[Ohio-Talk] February 2022 Newsletter

[Michael Moore]

“Beyond the Six Dots”

 

National Federation of the Blind Community Service Division

February 2022 Newsletter

We use a white cane, slate & stylus, and screen readers in between,

We read from the left, write from the right, and will tap tap onto any scene.

We want our communities to know what we’ve got, a commitment to serve,

Beyond the Six Dots!

 

POP RIGHT To THE TOP

The NFB COMMUNITY SERVICE DIVISION is proud to announce the dates for our next mouth-watering, flavorsome, kernelicious POPCORN FUNDRAISER! That’s right, we’ve brought back the Double Good greatness, and our NFB CSD Willing Workers are diligently working-hard to setup a PopTastic popcorn store near you! 

Mark your calendars to start shopping on Friday, March 4th at 12PM, and don’t stop until every bag has been sold by Tuesday, March 8th at 12PM EST!

We know the time is short, but these explosive flavors are popping out with greatness! As a matter of fact, we believe your pantry is feeling empty right now! It needs to know all about Butter Believe It, White Cheddar Go Getter, Little Kettle That Could, and more!

Proceeds gained from this fundraiser will support the efforts of the federation in addition to help promote the Community Service Division projects. With that being said, get your mouse clicks and finger taps ready because we’re going to POP RIGHT To The TOP, CSD Style!

Please contact Gloria Nathan-Cherry “The Popcorn Lady” for more information at, (215)-971-6650.

If you listen very, very closely, you can almost hear the sizzles and crackles of the hot oil. Double Good Gourmet has turned up the heat and is ready for the CSD fundraiser to start cooking in service!

 

STOP, DROP, & LAUGH

Knock!

Knock!

Who's there?

Olive!

Olive who?

Olive you!

"My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.” by Maya Angelou

 

SERVING IN THE NAME OF LOVE

Can you feel the love of the Community Service Division? We cordially welcome everyone to our monthly meeting on February 21, 2022 at 7 PM Eastern Time. Please expect to be loved on purpose.

POP in the Zoom Meeting 15 minutes early for a chance to win the lovely POP-UP PRIZES!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89480609357

Meeting ID: 894 8060 9357

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,89480609357#

Why I ❤️ Volunteering?

>From a child, I witness my mother’s love for helping people.  What can I say, “The Apple does not fall too far from the tree.” I absolutely love volunteering. In my spare time, I actively volunteer in various roles in my community such as Child Advocate for CASA, feeding the homeless, home-visits to newly blind individuals, Greeter Ministry, Titians for Christ High School Christian Club Sponsor, Buddy Program, mentorship Program for at-risk youth and the list goes on... I served independently as well with groups, and loved every opportunity to provide a helping hand. So many people have help me in my walk of life. I would love to take this moment to thank my blind community for embracing me since 2012. You all taught me skills, confidence, and hard work pays off. Thank you, federation, for being a loving organization as a whole that help me overcome fears and wipe my tears with cheers!

Help CSD share the love of service through your stories in this loving month of February. Why do you love to serve? Step up to the MIC, 60 seconds to share at our upcoming meeting or write a reflection of your service, and send it to,

 <mailto:price.jeanetta at gmail.com> price.jeanetta at gmail.com.

 

FORGIVING FEBRUARY

We challenge you to forgive someone who has did you wrong. We challenge you to challenge someone else this challenge.

Recipe For Love!

Ingredients:

2 Hearts Full of Love

2 Heaping Cups of Kindness

2 Armfuls of Gentleness

2 Cups of Friendship

2 Cups of Joy

2 Big Hearts Full of Forgiveness

1 Lifetime of Togetherness

2 Minds Full of Tenderness

Method:

Stir daily with Happiness, Humor and Patience.

Serve with Warmth and Compassion, Respect and Loyalty.

(author unknown)

 

BOOK WORMS SMILING WITH APPRECIATION

Written by Daria Bannerman

Do you enjoy walking into your local library? Do you love to browse the many shelves filled with books in hopes that one of them will jump out at you? How about the anticipation of being swept away by a captivating novel? Or have you ever received books in Braille, audio, and large print formats from libraries that specifically cater to your needs? If so, we are calling for a celebration! It’s not just the CSD call for a celebration, the whole nation is showing their heart’s desire for books, books, and more books!

February is known as National Library Lovers Month. Libraries are a wonderful place to discover new and interesting reads, a great quiet place to gather for meetings, provides ample resources to work on research projects, or even a place to get away. We encourage you to show appreciation for your local libraries by letting your local NLS librarian know how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication as a public servant. Also, inquire about potential volunteer opportunities your local library may offer to the community and get involved. We also want to spread the news about the National Library Service’s has recently changed their name to National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled.

Happy Library Lovers month, CSD! Thank you to all the libraries in the world! I am eternally grateful for everything that our libraries do to make books, magazines, newsletters, and other publications accessible for us. However, you wish to celebrate, I hope you do. I know I plan to!

 

BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHTS

 “I had no idea that history was being made.  I was just tired of giving up.” by Rosa Parks.

The Community Service Division celebrates Black History Month by shining the spotlight on Black Blind Arthurs within the federation for their accomplishments, service, and creative published writings. These three influential authors have served tirelessly as leaders within our federation and beyond. They have inspired generations before and after them, and they are the movers and shakers in what it means to live the life you want.

Genuine Love

Published Author, Dr. Carolyn Peters

“In the year of 2006, I was diagnosed as being legally blind. In 2008, I decided to retired and pursue my doctorate degree in theology, which I had acquired in 2011. And in 2012, self-published as a brand-new author of “Knowing When to Go” based on the book of Ruth.

My book is a chronology of events that I have challenged myself through my journeys in life. From my past, to my present, to embrace and honor my future. My book is spiritually based and I Field with the what, when, where, why, and how.”

A Brilliant Scholar

Published Author, Dr. J.W. Smith

“I have never really enjoyed writing but I’ve always enjoyed communicating. I don’t consider myself to be a very good writer, but I do believe that my life narrative is worthy of publication. This is probably the real reason that I wrote my book entitled “From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the Classroom: My Thirty- year Journey as a Black and Blind Professor”.

The intersectionality of my blindness and racial ethnicity has always fascinated me and many others who know me. I was born with infantile glaucoma, which meant that I could see out of one eye. After a freak accident at the age of three, I lost the use of that quote on quote ‘good eye’. Essentially, I’ve been blind since birth and this has significantly colored and shaped how I see the world. My life narrative covered in this recent memoir focuses on my journey as a professor in academia since 1985.

I would characterize my writing style as anecdotal, free flowing, and personally driven. When I write a song or a book, I must start with the title. When I get the title, the rest seems to just fall into place. The title of this book came to me while literally riding a bus from Cincinnati OH to Athens OH. For obvious reasons, my job and life goals require me to write, but I love the fact that I have earned the right to write what I want and in the way that I prefer.”

Soaps of Hope

Published Author, Natassha Ricks

I’m Natassha Ricks also known as Author N. Lichells who writes contemporary romance novels. Reading romance novels earlier in life fueled my inquisitiveness of love and relationships. My passion for the genre inspired me to write my first story.

I found myself engrossed in the lives of the characters I read about and wanted their stories to continue long after the epilogue.  So, I found myself coming up with various scenarios to keep the story going. Looking back, I have to laugh at how I turned some of my favorite reads into soap operas.  

Over the years, these stories along with new ones took up residence in my mind and refused to leave. Two years ago, I told a good friend about the stories housed within me and how they would be better suited in a book. The following day, I received an email about a writing workshop, Finding The Writer Within offered by GLAAWC. Participating in this workshop led me to attend other workshops and joining a writing group, # I AM Writing, facilitated by Author Abby L. Vandiver. The more active I became in the writing community, the deeper I fell in love with writing.

It’s no secret that blindness comes with its own set of challenges. However, I wasn’t prepared for how my lack of vision would impact me as an author. The wind was knocked out of my sail when I shared my first story. A group member said she had difficulty reading it. But difficulty didn’t stem from the words I’d written, rather how they’d been presented. As an audio book reader, one doesn’t see how dialogue is displayed within a book, you just hear it. And unfortunately, that’s how I wrote it. 

With the help of my writing group, I’ve overcome many obstacles related to lack of sight. Patience is truly a virtue, and I can’t thank them enough for providing me with the support and resources I’ve needed to get to where I am today.

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”

 

BOOKS ON THE MOVE

Written by Stacie Leap

Literacy is one aspect of education that some children struggle due to lack of those reading resources like books and we hope to bridge the gap. Many studies show that as literacy rates increase, so does self-esteem, confidence, employment rates, higher education acceptance, and the expanding of knowledge.

On Monday, January 17, 2022, The Community Support Program of Philadelphia (CSP Philly) collected 1,523 books for their annual book drive during the Greater Philadelphia MLK Day of Service.  As we exceed our yearly goal of 1,000 books, we donated these amazing books to various organizations and agencies including: National Federation of the Blind, Salvation Army Philadelphia, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Belmont Charter Network, Lombard Central Presbyterian Church, and the Y.  We also donated these books to various neighbors in West Philadelphia. 

As we are approaching our third year in 2023, we are hoping for some assistance in obtaining books. These books can be for all grade levels and appropriate for adult readers. We will be donating these books to various schools, organizations and agencies within Pennsylvania. Our goal for 2023 is to collect 1,500 books.

Everyone who contributes to our book drive will help us reach more children and adults with the gift of books and the promise of literacy. 

As we head towards our third year, we are asking for your help as well. Please consider donating books to CSP. 

We are asking for books for all grade levels, reading levels and reading abilities. This includes books for newborns/toddlers, elementary/middle/high school students, college and trade school students. We are also asking for audio books, picture books, Braille books, ASL books, etc. for children and families with various disabilities. We greatly appreciate all efforts being put into this book drive.

Thank you, Philly, for going BEYOND THE SIX DOTS!

 

A SPLASH OF LOVE

National Wedding Month

Written by Adrienne Nelson

" Going to the chapel and we're gonna get married!”

A magnificent celebration of two individuals coming together as one! O how romantic! Allow me to offer my expertise on the trendy colors of the 2022 wedding season!

As the bride chooses her most elegant gown, we are now looking for the glamorous attire for the wedding party. It's important to have a good color palette because sometimes it can be difficult. These are some of the colors being highlighted.

(1) Burgundy / bottle bottom- maroon will always be stylish. Loving that people are turning slightly to a light purple gives different light mood and the color palette. Good for spring and summer. Recommend jasmine or scarlet to complete.

(2) Deep sea palette ranging from fouulti-color light to dark, creating mix and match for bridesmaids’ dresses accessories with gold mood or whimsical and romantic. Recommend mortally deep sea, teal and sky.

(3) Love Jewel tone for all seasons with Dusty rose complements everyone. Emerald adds formality and instead of chiffon go satin is formal. Good for evening and weekends. Recommend Jasmine, camel or creamer.

(4) Classic Navy blue - dark enough to be moody, sophisticated, slimming and lighter than black. Add gold and you have elegant look. Chiffon is for summer and satin for fall.

(5) Yellow/ cannot go wrong with all yellows, Mustard yellow with dusty under tone popular for fall weddings. Can go with any color and enjoy greenery look. Stay close to gold to accent everyone complexion.

(6) don’t be afraid to stick with one color using different shades of under tone and pastels. One color theme can be Pink. Good for mix match looks, but allow the bridesmaids to choose their own colors.

For wedding flowers and bouquets, I recommend the following:

(1) beautiful bouquet with dried poppy.

(2) Lily of the valley blooms is still popular. For romantic, traditional and elegant wedding with white flowers and green stem.

(3) Peony, great for June, big colorful flowers and great fragrance. Good for garden and romantic wedding.

(4) Delphenium beautiful flowers with long stem, bold bloom added to flower bouquet, for outlining the aisle and for centerpiece. Beautiful colors of pink, white and cobalt blue. Perfect for garden or whimsical romance.

(5) Roses can be found in different hue. May be used for bouquet or centerpiece for traditional wedding.

(6) Hydrangeas big bloom heads. Can find in different colors include white, purple, pink and blue. For bouquet and centerpiece for garden and whimsical wedding

It’s your Wedding Day! Make this your own beautiful paradise.

Lights! Camera! Smile! You are a handsome Groom and beautiful Bride!!!!

 

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

National Heart Disease Month

Contributed by Hannah Litman

February is American Heart month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. CSD wants to shine a light on a non-profit organization going the distance in providing an awareness, resources, and educating their local communities on heart disease.

“I love being able to talk with and work alongside others in the non-profit world!” says Hannah Litman of The Heart Foundation located in Westlake Village of California.

“The Heart Foundation’s mission is to save lives by educating the public about heart disease, promoting early detection, and supporting the research taking place at Cedars-Sinai under the direction of world-renowned cardiologist Dr. P.K. Shah in the quest to find more effective ways to prevent and treat the #1 cause of death in the U.S.

We dedicate ourselves to this mission in memory of Steven S. Cohen, an incredible husband, father, son, brother and friend.  Too often, the only sign of heart disease is sudden death. Steve exercised regularly, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, wasn’t overweight and had just received a clean bill of health two months prior at his annual check-up. Steve died suddenly with no warning signs or symptoms. His wife, daughters, family members and friends were left behind in a state of shock and disbelief. How could this have happened to someone so young, vital and seemingly healthy?  Driven to do something to honor Steve’s memory and save other families from suffering the tragic loss of a loved one to heart disease, Steve’s friends, family and community formed The Steven S. Cohen Heart Fund in 1996. In 2004, the name was changed to The Heart Foundation.  

Over the years, The Heart Foundation has hosted celebrity galas, CPR/AED Certification courses, days of well-being, fitness classes, and live conversations with influential people—all to spread awareness of heart disease and the importance of heart health.  We are also proud to announce that in 2021, Dr. P.K. Shah and the colleagues in his laboratory received FDA approval for a phase 2 human clinical trial for a vaccine for atherosclerosis.”

A healthy heart will give you the courage to face and overcome any challenge in life!

 

MY WELLNESS JOURNEY

Written by CaspHer of Boston, MA 

I have shared many experiences in my life about what it means to be deaf-blind and so forth, but I’ve never come close to sharing my personal experiences when it comes to health and wellness.

I come from a lineage of repetitive health conditions passed down from generations. Those health conditions consist of, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Both of my parents have been plagued by these common diseases, which has contributed to their health issues.

For me, I have lived with obesity my entire life and didn’t pay much attention to what was happening with my body. I just went through the motions of life with the same habits of poor dieting and not much physical activity.  If I did not develop any additional health problems, I would be fine. I knew deep down that everything doesn’t remain the same and that I would need to start making changes before it was way too late.

One of the most embarrassing moments was on the day of my Mother’s funeral and I was looking for a suit to wear. I realized that none of my plus size pants fit me and I was usually properly fitted. I had also realized that even when I found the right size, I still couldn’t hide the additional weight. The extra weight came from grief eating and poor dieting habits. I was silently cursing at myself about how much extra weight I had gained during this awful pandemic and felt awful because the embarrassment was completely preventable.

I knew what I had to do and what the best practices would be for a better me. I started out slowly by changing the portion of my meals, cut out all the unhealthy foods, and began cooking my meals at home. With the home cooked meals, I knew what I was putting into my body. I also started changing the frequencies of my meal intakes. During my annual checkup, my doctor noticed that I had lost around thirty pounds, and at that time I hadn’t even stepped foot in a gym. He told me that whatever I had been doing was a great thing, and that I had significantly reduced my risk of becoming diabetic or having a heart disease. I left the hospital completely motivated to change and keep working on myself. It was time to take care of myself inside and out from now on!

Once everything surrounding the funeral started to calm down, I would drag myself out of bed to go for short walks, then they became longer walks. In May of 2021, I was determined to make fitness a part of my everyday life. I invested in a personal trainer and even began changing my diet along with the added training. I made sure I went to the gym five days a week and even met with a dietician once a month, to track my progress. I collectively have lost about sixty pounds! But I did not stop there. I wanted to learn more training techniques and turned to accessible jogging! So, I will collaborate with my O&M instructor and trainer for safer techniques. I am one that enjoys staying open to new experiences outside of my norm and looking forward to what’s to come!

It’s very important that I hold myself accountable and maintain the mindset that I’m responsible for myself only. Making healthier food choices and exercising regularly could be the changes my body had been craving all these years. Friends and family also noticed an entire positive transformation. Don’t get me wrong, I still eat out at restaurants, but I make better choices when I do. 

I invite all of our readers to take the best care of yourselves as there is only one of you. Stay as safe as possible and keep being amazing individuals!

 

REPRESENT YOUR STATE

THE HEALTHY BITES

Written by Stacie Leap

As a big urban city, homelessness and availability of nutritious food has been a problem for many citizens of Philadelphia. 

Lombard Central Presbyterian Church has offered hot breakfast and lunch to the homeless and the neighbors of West Philadelphia. The meals are offered every Friday until 2pm EST. Many volunteers come together to prepare, prep, cook, and serve the meals to those who attend. As people come for a hot meal, they are also given resources throughout the city of Philadelphia such as a listing of shelters, food pantries, free clinics, and other free or low-cost programs. We also offer a food pantry for individuals through the donations provided by the SHARE FOOD program and Trader’s

S Joe supermarket.  These donations include but not limited to: fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, meats, along with other perishables and non-perishables items. Since the pandemic, Lombard Central Presbyterian Church has served hundreds of people in the community. If you wish to donate time, food, money, or anything to the church, please contact, Stacie Leap. 

 

RESOURCES

Celebrate Black History Month: Learn, Grow, & Volunteer

https://www.tomsofmaine.com/good-matters/helping-hands/celebrate-black-history-month-learn-grow-and-volunteer

 

The Heart Foundation and to spread awareness of heart disease, head to: 

www.theheartfoundation.org 

 

For more information on the publications of our featured authors:

Book title: Knowing When to Go bye Dr. Carolyn Peters

To obtain a copy, call Dr. Peters,

Phone: (937) 657-5134

Email: Dr.carolyn.peters at gmail.com

 

Book title: From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the Classroom: My Thirty- year Journey as a Black and Blind Professor by Dr. J.W. Smith

Purchase from: Amazon, Barns & Noble, Audibles, and/or request a braille copy (two volumes) by emailing,

smithj at ohio.edu

 

Book title: Santa Claus Comes To Town by N. Lichells

Purchase from Amazon, Audibles, and/or Kindle 

More titles: The first fifteen episodes of Batshit Crazy In Love will be available on Kindle Vella in February 2022, A Rock And A Heart Place will be available in all formats on Amazon in April 2022

 

To learn more about the Community Support Program of Philadelphia, please email:

phillycsp at gmail.com

 

Alabama State Affiliate Convention

Connections, Independence and Empowerment: A Formula For Success

March 4 to 6, 2022

 <https://nfbal.org/civicrm/event/info?id=1&reset=1> https://nfbal.org/civicrm/event/info?id=1&reset=1

 

Massachusetts State Affiliate Convention

Choosing to be Champions

March 31 to April 3, 2022

 <https://www.nfbma.org/state-convention> https://www.nfbma.org/state-convention

 

NFB 2022 National Convention 

July 5 to July 10, 2022

New Orleans, LA 

Website:  <https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention> https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention

Will NFB22 be your first National Convention?

Learn about the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship that helps active NFB members, blind or sighted, attend their first NFB National Convention.

If you have questions, please contact us at:

Phone: (410) 659-9314

Email:  <mailto:nfb at nfb.org> nfb at nfb.org

 

EDITOR’S NOTES

We want to feature you in our next issue! Write about your personal experience with your community service project and submit the article by the first of the month.

We also want to help promote your community projects and state affiliate events. Share your calendar with Beyond The Six Dots and we will feature your events in the ‘Represent Your State’ section of our next issue. Contact our editor to submit your calendar events and featured articles. (The editor may edit the Length and/or wording of your article.)

 

NFB Community Service Division

www.facebook.com/communityservicedivision/

President Jeanetta Price

Email: price.jeanetta at gmail.com

Mobile: (409) 344-1005

Newsletter Editor: Maggie Stringer

Email: Ravensfan784 at gmail.com

Mobile: (443) 750-0070

 

ONE MINUTE MESSAGE

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. We are survivors!

 

 



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