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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><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Please consider participating in this year’s Virginia Affiliate Richmond Seminar. No travel involved. You can make a difference right from your home. Below is a message from our Virginia Affiliate President Tracy Soforenko.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Annette Carr, M.Ed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>President, Fairfax Chapter<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind VA Affiliate<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>--- Message from Tracy Soforenko, President, NFB VA Affiliate ---<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia is a powerful force advocating for blind Virginians. For 2021, we will be conducting our legislative advocacy over the Zoom platform and we will need you to commit to attending a few brief Zoom meetings with your legislators. Interestingly, virtual appointments mean you are not required to make as large of a time commitment to participate. However, it also means we need to tell legislators that we have a constituent attending or they won’t meet with us.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Here is the 3 step process:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=A><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>By Wednesday, January 6, Email <a href="mailto:Tracy.soforenko@gmail.com">Tracy.soforenko@gmail.com</a> with your name, address, and availability on Tuesday, January 19. Most appointments will be in the morning between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM but some may be in the afternoon. We need to start making appointments so we need to know who can participate. Don’t wait, tell us you are coming.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Attend one of two Legislative prep sessions to be held over Zoom on either Saturday, January 16 at 1:00 PM or Monday, January 18 at 7:00 PM. During this training session, we will explain our issues, connect everyone with their team leaders, and make certain all questions are answered. <o:p></o:p></span></font></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Attend the appointments that work for your schedule on Tuesday, January 19 focusing on the appointments with your Delegate and Senator.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The team leaders will be provided a Zoom account for their use and booking appointments in advance. This model allows each team to be booking concurrent appointments.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Our goal is to enable everyone to participate in advocacy in an easy way but we need you to tell us you are coming.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We need you to ensure our voice is heard in the offices of the General Assembly.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>If you have never attended a Richmond Seminar, we strongly encourage you to attend and participate in representative democracy in action. Everyone is assigned to a team with an experienced leader. The General Assembly members and their staff are very receptive and welcoming. They know we are organized, articulate, and well versed in the subject matter.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We will put everyone on the team to work, sharing our issues and answering the questions of legislators and their staff.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The issues we will bring to Richmond are still under consideration but will most likely include:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>* Accessible absentee voting<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>* Expanding resources for the Virginia Department for the Blind and<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Vision Impaired; and<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>* Special Hiring Authority for Virginia State Government jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The final list of issues will be presented at the two training sessions scheduled for Saturday, January 16 and Monday, January 18.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Visit the NFB of VA Affiliate webpage for news and information from around the state:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="http://nfbv.org/">http://nfbv.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>News and information from the NFB National Office is available at URL:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="https://www.nfb.org/">https://www.nfb.org/</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Sign-up for the NFBV Fairfax Chapter e-mail list at URL:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-fairfax_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-fairfax_nfbnet.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Sign-up for the NFB of VA Affiliate e-mail list at URL:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-announce_nfbnet.org">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbv-announce_nfbnet.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=4 face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>