The Metro Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota meets on the third Saturday of every month at 2:00 P.M. at the NFB headquarters, 100 East Twenty-second Street, in Minneapolis. Our members come from all over the Metro area and include students, parents, children, seniors, and other blind people with a wide range of occupations--as well as family members and friends of people who are blind. Our meeting agendas are packed with information and discussions of interest to blind people on a variety of subjects, including legislation, technology, employment, transportation, and local issues. Our members share with each other ideas about how to live independently and how to deal positively and effectively with situations we face as blind people. We also host a holiday party each year and sometimes a picnic in the summertime.
The Metro Chapter actively works to educate the public about blindness and to make life better for blind people. Some of our recent activities have included handing out literature downtown to promote awareness about White Cane Day and Meet the Blind Month in October, speaking to classrooms and civic organizations about blindness, and a service project with the Association of Retarded Citizens' Value Village sorting donated clothes for sale, Metro Chapter members donated gently used clothes to another non-profit organization as well. Dinner groups have been organized to mentor new members in leaders' homes in a more informal setting than the chapter meeting. Our members work hard to raise funds to support the chapters efforts as well as those of our state and national organization.
Some of our members have put together a list of resources of various types to assist blind people in the Metro Area.
If you'd like more information about our chapter, please contact chapter president Pat Barrett at (612) 866-6878 or patrick.a.barrett@msn.com.