Financial Assistance for Federation Conventions

Financial Assistance for Federation Conventions

Future Reflections Convention 1990, Vol. 9 No. 4
(back) (contents) (next)

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
FOR FEDERATION CONVENTIONS
by Martin Greiser
Editor s Note: There is a variety of sources of
financial assistance for parents to attend the National
Federation of the Blind National Convention.
In some states, such as Iowa andMaryland, the state
affiliatejjf the Federation offers special scholarships
to parents who~Wishto~attendjheconvention.
In other NFB affiliates parents helpwiih~local<inal
state fundraisers so that some of the money can be
used to charter a bus or van to convention--thus
cutting costs for everyone who attends. Many affiliates
set aside money to help eligible members
(including parents who have been active in the
affiliate) attend convention. Some funding is also
available through the Parents of Blind Children
Division (POBC) national organization. But there
are also ways to get money from outside the organization.
Martin Greiser, a newly elected POBC
board member, explains in the following letter how
he and his wife found convention funds. It seems that
his success could be duplicated by other parents,
too. If you would like to have more details about
getting assistance to attend the Federation convention
of June 30 to July 7, 1991, in New Orleans,
please fill out the form on page two of this issue, or
call Mrs. Cheadle at: (301) 659-9314.
May 8,1990
Dear Mrs. Cheadle,
We are writing to you per your request that we
share with other parents of blind children how we
were able to receive funds to cover airfare and
accommodations so that we could attend the 1990
National Federation of the Blind convention in Dallas.
The
1990 convention will be my second and my
wife's first Expenses for my first convention were
obtained through Family Outreach, an early
childhood intervention program funded through the
Office of Public Instruction for Handicapped
Children. Unfortunately, there was not enough
money in our portion of their budget for both my
wife and I to attend, so I went alone. I came away
from the 1989 convention in Denver so impressed,
encouraged and uplifted by what I saw and heard,
that I was determined my wife and son (then two
and a half years old) and I would attend the 1990
convention no matter what!
Now, also in 1989^yusJ_sohftppenerrihattmr
coun^^tarted-zrUnltedWay Campaign. The funds
-raised are distributed locally to various service organizations,
one of which is the Dillon Lions Club.
They included our request for airfare and accommodations
in their proposal to the United Way for
funding of an "Educational Development of the
Blind" program for which they were granted $2,000.
Whether or not this becomes an annual event, I
cannot say, but I believe these conventions are so
important to the growth and development of our son
that my wife and/or I and our son will attend as many
conventions as possible.
My family and I are grateful to the Dillon Lions
Club and to the United Way. They have helped
make possible, by association with the National
Federation of the Blind, an opportunity-filled future
for our son.
Enclosed is a copy of the letter we submitted to
the Lions Club requesting financial assistance to
attend the 1990 convention in Dallas. We hope that
this letter will encourage other families to do what
we have done.
Sincerely,
Martin and Nancy Greiser

October 9,1989
Lions Club
Dillon, Montana 59725
Dear Members,
My wife, Nancy, and I wish to thank you all for
the recent gifts and all the past and present efforts
put forth by this club.
Cody is now three years old and is a normal,
happy, bright, little boy who is blind. Our goal as
parents is to make sure he has the opportunities and
the skills necessary to become an independent, self
supporting, contributing member of society.
With this in mind, I am asking the Dillon Lions Club for financial assistance so my wife and I can
attend the 1990 convention of the National Federation
of the Blind to be held in Dallas, Texas, the first
week in July. I believe the NFB will be the single
most important source of information and inspiration
we will have to set the stage for Cody's future
success.
I am asking for sufficient funds to cover airline
tickets and hotel accommodations for the week. I
estimate the cost to be approximately $ 1,000.00. For
your information, I have enclosed the agenda from
the 1989 convention which I attended.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our
request. We look forward to hearing from your
organization.
Sincerely,
Martin Greiser
(back) (contents) (next)