[PACapitalChapter] August 2023 Monthly Digest from the NFB of PA!
Stacie Leap
stacie.leap at gmail.com
Wed Aug 2 01:55:37 UTC 2023
Hello everybody!
Welcome to our August 2023 monthly Digest: a monthly newsletter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania!
The events and information listed below will be within the National
Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania as well as any pertinent
information from the National Federation of the Blind and the Pennsylvania
blind community.
If you or anyone you know have any upcoming events or information that can
pertain to the blind community in Pennsylvania, please send them to Stacie
Leap at nfb.stacie at gmail.com by the 27th of the month so it can be added
to our calendar for the following month.
For those using screen readers, you can use your heading navigations to
skip around the email.
*A Message from our State Affiliate President*
Hello everyone!
Happy August!
It is hard to believe that summer is almost over and school will be back in
session! We are hoping that the registration for the State Convention will
be open by the time of this message. Please register early!
I am beginning to line up speakers for the Saturday Agenda. If you have a
topic you want to hear about or someone you think would be of interest,
please let me know.
Stay Cool!
- Lynn Heitz
President, National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania
president at NFBOfPA.org
Google Calendar Links
The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania also has a Google
Calendar that can be viewed either through the web or subscribed to your
calendar apps.
You can view the calendar without subscribing to it and view it on your web
browser by clicking: View our Google Calendar
<https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=7jgal0nrodbmg61a8aar0o3i2g%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FNew_York>
However, if you wish to subscribe to the calendar and get the events on
your calendar apps, please click Subscribe
<https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/7jgal0nrodbmg61a8aar0o3i2g%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics>
and go through the steps to subscribe:
Member Spotlight: Brian Mackey
Each month, we will highlight someone within our affiliate. The goal is to
allow other members to learn about other members within the affiliate. We
hope you enjoy this little spotlight!
Brian Mackey serves as the NFB of PA State Treasurer as well as the
Treasurer of the Greater Berks County Chapter. He is a huge Philadelphia
Flyers fan. His love of sports does not keep him as a spectator though as
he is also a golfer with the Mid-Atlantic Blind Golfers Association. His
expertise and interest in web development has given Brian the opportunity
to continue serving not just Pennsylvania but multiple states as their
webmaster and content developer. His organization skills also landed him a
job as the Administrative Assistant with the DoubleTree Hotel in Reading,
PA. He is the lead person for our registration tables at the state
conventions. If you happen to run into Brian, do not forget to say “Hello!”
Calendar of Events
The following events are also on our Google calendar with the Zoom
information or meeting location. If anyone within a chapter, division, or
group see any errors or misinformation, please contact Stacie Leap at
nfb.stacie at gmail.com
The below information is correct as of the first week of the month. The
information is most up-to-date on the Google Calendar so please check back
periodically to ensure the right information.
*Coffee with the State President and Board*
This monthly discussion meeting brings everybody together to get to know
the state affiliate board members and the happenings within the state’s
divisions, chapters, and advocacy efforts.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at 7:30PM ET.
Jigsaw Chapter monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who do not have a local chapter in their
geographical area. This is our at-large chapter Meetings
Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 10 AM ET
Greater Berks Chapter Monthly Meeting
A monthly meeting for those who live in the Greater Berks County of
Pennsylvania
Friday, August 11, 2023 at 10 AM ET
Keystone Chapter Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who live in the Greater Philadelphia area. This
is one of two local chapters in the Greater Philadelphia area. The other
chapter is the Greater Philadelphia Chapter.
Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 10:15AM ET
Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter Monthly Meeting
A monthly meeting for those who live in the Greater Lehigh Valley region of
Pennsylvania. This includes Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and the
surrounding areas.
Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 10 AM ET.
Happy Valley Chapter Monthly Meeting
A monthly meeting for those who live in or surrounding State College,
Pennsylvania.
Saturday, August 12,2023 at 1PM ET
Deaf Blind Division Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who consider themselves to be Deaf Blind and
their supporters.
Monday, August 14, 2023 at 6PM ET
Pennsylvania Organization of Parents of Blind Children (PAOPBC) Monthly
Meeting
a monthly meeting for parents of blind children and their supporters
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 11 AM ET
Pittsburgh Chapter Monthly Meeting
A monthly meeting for those who live in the Greater Pittsburgh area.
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 6PM ET
Pennsylvania Association of Blind Merchants (PABM) Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who are or wish to be involved with the
Business Enterprise Program, entrepreneurship, and their supporters.
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 6PM ET
Capital Area Chapter Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who live in the Greater Harrisburg area.
Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 10 AM ET
Erie County Chapter Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who live in Erie County Pennsylvania.
Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 2PM ET
Blind Parents Group Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for blind parents, grandparents, and their supporters
Saturday, August 19, 2023 at 7PM ET
Blind Seniors Group Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who are seniors or almost seniors as well as
their supporters.
Wednesday, August 24, 2023 at 7:30PM ET
Greater Philadelphia Chapter Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who live in the Greater Philadelphia area. This
is one of two local chapters in the Greater Philadelphia area. The other
chapter is the Keystone Chapter.
Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 10 AM ET
Brandywine Valley Chapter Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who live in the Brandywine Valley.
Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 10 AM ET
Pennsylvania Association of Guide Dog Users (PAGDU) Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for those who have or are considering getting a guide dog
as well as their supporters.
Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 4pm ET
Pennsylvania Association of Blind Students (PABS) Monthly Meeting
a monthly meeting for blind students of all ages and their supporters.
Monday, August 28, 2023 at 7PM ET
White Canes Connect Podcast
Did you know that the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania has
a podcast? It is hosted by members David Goldstein and Lisa Bryant as well
as some guest hosts. It features interviews with our PA members as well as
interviews and resources for the blind community. You can listen to it
wherever you listen to podcasts.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
<https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-canes-connect/id1592248709>,
Spotify <https://open.spotify.com/show/1YDQSJqpoteGb1UMPwRSuI>, Amazon Music
<https://www.amazon.com/White-Canes-Connect/dp/B08K5B6683/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=white+canes+connect&qid=1636149501&qsid=139-0343126-3565115&s=audible&sr=1-1&sres=B08K5B6683,B07P88N4RS,B008U2QT28,B00MFS7BT8&srpt=WALKING_STICK>
, IHeartRadio
<https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-white-canes-connect-89603482/>,
and on Twitter
@PABlindPodcast <https://www.twitter.com/pablindpodcast>. Contact White
Canes Connect at whitecanesconnect at gmail.com if you have any show ideas or
wish to be on the podcast.
National Convention 2023: Recap
*We had such a wonderful time reconnecting with old friends and meeting new
ones at our national convention in Houston, Texas this year! We had a total
of 43 people registered from our state and 10 of those who registered were
first timers! Welcome to the Federation family to all the first timers!*
*Here are some highlights from national convention as it relates to our PA
members:*
*Emily Gindlesperger was elected back to the board of the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children!*
*Denice Brown is still in the position of Treasurer of the National
Organization of Blind Black Leaders as the position is a two-year term!*
*Gloria Nathan-Cherry was elected to the seat of board member for the
Community Service Division!*
*Harriet Go was elected as the 2nd Vice President for the National
Organization of Blind Educators!*
*Harriet Go also is the new Kids Camp Director!*
*Stacie Leap was nominated as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion committee!*
*Two National Scholarship winners are from our state: Joann Kim and Ashley
Rogers!*
*Accessible Pharmacy received the Bolitin Award! *
Lynn Heitz presented at the annual meeting for the Diabetes Action Network
Division and the Blind Seniors division about Accessible Pharmacy!
Esther Gillyard performed at the Performing Arts Division Showcase of
Talent!
Quitrina Townes’ name was called for a Door Prize with the PAC Plan!
Congratulations to those mentioned above on all their accomplishments!
Pennsylvania is definitely a state full of leaders and game changers!
Our 2024 National Convention will be from July 3 to 8, 2024 in the Rosen
Center located in Orlando, Florida! Start saving up and we look forward to
meeting you in Orlando!
State Convention 2023
Our State Convention is coming up soon! Mark your calendar! Clear your
agendas! We will be convening from November 9 to 12, 2023 at the Crowne
Plaza Hotel in Harrisburg, PA!
Please see the links below to register for the convention as well to
reserve your hotel rooms! Room rates are $99 a night. We will have a Senior
Possibilities Fair, Technology Seminars, Talent Showcase/Live Auction,
special interest groups and division meetings and so much more! We hope to
hang out with you at the convention!
Attendee Registration for State Convention:
https://nfbofpa.org/2023-state-convention-registration/
Info on making hotel reservations at the Crowne Plaza Harrisburg:
https://nfbofpa.org/reservations-for-crowne-plaza-hotel/
Shout-Outs and Announcements! Birthday Wishes
The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania would like to wish all
those who were born in August a very happy birthday!
Rest in Peace Eric Coleman!
>From Denice Brown: On July 7th we lost a great friend in the blindness
community. Eric Coleman passed away. Many of you met Eric through ASB (now
Vision Link). Eric loved to have game night at his house, and his wife
Yancey was always the perfect hostess. He was one of the biggest
Philadelphia Eagles fans, and had no problem boasting about his team.
In the past Eric had been a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter, and
he did travel to a few of our National Conventions.
Please keep all of Eric’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.
His service was on Monday, July 17, 2023 at Majestic Hall, 800w. Olney
Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
*Rest in Peace Vanessa Walsh!*
>From Denice Brown on Sunday, July 30, 2023: It is with a heavy heart that I
come to you again with another death in the blindness community. It was
reported to me that last night former member Vanessa Walsh passed away in
North Carolina. Please keep Vanessa’s loved ones in your thoughts and
prayers. If I receive any additional information, I will let you know.
John Jon Awareness Walk
Member Lyvette Byrd had her 2nd Annual John Jon Awareness Walk under her
business, For The Byrds Consulting, LLC, and a lot of members of the
affiliate came to support. At the walk, Greater Philadelphia Chapter’s
member Yvonne Hughes received an award for all her advocacy work in the
disability community! Congratulations to Yvonne!!!
Lyvette Byrd would like to thank everybody who contributed in any way to
the walk: giving donations, participating at the walk, serving snacks and
beverages, and everything in between!
Lyvette would also like to thank members Quitrina Townes and Stacie Leap
who volunteered their time as planning committee members!
Fundraisers Blind Parents Group T-Shirts Fundraiser
The t-shirts come in either black with white letterings or white with black
letterings. Both shirts say “I Support #BlindParents” with the NFB of PA
Logo and “Blind Parents Group” at the bottom. Funds raised will start a
scholarship fund to assist blind or visually impaired parents and their
family through financial life hardships. To purchase a t-shirt, please
contact Stacie Leap at nfb.stacie at gmail.com
Believe You Can! Talent Show
SAVE THE DATE: The Keystone Chapter will be having their annual talent show
fundraiser on Saturday, October 14, 2023. More details will follow as the
date gets closer! If you wish to be a performer or have any questions,
please contact BelieveYouCanShow at gmail.vcom
Other External Events
These events are not hosted or sponsored by the NFB or the NFB of PA.
However, we think these might be good resources for those living in
Pennsylvania. If you have any events that you wish to be in our monthly
digest, please email Stacie Leap at nfb.stacie at gmail.com
*SEPTA Advisory Council Update*
SEPTA stands for “Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority.” The SEPTA
Advisory Council has not been having their monthly meeting due to internal
restructuring. Please see the below message from the SAC team.
Good morning,
The SAC leadership is just about finished updating SACs bylaws... We
decided to delete the teams link series calendar invite so everything will
start fresh. SAC staff that work with SAC leadership will share the new
link with all SEPTA staff that attend these meetings. For SAC attendees,
SAC leadership will circulate the new link to you all as well.
We do apologize for any inconvenience, we know this has taken longer than
expected, but trust SAC leadership, when we said we want these meetings to
produce results for the disability community, that's exactly what we meant
and mean.
Stay tuned, trust the process, and we'll be back to meeting regularly real
soon.
Best,
Latoya Maddox-SAC Chair
Heather Shanefield-SAC Secretary
Liam Dougherty-Assistant Secretary
Senior Summit Continues!
Member Yvonne Hughes has been hosting a bunch of senior summits throughout
the city and there is one coming up in August. Please see below as it is
the text from her flyer:
EDUCATE TO EMPOWER
Information:
Health Screening (Blood Pressure, Diabetes Health Information)
National Federation of the Blind
Revenue
And other resources!
Sponsor: Temple Health & Medicaid
Date: Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023
Time: 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Christy Recreation Center (728 S 55th Street, Philadelphia PA
19143)
Enter on Christian St.
REMEMBER THE FOUR E’S:
EDUCATE TO EMPOWER TO LEARN TO ENGAGE AND EMBRACE YOURSELF
CONTACT YVONNE HUGHES FOR MORE INFORMATION
(215) 966-9614 | MARVON22253 at GMAIL.COM
Liberty Resources’ Blind/Low Vision Support Group
Our members Karen Rose and Simone Cooper partner up with Liberty Resources
to hold a weekly virtual support group at Liberty Resources. The aim is to
share resources and provide support to those experiencing blindness or low
vision. Meetings are weekly on Tuesdays from 1pm to 2pm ET via Zoom. You do
not need to live in Philadelphia to attend these meetings, this is open to
all in Pennsylvania! For more information or to sign-up, please email
Latoya Maddox at LatoyaMaddox at libertyresources.org
Purple Path Awareness Walk
Purple Path is an awareness walk about domestic violence. It will be a day
filled with testimonials, live entertainment, raffles, food,
resources/information tables and much more! The event will be on October 7,
2023 from 12PM to 4PM at 800 Macdade Blvd.Collingdale, PA 19023. More
information including volunteering, sponsorships, and registering can be
found on their website: www.purplehouseporjectpa.org
Women Healed For a Purpose 2023 Conference!
Our member Lyvette Byrd is hosting her 2nd Annual Women Healed For a
Purpose Conference under her business, For the Byrds Consulting, LLC. The
mission of the conference is to equip and restore the community through a
faith-based initiative that we hope will strengthen women holistically;
mind, body, and spirit.
We are women Living Interdependently in support of Family, Friends, and our
Fellow neighbors to Educate and Empower our community. The event will be on
Saturday, October 28, 2023. There will be guest speakers, and live
entertainment. There will be an in-person option as well as a Zoom option.
For more information including vending opportunities, volunteering, or to
register, please visit the For The Byrds Consulting website
<http://www.forthebyrdsconsulting.org/>.
NFB Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation
of the Blind; to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind;
to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its
constitution.
NFB 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.
Many thanks to everybody for all they do within the Federation!
Thanks!
the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania team
www.nfbofpa.org
More information about the PACapitalChapter
mailing list