[NFBNJ] {Spam?} Notes For December 2016 From NFBNJ President Joe Ruffalo

[joe ruffalo]

Greetings to all!

Judy and I wish all a wonderful holiday season filled with much joy, good 
fellowship and a healthy and productive New Year!
For those that celebrate Christmas, enjoy the warmth of the day.
For those that celebrate other religious traditions, enjoy the meaning of 
your  holiday.
I have provided two links for your listening pleasure.
Please share with others.

Dr. Kenneth Jernigan reciting It Twas The Night Before Christmas
https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Audio/Twas%20The%20night%20Before%20Christmas.mp3

Typical of years gone by.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZzTBc-ARN5Y

Hope you enjoy!

Wishing one and all a blessed,,healthy, Merry Christmas and a year 2017 
filled with good health for you and yours!
The Ruffalo Family

***

Items of Interest:
1.    After The Holidays Party Flyer and GreenDrop Collection Information
2.    Low Cost Flights And Hotels
3.    SLAM That Information
4.    NFBNJ Resolutions 2016
5.    National Scholarship
6.    Updates On Voting
7.    Tech Tips

The Holidays Party
formatted on www.nfbnj.org/holiday-party.

Special Note: To those attending the After The Holidays Party, please 
consider bringing household goods to the party.  Please mark each bag or box 
with NFB in order for the NFB to receive credit for the donations.
I have forwarded via the NFBNJ distribution list and have provided below, a 
short summary that has been posted on local towns social media, local 
television access channels, church bulletins and local town papers. 
Promotion is the key!


TWO ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP OTHERS

Belleville, NEW JERSEY -Belleville Knights of Columbus Council 835, in 
conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey is 
seeking your assistance. On Saturday, Jan 7, 2017 from noon to 4 pm at the K 
of C hall, 94 Bridge St in Belleville,  we will be collecting slightly used 
clothing,shoes, household items, kitchenware, toys & games, small 
appliances,electronics, sporting goods, books, CD'S, baby items and videos.
The donation truck will pick up the items at 4 p.m. Please mark all bags and 
boxes with “NFB.” All items donated are cleaned and resold in Second Avenue 
Thrift Stores. New items are also welcome. All donors will receive 
information regarding a federal tax deduction. Kindly consider any donation 
to this project which funds programs to change what it means to be blind. If 
you are unable to drop-off your donation at the Knights hall, and would like 
a home pickup, please call GreenDrop at 888 610  4632 and or 
visit,www.nfbpickup.org.
Kindly mark all bags or boxes with NFB in order for the organization to 
receive credit.

Joe Ruffalo, President

***

1.    Holiday Party
You are cordially invited
to the
National Federation of the Blind of NJ’s 8th Annual
After the Holidays Party
Saturday, January 7, 2017
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Knights of Columbus Hall
94 Bridge Street, Belleville, NJ
Access Link accessible   Cross Street, Belleville Avenue

$23 per adult; $13 for children 6- 12 years; free for children 6 & younger

Please include a separate sheet with attendees’ names & phone numbers.
All payment must be received no later than December 31, 2016.
Make check payable to NFBNJ and mail to:

Joe Ruffalo, President
NFBNJ
254 Spruce Street
Bloomfield NJ 07003

For additional information call Joe at (973) 743-0075.

We’ll have door prizes, a sing–along, & a special appearance by jolly old 
Santa!

Special note: If you would like an attendee to receive a gift from Santa, 
please bring a wrapped gift labeled with the name of the recipient.

MISTLETOE MAGIC MENU
Holiday Tossed Garden Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing
Chicken Savoy, Eggplant Rollatini, Meatballs, Pasta with Vodka Sauce
Assorted Cold Cuts and Potato Salad
Chicken Fingers
Rolls and Butter
Homemade Holiday Desserts
Coffee, Tea and Assorted Soft Drinks
Cash bar will be available.

Please join us in celebrating the holiday season! We look forward to seeing 
all of our members, family and friends!



2.    I heard on the radio this morning the following for low cost flights, 
hotels and I think car rentals.
The ad stressed low hotel costs and the ad provided a phone number only.
1 800 298 5783

**

3. Slam That!:
Some say that blind students cannot learn science, technology, engineering, 
or mathematics. The members of the National Federation of the Blind say 
“Slam that!” Dates and a location are now available for the 2017 NFB Youth 
Slam—a week-long, hands-on, STEM learning program for one hundred blind and 
low-vision high school students from across the country. This program of the 
NFB Jernigan Institute’s National Center for Blind Youth in Science will be 
held July 23-29, 2017, at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. 
Individuals who are interested in volunteering to help the members of the 
NFB “Slam that!” and are available July 21-29, 2017, should apply at 
http://www.blindscience.org/nfb-youth-slam-volunteer-page. The deadline to 
apply is January 31, 2017.

**

4. State Convention Resolutions
The policies of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey are 
established by resolutions adopted by the state convention. Each year the 
Resolutions Committee meets early during the convention. Each proposed 
resolution is read, spoken for by the authoring Federationist, considered, 
and then ultimately withdrawn or recommended for passage or disapproval by 
the full convention.
Through the state convention resolutions, we establish the governing 
policies of our organization!
2016 NFBNJ Resolutions
•    NFBNJ Resolution 2016-01 – Protecting the rights of blind parents 
(Word)
•    NFBNJ Resolution 2016-02 – AccessLink using text messaging to contact 
deaf-blind riders (Word)

**

5.    Scholarships
The National Federation of the Blind believes in investing in the future by 
supporting the college education of deserving legally blind students.  Our 
state and national scholarship programs are the most generous in the 
country.

When a student applies for a national scholarship, his or her application is 
also automatically sent to his or her home state to be entered in the state 
competition.

To learn more about the NFB National Scholarship and to download an 
application form, please visit www.nfb.org/scholarships.

NFB 2017 Scholarship Program

The National Federation of the Blind’s Scholarship Committee is accepting 
scholarship applications from November 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017. This 
annual program offers thirty scholarships worth from $3,000 to $12,000 to 
eligible students, from high school seniors beginning their freshman year in 
the fall semester of 2017, up through graduate students working on their PhD 
degrees. These merit scholarships are based on academic excellence, 
community service, and leadership. In addition to the money, each winner 
will receive assistance to attend the 2017 NFB annual convention in Orlando, 
Florida, held during the second week of July, providing an excellent 
opportunity for high-level networking with active blind persons in many 
different professions and occupations. Go to www.nfb.org/scholarships for 
complete rules and requirements.

The Secret to Winning a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship
by Patti S. Gregory-Chang
Reprinted from The Braille Monitor

>From the Editor: Patti Chang is the chairman of one of the most important 
committees of the National Federation of the Blind. She and her committee 
are charged with advertising our scholarship program and choosing thirty 
students who evidence academic success, leadership, and a demonstrated 
commitment to helping others. Here is Patti’s announcement about the 2017 
scholarship program:

Each July at our national convention the National Federation of the Blind 
gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind 
scholars. We offer thirty scholarships, and all are substantial and 
prestigious enough to warrant any student’s time to complete and compete. 
Our $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is the largest. The NFB Scholarship 
Program is our investment in the future of blind people who demonstrate 
scholastic aptitude, leadership, and service. I encourage every blind 
college student to apply.

I am sometimes asked what the secret is to winning an NFB scholarship. I am 
going to tell you the secret. First of all, applicants must meet the 
eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship. All applicants for these 
scholarships must be legally blind; must reside in one of our fifty states, 
the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico; must be pursuing or planning to 
pursue a full-time postsecondary course of study in a degree program at an 
accredited United States institution in the fall academic year; and, if 
chosen as a finalist, must participate in the entire NFB national convention 
and in all scheduled scholarship activities.

Many think the key to becoming a winner is a high grade point average. 
Others believe it is based on participation in extracurricular activities. 
Still others think it is one’s level of commitment to the NFB. While grade 
point average is important because it demonstrates the ability to learn and 
be successful academically, it is not the only attribute that influences the 
scholarship committee. Participation in extracurricular activities is 
important in portraying oneself as a well-rounded person; it is not 
sufficient in itself to justify a scholarship award. Committed members of 
the organization recognize the attributes that are important to committee 
members when determining who wins a scholarship.

The scholarship program is a tremendous tool for us to develop future 
leaders of the National Federation of the Blind, but scholarship awards are 
not restricted to members of the organization. The National Federation of 
the Blind is an organization dedicated to creating opportunity for all blind 
people. Recipients of NFB scholarships need not be members of the National 
Federation of the Blind. Many of our past winners were not even aware of the 
NFB before they applied for our scholarships. When you check the lists of 
past winners, you will see that students of all ages and in widely differing 
fields have won over the years. The class of 2016 included students entering 
their freshman year, as well as older students who were nearly ready to 
write their PhD dissertations. Past winners are working toward credentials 
for employment in diverse fields.

There is truly only one way to win an NFB scholarship: that is to apply. 
Each November the new, updated scholarship application forms are posted on 
the Web at www.nfb.org/scholarships, along with important information about 
the contest, links to information on past winners, and a page of frequently 
asked questions. The application form for 2017 is already online. It will 
remain up until March 31. The process can be initiated with an online 
application, which we prefer, or students can ask for a print application by 
contacting our scholarship office at scholarships at nfb.org or by calling 
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2415.

A complete application consists of the official application form and a 
student essay, plus these supporting documents: student transcripts, at 
least one letter of recommendation, and proof of legal blindness. The 
student must also complete an interview with the president of the applicant’s 
state of residence or the state where he or she will be attending school. 
High school seniors must also include a copy of the results of their ACT, 
SAT, or other college entrance exams.

Unfortunately, some applications are incomplete, so the committee is unable 
to consider them fairly. Applicants must ensure that all of the required 
information and supporting documentation have been received by our 
scholarship office either online by midnight EST, March 31, or by mail 
postmarked by March 31. Students should carefully consider who can do the 
best job of writing their letters of reference. Letters should support the 
application by being full of facts and observations that will help the 
members of the committee see the applicant as a smart, active student and 
citizen. Students can write their essays using word-processing software. 
They should remember to use the spell checker (or a human proofreader) 
before uploading, printing, or copying and pasting it into the online 
application form.
In an effective essay the applicant will talk about his or her life in a way 
that gives the committee insight into him or her. The essay should cover the 
ways in which one lives successfully as a blind person and describe one’s 
personal goals for the future. Information about positions of leadership is 
especially helpful. Committee members give the essay a great deal of 
attention.

The NFB scholarship committee is comprised of dedicated, successful blind 
people, who will review all applications and select the top thirty 
applicants for the scholarship class of 2017. Note that students submit just 
one application to the program; the scholarship committee will choose the 
thirty finalists from all applications received. These thirty scholarship 
finalists will be notified of their selection by telephone no later than 
June 1.

Finally, during the annual convention held July 10 through 15, 2017, in 
Orlando, Florida, the scholarship committee will decide which award will be 
presented to each winner. Attending and participating in the entire NFB 
national convention is one of the requirements to become an NFB scholarship 
winner. Of course attending the convention is also a significant part of the 
prize.

The National Federation of the Blind’s national convention is the largest 
gathering of blind people to occur anywhere in the world each year, with 
2,500 or more people registered. Those chosen as scholarship finalists will 
have the opportunity to network with other blind students, to exchange 
information and ideas, and to meet and talk with hundreds of blind people 
who are successfully functioning in many occupations and professions. Our 
past winners often comment that the money was quickly spent, but the 
contacts they made and the information they gathered at convention have 
continued to make their lives richer than they had ever imagined.

Often students apply more than one year before winning a scholarship, so 
applicants are encouraged to reapply. The NFB may award three or more 
scholarships to men and women who have already received one Federation 
scholarship in the past if their scholarship and leadership merit another 
award. Individuals receiving a second NFB national scholarship are 
recognized as tenBroek Fellows. The secret, if there is one, to winning an 
NFB scholarship is to read carefully the application on our website, and 
then provide all of the required information and supporting documentation 
before the deadline of March 31. However, I actually maintain that there is 
no secret. The only way to win an NFB scholarship is to apply.

**

6.    TELL THE EAC ABOUT YOUR VOTING EXPERIENCE

The U. S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) wants to hear from voters 
with disabilities about their Election Day stories.  Please take time to 
give your personal feedback to the EAC, good or bad.  Either way the EAC 
wants to hear from us.

Please e-mail your personal Election Day story to listen at eac.gov.

The Help America Vote Act contains landmark provisions requiring the secure, 
private, and independent casting of ballots by voters with disabilities, 
including blind and low-vision voters.  Even so, on Election Day this year, 
the EAC and the NFB heard from voters who faced a variety of difficulties 
with the voting process.  Other blind and low-vision voters reported 
positive experiences. It is very important that EAC hears what each of us 
has to say.

Charlie Brown, HAVA Program Manager
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
cbrown at nfb.org

**

7.    Tech Tips
The KNFBReader:
A good way to learn to use the KNFBReader is via their YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW144PTYGib0d3XFZiHS0OKgB5LF-_O1t


We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org
Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.
Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking www.carshelpingtheblind.org 
or call 855 659 9314