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

Fri Jan 31 06:10:18 UTC 2025

Hey NFB Family and Friends,

Let's get to know more of our NFBV Family. Enjoy!

This time, we will be getting to know Shannon Britt and Jenny Blinsmon.
Both ladies are members of the Membership Committee and Jenny is a member of
the Tidewater Chapter; Shannon has recently moved back to Delaware but she's
loves her some Membership Committee so she's agreed to continue with us and
work and have fun while she's doing it.

Shannon was born in New Jersey and grew up in Delaware. She and her family
moved to Virginia when her Dad lost his job during the pandemic. she joined
the Delaware Affiliate virtual convention in 2020 and became a Tidewater
Member in 2022.   Shannon has been a board member in Tidewater and has also
participated in our State Convention, helping with registration, the rookie
round up, was a talking sign and whatever else she was voluntold to do;
always a willing worker!

She has a Bachelors Degree in early education, birth thru 2nd grade. Shannon
says she's 43 years old and "proud of it!" Shannon says she's single, never
been married, she's not opposed to marriage but currently isn't actively
looking. Shannon says  " I was born with Retinal Blastoma in both eyes,
diagnosed at 6 months old. I lost my left eye at 6 months old, but they were
able to save my right eye. I spent most of my life with some, but limited
vision. Until I was about 30 when my cornea started to deteriorate. Since
then I have had 3 cornea transplants  to try to preserve what vision I have
left. I am confident in what skills I have, but am always trying to improve
and learn more. If only I could figure out what I want to do when I grow up.
Also, I have been told I have a fabulous sense of humor."

Shannon has jumped in with both feet and has become an advocate for
disability and blindness  rights. She was part of Richmond Seminar and spoke
with passion and conviction to the Delegates and Senators to be sure she is
part of the change. Shannon was instrumental in getting the audible
prescription labeling passed when she spoke at the House of Representatives.
She has been involved in white cane days with her chapter in Virginia and
fundraisers in Delaware. The big one was with Boscoves Department Store;
Boscoves has a friends helping friends days. The store would be open to
everyone with any disabilities to shop and have a "friend" lend a helping
hand. Shannon continues to fight for blindness equality as a member of NAGDU
and won't give up until every guide dog user can travel on Uber, Lyft and
fly without incident.  

Have you ever visited the Norfolk Zoo? If you have in the past, you'll have
to visit again in Spring this year! Shannon has been working with the Zoo
and making their exhibits more accessible. She has convinced zoo officials
to work with her from the beginning instead of fixing things after the fact.
Stay tuned for more, Go Shannon! The zoo has all of the accessibility
features in place and plans to have a HUGE launch as soon as the weather
gets a bit warmer. 

Shannon has a zest for life and an adventurous spirit! She and Udell, her
guide dog, love to travel and have been to thirty of the fifty United
States. She has also traveled to Canada and Ireland. One of her mantras is
"let's get lost!" and visiting the rest of the country and other countries
are on her bucket list. Some of her most memorable visits include New
Orleans, traveling with Habitat for Humanity and cleaning up and helping to
repair homes one year after Katrina. Hitting several 7-11's on July 11th in
Chicago chasing free slurpee's. She likes to watch curling; that's a new one
for me. She is the first person I know who is into curling! .  

Shannon loves the theater, backstage that is! She attended the Cab Calloway
School of Performing Arts; she met Cab and sang at his funeral. She does
enjoy singing but prefers being backstage as stage manager or not so much in
the limelight.

She is an avid reader, she plays dice World and other accessible games. She
loves being outdoors, hanging with friends  and Udele.

Shannon has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane when she and Jenny
Blinsmon went skydiving; they made the news, so Shannon has had her 15
minutes of fame. Which brings us to our 2nd member, Jenny.

Jenny loved sky diving and would do it again in a heartbeat! The ladies were
interviewed by Channel 3 News. The reporter kept focusing on the fact Jenny
and Shannon were blind; Jenny focused on the event not the blindness aspect;
the reporter finally got it. Way to go girlfriend!  

she has been a NFB Member since 1999, at 19 years old, she became the
Affiliate President of North Dakota; she served for four years than became
Immediate Past Affiliate President for an additional year! She's been with
the Tidewater Chapter since 2014; she's Vice President in Tidewater and very
active and passionate about growing her chapter.

Jenny attended a leadership seminar at the Maryland Center while she was
Affiliate President, she remembers very fondly pouring coffee for Dr.
Maurer. Jenny says "I was so nervous I thought I'd spill the hot coffee all
over myself and Dr. Maurer, thankfully no spills or major burns LOL!"
President Riccobono and Anil Lewis were both in attendance at that seminar,
Jenny says "it was a jammed packed, fun and knowledge filled seminar but
very nerve racking!"   In 2001 Jenny was a proud recipient of a national
scholarship which she received at the Philadelphia convention.   

Other things Jenny has been involved with include Project RISE, and the
chapter leadership institute, she's helped at State Conventions (being a
talking sign, working in registration, helping with rookie roundup, and
happily being voluntold for other jobs).  

She have one older brother and she graduated from central High School in
Grand Forks and went to the University of North Dakota and graduated with a
degree in general studies.  

Jenny is married to Fred which makes her a Navy wife, they were stationed in
San Diego and then to Norfolk where she currently resides.  She is a
homemaker.  She loves to travel, especially by plane, and visit friends and
family in North Dakota, Florida and next month will travel to California.  

Jenny's top bucket list item would be doing a world cruise!  Until that day,
Jenny says "I will continue to travel as much as possible."  

Jenny has had one guide dog and is in the process of applying for another
dog through Leader Dogs.  She is anxiously awaiting to see if Leader Dogs
accepts her application.  Good Luck, Prayers and Blessings, that you get a
positive outcome, Jenny.

Jenny is an avid leader.  She loves to sing and was a part of a choir from
grade school through college.  Jenny volunteers with her church leading
bible studies, being a greeter, and other opportunities she's been presented
with.  She loves to listen to music and hang out with friends.  Pizza is a
food group as far as Jenny is concerned and she visits pizza places whenever
possible and other restaurants too. Eating out is a fun thing to do as far
as Jenny believes! .  

Thanks ladies for all that you do and for being a part of our NFB family!
Come back on Tuesday for more member to member.   

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

Find us on Instragram @nfbofvirginia

Subscribe to our Youtube: NFB Virginia

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

STRONGER TOGETHER!

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