
2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, located
at 16301 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI. Our special guest, Renee Echols from
the Washtenaw County Disability Network, will be presenting on the mission
and initiatives of the Disability Network, providing valuable insights into
its work and impact. Following the meeting, we invite all attendees to a
chapter gathering at Sam Rau's residence for continued discussions and
fellowship. Additionally, I am collaborating with Renee Echols and her
colleague on an exciting blog project focused on intersectionality for
Blindness Awareness Month. If you're interested in contributing to this
project or have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. We look
forward to seeing you there!

Important State Affiliate Dates

*	09/16/24: NFBMI Capital Region Chapter Meeting (7pm)
*	09/18/24: NFBMI Convention Planning Committee Meeting (7pm)
*	09/19/24: NFBMI Legislative Committee Meeting (7pm)
*	09/23/24: Blind Seniors Advocating for Seniors Meeting (8pm)
*	09/27/24: NFBMI Soundboard (8pm)
*	09/28/24: NFBMI New Wayne County Chapter Meeting (1pm)
*	09/28/24: Michigan Association of Blind Students Meeting (6:30pm)
*	09/29/24: NFBMI "Tapping with the Tigers" (3pm)

*	10/01/24: NFBMI At Large Chapter Meeting (8pm)
*	10/01/24: NFBMI Dots with Distance Fundraising Campaign Begins
*	10/14/24: NFBMI At Large Chapter Philosophy Discussion (8pm)

With Love, Hope and Determination, 

Robert Parsons, Jr., M. A., CRC, CVRT, LLPC

President, National Federation of the Blind of Michigan

(269) 216- 8640

www.nfbmi.org <http://www.nfbmi.org> 

"Without struggle, there is no progress." - Frederick Douglas