[Nfbf-l] An appeal for help

Sat Nov 21 23:26:06 UTC 2009

Dwight, I sent this out to all of my groups I am associated with as well as 
all of my friends and e-mail list! I am personally going to contribute some 
cash to this family and anything else I can muster up from browsing around 
in my rooms and garage as well. I am hoping that our blind community will 
read this and show this family that we all stand behind each other in a time 
of need like they are in now and due whatever we neede to do to get this 
family back on their feet!  It is such a shame that this man lost his job so 
unexpected due to his loss of  sight causing his whole life to crumble 
around him so rapidly! I just got off the phone with Diane and I know that 
she is such a wonderful person and would not endorse this family if she 
didn't totally believe in them, so I am hoping that all of us will spread 
this request of hers not only to our friends, but to all we know as well! 
Your friend in the cause, Kirk
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <REPCODDS at aol.com>
To: <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <nfbf-leaders at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 21, 2009 3:29 PM
Subject: [Nfbf-l] An appeal for help

In a message dated 11/21/2009  1:13:42 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
dianne at ketts.org writes:

Dear  friends,
I am writing this letter of appeal to you because our family  (me, Jeff &
Ben) have been moved to "adopt" another beautiful and  loving family in
desperate need of assistance.   Please allow  me to share some of their
story
and how we have come to be acquainted  with them.

As all of you know, I am an Orientation & Mobility  instructor at Lighthouse
Central Florida.  Through my work I provide  instruction to visually
impaired
and blind adults and children in our  Central Florida community, teaching
them how to make the most use of  their other senses and information from
the
environment so that they may  move and travel safely and confidently within
their home and  community.  I met Maxeau for the first time this past
Thursday  afternoon as he was referred to me for training.  During my  home
visit I had the pleasant opportunity to also meet his wife Feda and  his son
Michael (7 yrs old.)  We spoke initially of his vision loss,  the challenges
to his mobility and developed a plan for assessment and  instruction.
Conversation eventually evolved to reveal that their entire  family consists
of five children in total:  Max-lyne (25 yrs-old),  Max (17 yrs-old),
Ruchama
(12 yrs-old), Kathiana (11 yrs-old) and of  course, Michael.  Feda
enthusiastically went to the other room to  retrieve photo albums so that
she
could share her family with me.

When I first arrived they mentioned that they had just moved into  their
apartment a few weeks earlier.  At first, I didn't think much  of the fact
that they seemed to have no furniture other than a blue  plastic patio set
with 4 chairs and a television that sat on the  floor.  While sharing their
family through photos it was further  revealed that all seven members of
their family were residing together  within this 3 bedroom apartment located
off of Americana Blvd.  They  went on to share with me that just weeks ago
on
this past September 14th  they were evicted from their home located in the
Peppermill Community on  south John Young Parkway.  They were told that they
had to leave  immediately and they watched as strangers entered their home
and removed  every last item they owned and relocated it to the front lawn.
With no  place to store it and no where to go all of their belongings  were
eventually taken by neighbors and strangers, some by choice and some  not.
Feda walked me through their apartment to show me that they are all
sleeping
on the floor as they have no beds.

This is a story that  had it's beginnings just two years ago when because of
Maxeau's vision  impairment he lost his dry cleaning business and his
ability
to work as a  professional driver for a local car service.  As they are  a
traditional family Feda's work has always been in their home raising  their
five children caring for the home and family as a whole.   Presently they
are
supported by their oldest daughter Max-lyne who works  at Sea World while
taking classes at Valencia Community College.   She aspires to a career in
nursing.  Maxeau and Feda also receive a  very meager income through a local
program that provides compensation for  community service.  Through this
program Maxeau volunteers at the  Council on Aging and Feda works at
Goodwill
Industries.  On a month  to month basis they are and will continue to be
required to make tough  decisions about which bills to pay or not and how to
feed their  family.

The other part of this story, the beautiful and compelling  part is that the
love and pride of this family is palpable.  Their  hearts are broken but
they
are not beaten.  I returned to their home  again on Friday afternoon and
brought Jeff and Benjamin with me.  We  had the pleasure of visiting with
their entire family for 2 1/2  hours.  We shared about our family and the
loss of Delaney.  We  shared photos and stories of her and of the
unprecedented outpouring of  love and support received by our family in
these
past 18 months.  We  shared of our desire and our promise to Delaney that we
would seek ways  to honor her memory and spread love in her name where ever
we felt  inspired to do so.

Dear friends, we are inspired here.   And we are hoping to fuel inspiration
in all of you, our loving extended  family.  Please help us help this
beautiful family in their hour of  greatest need.  Please look deep within
your hearts (and your  garages or storage units!) and let me know what you
think you might be  able to do.  I promise you that no gift or act will be
too small as  this family has practically nothing tangible to their name.
It
is  possible that this family will need some amount of long term support  as
they work their way back to self sufficiency and we will do our best  with
that.  For now they have obvious critical needs and therefore  we appeal to
you for help.

Here is a list of urgent items that  this family desperately needs:

Beds (I would like to provide at least  a queen size bed for Maxeau and Feda
and then twin beds and/or bunk beds  for the children.)
Comforters & pillows
Microwave
Furniture  (living room chairs, couch, coffee table, TV stand, dining
chairs,
dressers for clothing)
A large stock pot
Plates, glasses,  cups, cooking & eating utensils
Table lamps
Donations of food or  money/gift cards to purchase food
Money/gift cards for gas for their two  cars (one belonging to Max-lyne)

Other needs include tennis shoes and  a warm jacket that fits well for Max
(Size 12 or 12.5 shoes, 37 inch  sleeves), information about access to any
community services that may be  able to fill some of their needs and
possible
job opportunities for Feda,  Maxeau and a "better" job opportunity for
Max-lyne.

There is so  much more I would like to share about my/our experiences with
this family  so far and hope to do so in the coming weeks.  Additionally, I
am  very willing to speak directly to anyone who wants to know more  about
them and how to help them.  I can assure you that they have  been humble in
their requests and that it has taken a great deal of  encouragement on our
part to get them to share the specifics of their  needs.  They are a family
unaccustomed to asking for help as they  have always been the ones to reach
out to others.  One moving  example they shared with us was how over a
period
of 8 months they  welcomed a family of 6 into their home while that family
"got back on  their feet."

As we learned in the weeks and months following  Delaney's death there comes
a time in most of our lives when we must be  willing to receive.  We have
respectfully asked for their permission  at this time to allow us to give.
I
assure you that they are  opening their hearts and are ready to receive.
Please contact me directly  by email or by phone (preferred) to let me know
if you feel you can  help.

Please feel free to forward this email on to others who  may be in a
position
to frame of heart to help.

With deep  gratitude and love,
Dianne, Jeff & Benjamin

407-656-6567  (Dianne's cell)
dianne at ketts.org

P.S.  Just FYI so far,  our family has been able to provide $100 Wal-Mart
gift certificate, money  to cover their current phone bill, a small delivery
of grocery items  (milk, juice, fresh fruit etc.)  Benjamin brought a book
and music  CD of his own to give to his new friend Michael.  Additionally,
we
will be delivering a sturdy rectangular tile top table for their  dining
area
that has been sitting in our garage for some time (no chairs  though.)

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