[Nfbv-announce] Volunteers for the Blind in historic Fredericksburg

Fri Dec 16 00:57:13 UTC 2011

Holly Frisch is a Board Member of the Fredericksburg Area chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia.

Here is a story about her non-profit business:

Group for blind seeks assistance 

December 14, 2011 12:10 am

lo121411blindscr1.jpg

Laurie Zeiszler (left) and Holly Frisch check out the apples during a
shopping trip to Wegmans. Holly, who was born blind, heads Volunteers for
the Blind, a nonprofit organization that helps people who are blind or
visually impaired. lo121411blindscr2.jpg

Laurie Zeiszler (left) helps Holly Frisch, with her dog, Chloe, buy
groceries at Wegmans. Holly is president of Volunteers for the Blind. 

BY ROBYN SIDERSKY

Holly Frisch can't see the people she's helping, but there's a good chance
they can't see her either.

She's blind--and the organization she runs helps people in the
Fredericksburg area who are visually impaired.

Frisch is the president of Volunteers for the Blind, which she started in
2006. 

She recently moved the small nonprofit from her home into donated office
space on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg.

Frisch moved the organization from Prince William to Fredericksburg because
she thought there was more of a professional blind community here and more
opportunities to recruit.

"There isn't an agency here that performs the service," she said. "I
thought, 'it's fertile recruiting ground.'" 

Frisch, 60, was born blind. 

She said that throughout her life, she's worked with volunteers from various
organizations, such as the now-defunct Services for the Visually Impaired
and the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind. 

She said she wanted to give back because of all of the wonderful services
she received. 

After the death of a major benefactor, a close friend of Frisch's, the
organization is in need of financial help.

If donations don't start arriving, Frisch might have to close her doors. 

One of the main things the organization does is train volunteers to be
"readers" for the visually impaired. They read everything from pieces of
mail to literature to instructions that come with new products.

"A reader is a person's eyes," Frisch explained.

Another thing the agency does is provide volunteer shopping assistants for
trips to the supermarket or other stores. These helpers will read boxes,
help compare products and give undivided attention to the person in need of
help.

Around the holidays, some volunteers even help select holiday gifts.

The matches are made based on proximity and personality matches, she said.

For example, she said, she has a 26-year-old man help an 82-year-old man by
reading the sports section of the newspaper to him.

Volunteers for the Blind also trains students. In a few sessions, volunteers
learn about what is appropriate to help with and when to back off. They are
taught how to communicate clearly and diplomatically.

One of the aspects of the organization that Frisch is most proud of is the
internships she offers. The unpaid internships help those who are visually
impaired gain valuable work experience.

Only 30 percent of working-age legally blind adults are employed. Changing
that is one of Frisch's main objectives.

She sees lack of experience as one of the main problems.

She said standards are different for people who cannot see, and they are
treated differently and sometimes it doesn't help them.

For example, she said, sometimes blind people don't know that they are doing
something incorrectly and nobody tells them, so they continue to make the
same mistake. 

She said she wanted to create a work environment where people could make
mistakes--and then learn from them.

She's had five interns with varying levels of sight and skills. She helps
them with basic work issues, such as dressing appropriately and getting to
work on time. 

One of her interns became an intern in the Washington office of Rep. Rob
Wittman, R-1st District.

She said she was worried about how it would turn out, but it was a success.

"We wanted to find out if [the interns] could function without us," she
said.

Frisch's staff is small; she has an assistant, an intern and a bookkeeper.
She needs a grant writer who will help get the office funds to keep it
going. 

She has two fundraising programs that she uses, but hasn't seen a big return
from either one yet.

The organization sells "emergency kits." There are different types--from
ones for pets, to ones for commuters to keep in their cars, to ones for
families during natural disasters.

There's also a website that gives a portion of money back based on the
amount of points the company gets from referrals. It does this for several
nonprofit organizations.

Frisch said she loves what she does and the way she is able to help, but
doesn't know how much longer she'll be able to maintain the organization.

The organization's budget is about $60,000 per year. It doesn't receive any
federal or state assistance. It has received money from the Virginia
Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired for some software, but they
don't have all the special software necessary for blind people. 

Frisch said she and her staff don't have the expertise to fill out the
paperwork required to apply for that kind of funding. 

She also needs funding to pay her assistant, who serves as the "eyes" of the
organization.

Robyn Side sky 540/374-5413 
Email: rsidersky at freelancestar.com

  _____  

Get more information about the organization at its website,
volunteersfortheblind.org, or call Holly Frisch at 540/899-8847 or email
hollisfrisch at verizon.net. 

  _____  

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