[Ohio-talk] Buckeye Update

[Eric Duffy]

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Buckeye Update
December 19, 2014

Tis less than a week before Christmas, and Santa's been sending Braille letters to boys and girls every where. I am told that he contacted Synchrony Financial to check on his line of credit, only to learn that some Grinch shut it down. He didn't mention any names, so all I know is that it was someone from Kettering Ohio. 

Our Malley's Chocolate sales campaign was the best we have ever had. thank you to everyone who supported us this year, and a special thank you goes to Milena Zavoli. 
I bought more chocolate than I needed to this year. I did it because I love chocolate, but also because I wanted to support our work. But it makes me think of how easy it is to shop with Scrip. You don't have to buy anything you don't need. You simply buy the gift cards for the places you want to shop, eat, or be entertained at. You can also buy gift cards for family and friends.  Barb Fohl just told me that she found some misplaced gift cards earlier in the week. They were cards purchased around this time last year. Now she will have extra Christmas gifts to give away this year. Participating in the Scrip program is a way to give to the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio each month.  Please sign up now, so that you will be ready to purchase cards in early January. In fact, if Santa would have bought gift cards all year, he wouldn't have to worry about the Grinch at Synchrony Financial. shopwithscrip.com <http://shopwithscrip.com/>

The next issue of the newsletter will be in your inbox very soon. It will be another good one. This is one of the best affiliate newsletters there is. Help us keep it that way by contributing materials. We are fortunate to still have Barbara Pierce as our Editor, and you make her job easier when she does not have to scramble for information. I think we will begin working on the next issue in March. Keep that in mind as you are engaging in Federation activities and in life. 
	Seven of us will be participating in the Washington Seminar this year. Barbara Pierce and I will fly in on January 24 for the Legislative Director's Seminar at the Jernigan Institute. We will catch up with other Ohioans in D.C., on January 26. The other participants are Sheri Albers, Aleeha Dudley, Deborah Kendrick, Walter Mitchell, and Richard Payne. Aleeha will be tweeting, and we will do our best to keep you updated while we are there.

The next meeting of the board of directors will be January 31 by conference call. The meeting will start at 10:00 AM. and we will use our usual conference call number. (605) 475-4875. Use access code 201909 followed by the pound sign. i will remind you of this meeting several times in January. We will make a decision about the location of our next convention during that meeting.

 I am pleased to announce that we made $3,783.11 with our convention fundraiser. Thank you to everyone who made this such a success. I cannot think of a time since I have been involved in the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, that we have made that much money from a single event. It's great when we can pull together to create this kind of success.

Money for the Movement brought us $1,840.00 in cash and  $925.00 in pledges. This means that once all of the pledges have been paid  we will have received $2,765.00 from Money for the Movement.. Thank you for your generosity. 

Our drive for 75 campaign brought us $1,541.00 in cash, and $675.00 in pledges. Once the pledges are paid we will have $2,216  for the drive for 75. Again, thank you for your generosity. I know we can get at least 75 Ohioans to Orlando for the convention next year. It is going to be a great convention, and I want as many of my fellow Federationists who can do so to be there.

We spend a lot of time talking about raising money in this organization. In fact, I have heard people say, "The Federation nickels and dimes people to death." Every person and every business I know needs money. We can not live in the world without it.  The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio is made up of a lot of people who are unemployed or underemployed. In most cases to no fault of our own. Therefore, I am extremely grateful to our members  who reach as far as they can  directly in to their own pockets to give. But we find ways such as our Scrip Program and our Malley's sale  for you to reach out to the community to support our organization as well.  I often tell people that we cannot fund our movement directly off the backs of our members. That's why it is important to continue to find ways to reach out to the public for funding. 

Yes, like all of you I get tired of fund raising, but I know we are all volunteers for an organization that desperately needs money. 
	We are an organization filled with faith, hope, and love. We are determined to build a brighter future for the blind.

 The NFB is the only organization that believes in the full capacity of blind people and has the power, influence, diversity, and determination to help transform our dreams into reality.

Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality. 



The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

We can say all of these things hundreds of times each day. We can write them down on paper, put them in Emails, on websites, and more. They are just words arranged in a way that sound good. It is you the members of the National Federation of the Blind that gives them power and meaning. It is because of you and the organization that we are growing and building together that I can celebrate the holidays with joy and optimism. Joy because of what we have accomplished together and optimism because I look forward to what we are going to accomplish together in the year to come.



Enjoy the holidays and keep the Federation spirit alive in your heart. I will write again after the new year.



I have put the Pierce's Christmas letter on NFB-NEWSLINE so that those of you who don't have another way to read it now have access to it. Barbara said she thought that was weird, but we are very fortunate to have Bob and Barbara still so very active in our Federation family so I am doing what I can to make that connection to those of you who do not have Email.



The Washington Seminar will mark the thirtieth anniversary of when Barbara and I met for the first time. From might point of view we became instant friends and begin working together to make life better for blind people. It is a friendship and partnership that I have cherished from day one, and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.



Eric Duffy, President National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.