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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#26282A'>From Deepa Goraya</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#26282A'>NFB of Virginia Legislative Director for Washington Seminar </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#26282A'> <a href="mailto:deepa.goraya@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>deepa.goraya@gmail.com</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Hello Virginia Federationists,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>I hope you all had a wonderful </span><span style='color:#26282A'>202</span>4<span style='color:#26282A'> NFB of Virginia Convention and Thanksgiving holiday</span><span style='color:black'>. </span>The 2025 <span style='color:black'>Washington Seminar is fast approaching</span><span style='color:#26282A'> in less than 2 months</span><span style='color:black'>, in person from </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Monday, </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>February <span style='color:#26282A'>3 through Thursday, February </span>6<span style='color:#26282A'>, 202</span>5<span style='color:#26282A'>. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><h1>Schedule:<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=ydp8dd0c7d4yiv8360221087msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hotel Reservation and Registration – Please book your hotel and complete the registration processes listed below by December 31.<o:p></o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Virginia Caucus – this Prep Session over Zoom will be conducted on Saturday, February 1 at 3:00 PM.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Career Seminar and Job Fair – There will be a career seminar and job fair with many employers on Monday morning, February 3<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Student Seminar – There will be student programming on Sunday, February 2 and Monday, February 3 conducted by the National Association of Blind Students.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Legislative Training– On Monday, February 3, there will be an afternoon training run by our national office for individuals attending appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday. Typically, this meeting begins at 2:00 PM.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Great Gathering In - <span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black'>The official kick off and rally, the Great-Gathering-In, is scheduled for Monday, </span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>February 3<span style='color:black'>, 20</span><span style='color:#26282A'>2</span>5 at 5:00 PM<span style='color:black'>.</span></span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='color:#26282A;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='color:windowtext'>Appointments with our Virginia Congressional Delegation - </span>we strive to make all appointments <span style='color:windowtext'>on just Tuesday and Wednesday (February 4 and 5) so everyone can depart on Wednesday evening and you should not need to stay Wednesday evening. All appointments will be conducted in person.</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='color:#26282A;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='color:windowtext'>More schedule details will be provided on our Washington Seminar landing page and will be provided to registered participants. <a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><h1>Hotel Reservations:<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The deadline for making hotel reservations with the Holiday Inn Capitol is December </span><span style='color:#26282A'>31</span><span style='color:black'>, 20</span><span style='color:#26282A'>2</span>4<span style='color:black'>, and </span> <span style='color:black'>the hotel </span>booked up early last year so you will not want to wait. Do not assume rooms in the room block will be available by late December because the room block fills up quickly.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:Lato;color:black;background:white'>To book a room for the 2025 Washington Seminar please use our dedicated </span><a href="https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/find-hotels/select-roomrate?fromRedirect=true&qSrt=sBR&qIta=99801505&icdv=99801505&qSlH=WASSM&qCiD=30&qCiMy=002025&qCoD=07&qCoMy=012025&qGrpCd=NF5&setPMCookies=true&qSHBrC=HI&qDest=550%20C%20Street%20S.W.,%20Washington,%20DC,%20US&srb_u=1&qChAge=&qRmFltr=" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Lato;color:#005AA3;background:white'>booking link</span></a><span style='font-family:Lato;color:black;background:white'>, or call 877-834-3613 and provide our group code, NF5. The room rate for 2025 is 194.00 dollars per night, plus taxes and fees, and the deadline to make a reservation is December 31, 2024.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydp8dd0c7d4yiv8360221087msonormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><h1>Registering for the 2025 Washington Seminar:<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=ydp8dd0c7d4yiv8360221087msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The legislative Committee needs to begin creating teams of those who will be attending Washington Seminar and start scheduling appointments with members of Congress. To secure appointments, we need to show we have constituents who will be present. This year, registration has two online steps because both the Virginia affiliate and our national office have registration processes with different goals and these processes are not connected. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please let us know by December 31 whether you plan to attend and which days you are available using the online forms. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For the Virginia affiliate, please register online at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nfbv.org/washington">https://nfbv.org/washington</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Additionally, our national office has defined a registration process found at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/registration">https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar/registration</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydp8dd0c7d4yiv8360221087msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=ydp8dd0c7d4yiv8360221087msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates on our legislative issues and training schedules. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact me, your co-legislative director, at <a href="mailto:deepa.goraya@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>deepa.goraya@gmail.com</span></a> or call me at 9099643699.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Deepa Goraya<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Co-Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Peace,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jacki Bruce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Corresponding Secretary NFBV<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com">mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="tel:(757)291-1789">tel:(757)291-1789</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Find us on Instragram @nfbofvirginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Subscribe to our Youtube: NFB Virginia<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbv.org">www.nfbv.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>STRONGER TOGETHER!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>