[Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa

[bray at nfbi.org]

For more than the last forty years Joe has been an important leader,worker,
and friend for all of the National Federation Of The Blind. Hes, Joe has
worked tirelessly to promote the NFB, the Business Enterprise Program, and
programs for the blind of Iowa. When Legislators needed to be educated, he
was there. When the BEP program needed to be upgraded in the eighties to
expand to roadside vending, he was there. When we lost the Iowa Commission
For The Blind and it was swept into a larger department making it more
difficult to maintain good programs for the blind in iowa, he quietly went
about showing members of the legislature that this was not a workable
solution for State Government.

 

I could go on about the accomplishments that Joe had over his lifetime but
no list would be complete without including that he has been a friend to all
of us. Whenter I was needing his input on how to approach a certain member
of the legislature, how to convince a member of the Board of the Commission
to consider how his decisions were impacting the blind of Iowa, educating
the public about blindness, he was there . Did we always agree on politics,
ways to accomplish a specific task or a number of small things no, but the
goals were all the same. I am a much better person because of the number
years that I have been able to call Joe a friend.

 

Bob

We will all miss him a great deal and we also know that no one will be able
to fill his shoes. Let people try. The important thing is that we must pause
to think about what he stood for and keep on redoubling our efforts to move
forward with the principles he endorsed.

 

 

 

From: Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Emily Wharton
via Tall-Corn
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2023 9:06 AM
To: NFB of Iowa Internet Mailing List <tall-corn at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Emily Wharton <Emily.Wharton at blind.state.ia.us>
Subject: Re: [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind
of Iowa

 

Joe's commitment to, and hard work on behalf of, the Iowa Department for the
Blind and Business Enterprise Programs are too large to capture properly in
words. Not only did he dedicate his time and talents to serving many years
on the Iowa Commission for the Blind and Elected Committee of Blind Vendors,
but I saw his advocacy at   the Capitol save our appropriation more than
once. He never forgot what Kenneth Jernigan taught him and he gave back what
he had been given one hundred fold to improve the lives of blind Iowans who
would come after him. He was a farm boy who was not afraid of hard work . He
worked hard at his business and he worked hard by going  to the capitol and
talk to everyone and make sure that they knew how important IDB services
were. He was an inspiration to me and so many other blind Iowans and he will
deeply missed. I hope that all of us who knew him and those who have
benefited from his work will continue that work with the same passion and
sense of urgency that he demonstrated for so many years.  

 

From: Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces at nfbnet.org
<mailto:tall-corn-bounces at nfbnet.org> > on behalf of Dr. Bitrus Gwamna via
Tall-Corn <tall-corn at nfbnet.org <mailto:tall-corn at nfbnet.org> >
Date: Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 8:27 PM
To: 'NFB of Iowa Internet Mailing List' <tall-corn at nfbnet.org
<mailto:tall-corn at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: Dr. Bitrus Gwamna <bgwamna at gmail.com <mailto:bgwamna at gmail.com> >
Subject: Re: [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind
of Iowa

I am so sorry to read this.  Joe was a truly amiable person, always willing
to lend his  knowledge of blindness issues, the federation and the IDB  to
those of us   less informed than he.  May the memories

He has left behind comfort them, and may his soul rest in peace.

Bitrus

From: Tall-Corn <tall-corn-bounces at nfbnet.org
<mailto:tall-corn-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Scott Van Gorp via
Tall-Corn
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2023 7:53 PM
To: NFBI Listserv <tall-corn at nfbnet.org <mailto:tall-corn at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: Scott Van Gorp <svangorp at nfbi.org <mailto:svangorp at nfbi.org> >
Subject: [Tall-Corn] Sad news from the National Federation of the Blind of
Iowa

 

Good Evening Federation Family:

It is with great sorrow that I write to you this evening to announce that
Joe Van Lent, a long-time Federationist, BEP/Randolph Shepherd vendor, and
former Iowa Commission for the Blind board member, passed away on Wednesday
evening, January 25th. Services will be held in Des Moines on April 15,
2023, and we will share full details for those later. For now, let's keep
his wife Laura, and the rest of his family in our thoughts and prayers.
Blind people are undoubtedly in a much better place in Iowa because of Joe's
work and we are forever grateful. 

 

Scott Van Gorp, President
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
Phone: 515-720-5282
Email <mailto:svangorp at nfbi.org> 

 <http://www.nfbi.org/> Website 
 
<https://www.facebook.com/National-Federation-Of-the-Blind-Of-Iowa-372681823
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Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and
friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day
we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

 

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