The Vision Resource Center enhances the lives of adults and children living in the Cape Fear Region who are visually impaired by: advocating for their needs, identifying and sharing information about community resources, providing education, skill development and socialization opportunities.
We are so proud of Michael Leroy McIntyre Jr. and all his accomplishments!
A young man in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is feeling grateful after he received a generous gift from an anonymous benefactor recently. https://www.wral.com/morning-original-anonymous-donor-pays-for-gift-of-sight/19060522/
VRC members participated in our telephone support group called VRC CONNECTIONS! It was a nice way to come together, get to know each other better, share life experiences, and most importantly LAUGH! We are doing our best to practice social distancing NOT social isolation!
VRC on Wheels was on the move once again, reaching out to our members who live alone and are on a fixed income. Staff and volunteers packed and delivered care packages full of essential items. Special thanks to Dollar General for donating extra bags and the nice lady in line at Dollar General who made a financial donation after asking what we planned on doing with our basket full of essential items.
There is nothing like putting a little smile the faces of our members who live alone. A big thanks to our Board, staff and volunteers for tailoring care packages with items they like.
Thanking The Gills (VRC members) for facilitating another great bible study group by phone. You always help create an environment of openness and trust where we can feel comfortable asking questions and sharing our thoughts. The number of members calling in each week keeps growing!
VRC on Wheels would like to thank a local food bank for supplying us with apples, oranges and potatoes. Our dedicated staff and volunteers were able to assemble and distribute 19 bags to our members who live alone. Also sending a big thanks to Jacqueline, one of our board members. We really appreciate your donation of toilet paper too!
On May 13th, VRC on Wheels delivered 24 care packages of food today! We look forward to serving our members.
We were thrilled to deliver this desktop video magnifier to one of our members with low vision. This allows her the ability to read bills, do crossword puzzles and to do a variety of other everyday living tasks.
VRC on Wheels had to quickly deliver these 28 care packages to our quarantined members! They consisted of shelf-stable items, frozen foods and other perishable items. They were so appreciative!:-) Of course this wouldn't have been possible without the help of local food pantries, VRC staff and volunteers!
VRC on Wheels was on the move again today delivering a food care package to one of our youth members and their family.
After facing several hurdles, one of our members now has a place he can call home. Our deepest gratitude goes out to our awesome volunteers and staff for helping him find an apartment in a quiet and safe community. A big shout out to Designing Station for providing the furniture free of charge! You all rock!😊
One of our generous volunteers gifted a VRC member with this beautiful paint by number project. Experts say painting produces mental rest, less stress and happy feelings. Looks like all of these benefits were achieved!
Sending a very special thank you to Brown Girl RDH (a non-profit organization promoting cultural diversity in dental hygiene) for their generous donation of toothpaste. Oh, and we can't forget to thank Crest too!
Today we received a wonderful blessing of picnic tables thanks to Wayne Howard & Susie Reeder our friends at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church. We are deeply grateful!! Our members will love the opportunity to relax and enjoy the great outdoors! We also want to thank Steve & Fred, two of our board members. You gave your time, sweat, and much energy to ensure the tables were picked up and carefully delivered. Thanks again for all you do!💜
Everything You Need to Know About Running for Office as a Person With a Disability
-Author Ed Carter
The opportunity for change is always present—that’s a fact. However, change, positive or otherwise, does not come into effect without representation. If you’re a person with a disability who’s considering a bid for office, your timing couldn’t be better, as people with disabilities are among the most underrepresented in government, with only one out of 10 politicians having disabilities, per Newswise. Indeed, there’s no question that there’s a need to improve disability representation. But of course, this is easier said than done. So let’s take a closer look at what entering politics as a person with a disability entails.
Be ready for the challenges.
No doubt, much of the discourse on disabled representation in government will mainly focus on the multitude of challenges that those with disabilities are likely to encounter as they enter the political arena. At present, disabilities are still widely treated as taboo, which is an attitude that adds to the struggles of people with disabilities, such as accessibility, discrimination, and more.
Your representation of this sector, however, forces a discussion on the current situation and issues, which is absolutely necessary, yes, but, by and large, awkward and maybe even contentious.
Another challenge you might face is the fact that the political community itself is quite discriminating. Sad to say, the majority of people with disabilities are still disadvantaged in terms of qualifications and education, again because of the issue of accessibility. Adding to that is the negative stereotype that disabilities translate to weakness or incompetence.
Indeed, you’ll definitely have your work cut out for you as you seek to be accepted and respected in what’s still largely the ‘all-boys’ club of modern politics—a struggle that you’ll invariably share with other underrepresented groups like women.
Know what you’re doing.
With all these challenges on the horizon waiting as you take on the political monster, it’s of extreme importance that you prove the prevalent thinking wrong and exhibit your capabilities as a leader. It’s a real shame that you have to take such a step, but until politics becomes more inclusive to all, needs must.
For this reason, NOS Magazine points out that it’s prudent to look into organizations committed to helping the disabled run for office. There is, in fact, a growing number of programs that provide the support needed by not only disabled candidates, but those in minority groups, in general.
Also look to groups that provide campaign training for disabled candidates. Such comprehensive tutelage will not only ensure that you have the skills to launch a full campaign that will get you elected, but it could also equip you with the right tools to tackle the possible challenges head-on.
Surround yourself with the right people.
Of course, your journey to an elected office doesn’t mean that you have to do it alone. In fact, no campaign can be successful without the right staff. Regardless of whether you’re running for a position in your locality or undertaking a full-on, national bid, one thing’s for certain—your campaign staff will get you where you want to go. Your staff will invariably consist of movers and shakers, like your campaign manager and treasurer, press secretary, volunteer coordinators, and the like. Look for folks who believe in your message, have some experience in the political realm, and have the time and energy to devote to seeing things through.
There are also roles in your campaign operations that may be easily overlooked. For instance, in this day and age, your campaign will benefit from a professional and informative website, so you’ll need someone to create one. Consider finding a freelance web designer from an online job board like Upwork where you can be sure of their credentials, expertise, and experience.
Indeed, it’s truly a noble thing to want to represent people with disabilities and give voice to your struggles, and it takes plenty of courage to do so in the face of adversity. Look into leveraging the right resources and support, as well as learning all you can about your impending political adventure. It’ll be a challenging journey, yes, but all the good you could do will be worth it.
YOUTH SUMMER EXPLOSION 2020 Great news! The new date for our youth summer camp is July 27-31, 2020. The health and safety of our campers, staff, and volunteers is very important to us and remains our top priority. As we move forward, we will continue to follow guidelines and recommendations from the CDC. We are implementing extensive cleaning protocols and safety measures so our campers can safely enjoy their modified camp experience.
For more information or REGISTER ONLINE visit our website at www.visionresourcecentercc.org
The VRC could use your help! We always need volunteers, so if you are looking for a way to give back to your community, try the VRC. We invite you to join us and find out just how fulfilling and FUN it is to be a part of this great organization! More about volunteering can be found here: Volunteers Needed
Due to COVID-19, the Vision Resource Center 4th Annual Chicken Wing Cook-Off at Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproomhas been postponed until
Saturday, June 12th, 2021.
A Note From Our Executive Director, Terri Thomas
It is already July, and our Nation is experiencing so many things, but we must remember who is in control of all of it. Even in the bleakest of times, good things still happen... WE are so grateful to all our community partners, The United Way of Cumberland County, Cumberland Community Foundation, Summertime Kids, Snyder Memorial Baptist Church, Youth Growth Stock Trust, FRT, our VRC Board, and ALL our funders. All of you are keeping the VRC going during COVID and for our kid's summer camp. The VRC could not do it without each of you, and it is BEYOND appreciated. There is plenty of uncertainty right now, but there are fantastic people in the world who know our work is critical, especially in times like these.
The VRC has been active in serving our home alone visually impaired with care packages from various food banks, including masks, disinfectants, paper products, etc. We check on our participants weekly and host Bible Study and VRC Connections on Thursdays at 1:00 by conference call to keep our people engaged. The staff is busy keeping all things moving while also preparing for reopening to our participants. Summer camp is starting on July 27-31. We have taken lots of precautions and made COVID changes to our summer camp this year to ensure everyone's safety while still keeping it educational and fun. We can provide assistive technology packages to our youth for the first time, and we are EXTREMELY excited and proud about that, thanks to a Trust here in town that believes in our mission. I can't wait for you to see all the good things we have planned.
Care packages to our other participants will begin next week, and prayerfully with all CDC and Governor guidelines, we will resume programming with little twists in August for our adults.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2020 "Out of Sight" Wing Fling has been canceled. While we are still as dedicated as ever to supporting our blind and visually impaired the safety of our attendees comes first. The 2021 Wing Fling has been scheduled for Saturday, June 12th, 2021 @ DirtBag Ale's.
Blindness Awareness Month is coming in October and the VRC will host events in celebration. Please keep us in mind and we will keep you posted. We want to thank our Executive Board for the last (2) years, Jacqueline Smith, Chair, Lyrica Harris, Vice-Chair, Fred Baker, Secretary, and Cara Spencer Treasurer, you all did an AMAZING job. The VRC loves each of you and appreciates your guidance and leadership. Our incoming Executive Board 2020-2022, we thank you for stepping up to the plate as we strive to continue our mission and think out of the box. We look forward to your leadership and support.
Fred Baker, Chair Reshma Patel, Vice Chair Jesse Baker, Treasurer Jacqueline Smith, Secretary Everyone continue to be safe and remember to help and serve others whenever you can. #makeadifference#bethechange#affectsomeone Much love and many blessings,
Until next time
Terri and the VRC family
Executive Director
Vision Resource Center
…..Serving the Blind and Visually Impaired
#80years1939-2019
Watch for more updates! Follow our Facebook page and check out our website at www.visionresourcecentercc.org for more information.
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