[Nfb-fundraising] Meet the Blind Month 2007?

[Everett Gavel]

So, who here already knows what they're doing for Meet
the Blind Month, this year?  Got anything lined-up yet?
Below is an article sent through here in July, but it's
such a good "reminder" that I thought I'd share it
again, to help us get moving.  ;-)

PS - Only one month left to order your materials.  Read
below for details.

To Your Successful 'Meet the Blind' Month!
Everett


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Everett Gavel"
To: "NFB Fundraising Mailing List"
Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2007
Subject: [Nfb-fundraising] Ready or Not, Here It Comes

Hello All,

With the thought that not everyone reads their Braille
Monitor in a timely fashion, and yes, more often than
not I've been that person, here's some useful info from
the Monitor Miniatures section of the July issue:


***
Ready or Not, Here It Comes:

With October just a few months away, it is time for
your chapter to begin
making plans for 2007 Meet the Blind Month activities.
There are plenty of
opportunities to locate suitable venues if you begin
planning soon.

Many communities have fall festivals that allow your
members to talk to
their neighbors about blindness. Sometimes the festival
organizers provide
tables and signage for the exhibitors. If this is the
case, then your team
just shows up with handout literature. Many chapter
organizers have found
Wal-Mart or other big-box stores an excellent location
to meet and greet
hundreds of people in a short period of time. At these
types of venues a
fundraising component can be added to make the day both
educational and
profitable for your chapter. If you have Krispy Kreme
in your area or a
local bakery, speak with them about selling some of
their specialties.

Our Braille Is Beautiful program is designed so that it
can be shared with
a class of students or at a service club meeting like
the Lions or Rotary.
The Braille Is Beautiful video set is available to
chapter leaders at no
cost if they make arrangements for members to present
the program to
children or adults.

Whatever programs you choose, remember to provide an
opportunity for your
members to demonstrate techniques that show that you
accomplish everyday
tasks, just in a slightly different way. Assistive
technology, such as the
Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader, can
also be demonstrated
to add a high-tech component to your display.

This year it is easier than ever to share your plans
with the national
office and order free literature at the same time. NFB
literature,
including Braille alphabet cards, is available again in
multiple-size
packets to speed up the order process. Find Meet the
Blind Month
information and order forms on our Web site (nfb.org).
Because of the
popularity and continued growth of Meet the Blind
Month, the literature
order shipment cutoff date this year is Friday,
September 14. To guarantee
your delivery of materials for October activities, be
sure to place your
order by that date. For more information or to
brainstorm about activities
you can plan, contact NFB Director of Special Projects
Jerry Lazarus by
calling (410) 659-9314, extension 2297, or by sending
an email to
<jlazarus at nfb.org>.