[NFBNJ] New Jersey NFB Book Club, Sponsored by the Sports and Recreation Division

[joe ruffalo]

Greetings to all!
Please read and share with others.
Joe

**

From: Linda Melendez
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 6:23 AM
To: Joseph Ruffalo
Subject: New Jersey NFB Book Club, Sponsored by the Sports and Recreation 
Division
Joe:



Can you please distribute this invitation for all to participate in the
next quarters New Jersey NFB Book Club, Sponsored by the Sports and
Recreation Division



Linda Melendez, President

NFBNJ Sports and Recreation Division

732 421 7063

lindamelendez220 at gnail.com



Are you interested in reading books that explain and promote the National
Federation of the Blind philosophy of raising expectations and living the
lives we want? This year, the Sports and Recreation book discussion group,
sponsored by the NFBNJ Sports & Recreation Division, read and talked about
three such books by conference call. In 2020, we’re looking forward to
another year of book club meetings and all are invited.



Want to learn more about the National Federation of the Blind? Well you
can by participating in the New Jersey NFB Book Club, sponsored by the
Sports and Recreation Division. Jane Degenshein, our book moderator will
host quarterly conference calls to discuss books from our recommended NFB
reading list. Our goal is to learn about the Federation and our members
through reading, discussions and sharing. All Are Welcome!



So that we have a general idea of who to expect, please complete the Book
Club Registration Form. The meeting will take place on April 15th at
6:00pm. To access the call, please dial 515 604 9570 and then use the
access code of 612068 followed by the pound sign. Please dial in 10 to 15
minutes prior for roll call and follow our conference call etiquette listed
in the registration form’s confirmation email.



This quarters book is:



Title:    “Life without sight: my journey into the world of the sighted and
the blind”

Author: Agnes Allen

NLS Book Number:  DBC01887

Reading time:   3 hours, 18 minutes

Book Description:  A memoir of a blind woman’s road to success in
overcoming life’s obstacles.



About The Author

Agnes Allen was born on the 18th of January 1924, the sixth and last child
born to Mary and Louis Stone. When she was just five years old, she had a
terrible fall off a porch swing. The doctors told Agnes’ mother she had six
months to live. She obviously survived but the accident left her totally
blind. Agnes thrived at the Pittsburgh School for the Blind where she
learned to love education. The school taught Agnes many things but most of
all it enabled her to be independent, confident, capable and optimistic.
After graduating from the Pittsburgh School for the Blind, Agnes became the
first blind graduate of Mount Mercy College. She graduated Suma Cum Laude.
The formation provided by the Mercy Sisters is rarely found in education
today. They taught their students that a life of service is a life well
lived. Agnes took this instruction to heart and strived to obtain this
virtuous life.



The only member of her family to graduate high school and college, Agnes
had the opportunity to attend graduate school at the University of
Pittsburgh. Upon finishing her Master’s degree in English, Agnes embarked
on a career of teaching. She instructed blind and deaf blind students,
young children and adults to accept their impairment and tackle any
obstacle that stood in the way of achieving independence. She taught
Braille, English, math, music, and many other necessary life skills. Her
dedication to the advancement of blind persons is evident in the fact that
she was still tutoring blind students after her 90th birthday. Agnes has
been a long-standing member and served as an officer of both the New Jersey
and Connecticut chapters of the National Federation of the Blind. Agnes has
a grave concern for blind individuals that cannot read braille and raised
awareness through her many Braille Literacy campaigns and events. Her book,
“Life Without Sight” was written to encourage all blind persons and their
families to make the most out of the life they were given. Agnes’ message
to all is “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” She
also held positions as a Social Worker for the Division of Family Services,
a proofreader, and a salesman.



Agnes Allen is the mother of three daughters and the grandmother of nine
grandchildren. Her example of generosity, love of neighbor and her joyful
positive attitude has been a great blessing to her family. She is dearly
loved. 
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