What a Blessing to be Givers
by Jonathan Franks
From the Editor: We are told that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but many of us who are blind have never experienced the joy of giving because we have been thought of and in turn have thought of ourselves as unable to give. Sometimes we find it hard to be taken seriously when we ask for that very opportunity. But when it works, as it usually does with persistence, what a joyous feeling it is to help others. Here is how Jonathan describes it:
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines altruism as “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others.” My late father taught me this concept and how one can gain a great sense of joy from giving back to others. I participated in several volunteering opportunities throughout my childhood while I was in the Boy Scouts. However, my true passion for giving back to others did not fully arise until I attended the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center in Austin, Texas, seven months after I lost my sight due to Diabetic Retinopathy and Glaucoma. While I was finishing learning the Braille code, I was asked to help teach the Braille tutoring after-hours class.
This passion continued after I graduated the Center where I would continue to volunteer at Criss Cole with other classes including technology, adaptive skills, and orientation and mobility. Later, I wanted to expand my horizons by volunteering with a younger crowd and I assisted with blind students who were having trouble with Braille literacy at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I joined my first NFB chapter in 2010 and throughout the years, several community service projects have come into fruition. Such events include putting on birthday parties for families who are experiencing homelessness at the Salvation Army, putting together survival bags for seventy-five individuals who reside at a local homeless shelter during the NFB’s 75th anniversary, and introducing Braille to sighted children with other members of my chapter at a children’s museum.
After I joined the Community Service Division of the National Federation of the Blind, I fully grasped the concept that blind people are fully capable of giving back to our community and that we are most definitely capable of working alongside our sighted counterparts in making the world a better place for others and not just be ones who receive charity as people with disabilities. One of the community service events our division held was mulching and planting trees at a park in Orlando, Florida, during a national convention.
I became my chapter’s president in 2022 and one of my biggest dreams was to cook a meal for the families who are residing at the Ronald McDonald House for the children who are staying at the Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas. Although I do not have a direct link to pediatric cancer and other life-threatening childhood ailments, I have always had the passion to give back to the families who are experiencing troublesome times. This year, my board and chapter decided that we would hold two volunteering events: one in April during National Volunteering Month and the other in October during Blind Equality Achievement Month. We held our first event on April 30th, where we made meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables, and dinner rolls for the residents. The event went off very successfully, and the Ronald McDonald House staff and residents were grateful for our contribution.
This event has left a true sense of pride and altruism in my heart. One of my personal beliefs is that you cannot put a price on doing good for others, and I cannot wait for the next time that we are able to put this event on again in October. I want to give a special thanks to Kingsley Martin who is a chapter member who gave a sizeable donation to help fund this event. Additionally, a special shout out to our second vice-president Ashley Franks is in order, as is one to our secretary Sarah Tamez, and our board member Marie Alvarez and Joe Tamez for either helping shop for the items and/or collaborating and cooking the meal together. Finally, I want to thank the compassionate hearts of my chapter members who unanimously voted to hold this event and approved the allocation of money and resources to put this event on.
Jonathan Franks MSW
President
National Federation of the Blind of Texas—Austin Chapter