[NFBV-Announce] Member to Member, let's get to know each other

Wed Apr 2 04:55:39 UTC 2025

Hi NFB Family and Friends,

Let's get to know more members of our Tidewater Chapter. Today we'll learn
more about Deborah Prost and Eric Bell.

Deborah learned about the NFB when she was in grad school; she was
interested in social work at that time, she wrote a paper about us. She
joined the Tidewater chapter around 1980.  

Deborah has worn many hats while in the NFB, she has been on the Braille
Committee and she was Tidewater's Secretary for awhile. She has been a
teacher of blind children, and she won the Distinguished Teacher of the Year
at National Convention in 1997! Deborah worked with the Braille readers are
leaders program and she always had her students join. 

Deborah would like to have her chapter out in the community more and
educating people and encouraging young people to join the chapter and the
NFB.

She is very involved in her Synagogue, Bethel, where she is a prayer leader,
among other things. She volunteers with the Pregnancy Crisis Center and she
has raised funds with them. Deborah attended the School for the blind, in
Stanton and She graduated from William and Mary and  U VA. 

You may be surprised to learn Deborah has been sky diving and parasailing!
She has been Married to Stewart for 39 years, they love to travel together!!
One of her bucket list items is to travel to Isreal. She loves Cooking vegan
dishes and shopping! "I could be the head of the Vegan Committee and the
Shopping Committee if we had them, LOL."

Deborah has a giving heart! She would donate to the NFB's Scholarship Fund
if she found $250,000!

Now on to Eric.Eric has been with our NFBV Family since 2022 and he has been
involved with fundraising and is a Board Member. Eric says " I'd like our
chapter to hold open houses at the high schools and colleges around the
area. I'd like to let Parents and students know we're here and what we do."

Eric is a native, he's from Suffolk  and attended their  public schools. He
graduated  from liberty university  with a bachelors  in criminal  justice
and psychology . He has one younger brother. Eric lost his vision in 2011
due to a pseudo cerebri tumor.   He says "It happened in the  middle of my
junior year in college. I Was a part time bus driver for the public schools
at the time. It was a HUGE  adjustment. I Have had great support including
my best friend since high school and my mom; I'm grateful I  don't feel
alone and to have found the NFB. I've met some other people who are blind".

Eric is into movies and he love's  watching audio descriptive movies with
friends. He can be found taking road trips and traveling (he wants to take a
cruise to the Caribbean  and visit the Maldives) ; when he does he likes
trying different restaurants and doing wine tastings. Eric likes to plan
events, especially birthday parties! 

Eric has several favorite memories, one of them is from 7th grade. He won a
contest from a magazine. He had to name several artist . What a deal, he won
expensive hair products CD's and posters. Eric thinks everyone would be
surprised to know he played the alfa saxophone.

If he found $250,000 Eric would invest some of it. He would use the rest to
give blind and low vision individuals employmentopportunities.  Eric says"
Job opportunities  are so limited if there are opportunities at all. You're
overlooked if your getting assistance and I've been treated like a second
hand citizen. It can happen to anyone at any time! "

We know just a bit more about these two fabulous people. Stay tuned for more
next week.

Peace,

Jacki Bruce

Corresponding Secretary NFBV

mailto:jackibruce6 at gmail.com

tel:(757)291-1789

Membership Chair

mailto:membership at nfbv.org

tel:(757)354-4170

Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia

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

STRONGER TOGETHER!

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