[Nfbmo] family partnership!

[Rosina Solano]

Hello fellow NFB family!!!  It has been a whirlwind slowing down after state convention.  I hope you all have made it back home safe and are settling back into your everyday lives.  

I want you all to know that I enjoy so much being with you all at state convention and rebooting my passion for the federation.  I have something that I would like everyone's help on.  Sort of a family partnership.  We need to reach out to more people in our state.  I would like to bring about a program of sorts that would welcome and bring more families into the NFB.  So I am asking everyone to be looking for that blind child in your community.  I know we all do this already being the awesome Missouri family that we already are.  But I am hoping that we do more to take these families under our wings.  Please don't assume that they are in contact with the parent division already.  Even if they are or if you have given me their contact information, please welcome these families into yours.  Call them up to ask them how they are doing.  Ask if they need help with anything, if they are having any difficulties they need to just talk
 about.  Even though we have a parent division now, it is that personal touch with blind mentors that will encourage them to grow in the philosophy of the NFB and confident blind adults.  

If every chapter actively looks to add these people to our family we will grow strong and united.  I know as a parent that some of our needs and wants differ from blind adults.  We also get upset and emotional when we feel like we should be doing more with our blind/VI children.  Please be patient with us as we grow with the knowledge of what our children can and should be doing.  We take things personally, because we are parents and they are our precious children.  

I know that we get caught up in our daily lives, but if you hear anyone, say things like, "hey, your blind, my neighbor has a blind child," please find out more, ask questions, enfold them into the federation family.  I would love their contact information, but what could be better than to stay connected to their first contact with other blind people.  I love my federation family and couldn't work with other parents without you all.  You are the life blood that keeps me going with the courage to change what it means to be blind.  Please let us reach out to families even if they turn away at first.  

I want to thank you all for welcoming me so warmly into the fold and letting me be part of the NFB.  Have a great day!!
Rosina

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Rosina Foster
NFBMO
MOPOBC  Missouri Parents of Blind Children