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NEWSLETTER
Xavier Society for the Blind
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Vol. 2 No. 6
June 2011
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HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
(Take A Priest to Lunch)
If you are still shopping for Father's Day, what about a trip to the Super Bowl? We can't guarantee the trip, but you can buy him a raffle ticket, and if he wins, think what a hero you'll be! Buy him a day of golf for our Golf Outing. Or a raffle ticket for the pilgrimage to Rome. Or maybe a full ticket to come on the trip to Rome. Check out the possibilities below, and remember that each can be purchased online at our web site.
In this issue we report on the recent Reception and Silent Auction at the NY Athletic Club, and the trip our Executive Director made up to Boston.
Among the upcoming events are the XSB participation at an event at the NY Public Library, the Golf Outing in September, our Pilgrimage to Rome in October (and a raffle with two tickets as the first prize), a concert in honor of St. Lucy, and Mass on the Feast of St. Lucy in December.
Later this month, Father John will be making a presentation at the meeting of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference in Seattle, both Father John and Kathleen Lynch will be at the NFB Convention in Orlando, and Fr. John will represent the XSB at the American Council for the Blind conference and the National Convention of Catholic War Veterans.
Mark your calendars!
Our web address is: www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org You can keep up with the latest news of the Xavier Society at our web site, as well as making donations, buying raffle tickets and registering for events. One more time, the web address is:
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"What A GREAT Party!" | |
That was what people were saying at the
12th Annual Benefit Reception and Silent Auction that took place on May 17th at the New York Athletic Club.
Although attendance was the lowest we have seen in years, we raised more money than we ever have, and to all those who donated items, and who bought items, Thank You.
 | | Executive Director Kathleen Lynch and Board member Pamela Heilman share a happy moment. |
We want to make a special THANK YOU to Vanda Pharmaceutical, who have generously helped underwrite a portion of our auction this year.
 | Some of the members of the Auction Committee
who made it all possible.
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NFL SUPER BOWL RAFFLE
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NFL SUPER BOWL RAFFLE - We are again a designated charity for the NFL, and we will again be participating in the Super Bowl Raffle.
First prize is airfare for two people to the 2012 Super Bowl, two tickets to the Super Bowl, four nights in a hotel and two tickets to the Hall of Fame Alumni Dinner, with at least one Hall of Fame player at each table.
Second Prize is $1,000 in cash.
Third Prize is $500 in cash.
There are only 250 tickets available, and they are $100 apiece.
Tickets may be purchased on our web site
or by calling our office
(212) 473-7800
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CLOSING THOUGHTS One of the difficulties we face each month when we prepare our Newsletter is what to include, and what to leave out. This month, for instance, we have had many visitors at our offices on East 23rd Street. We took part in a Fighting Blindness Conference, and the XSB is now listed in the Department of Defense Resources Directory. A resolution we helped create is going to be presented at the National Convention of the American Legion - and later this summer, we have an employee who will be celebrating 25 years with us, and another her 20th anniversary. All this in addition to the daily work of reviewing new books for the library, recording periodicals, answering the requests of clients and maintaining our updating of our libraries and records. As an old friend of mine used to say, "It's all good." At the same time, the economy is not improving, costs are rising, and raising money remains a constant challenge. Each volunteer who joins us lets us increase our services, and in many cases, reduce our costs. We need everyday help, answering phones and stuffing envelopes and helping to proofread and to record in our studios. But we also need people to help creating and putting on special events, to help with fund-raising, to help with outreach efforts. If you would like to volunteer, or would just like to learn more about what we do, please feel free to call us, send an e-mail or a letter, or drop in for a personal visit. If you know someone who could use our services, please recommend us to them. Visit our web site, and thank you for being a friend of the Xavier Society for the Blind.
Sincerely,
 | | The beard is back, although a much smaller and shorter version. |
Fr. John R. Sheehan, SJ Xavier Society for the Blind Phone: (212) 473-7800 |
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| DO YOUR FATHER'S DAY SHOPPING AT XSB! |  | |
Ideas for Dad for Father's Day
1) NFL Super Bowl Raffle Tickets. Even if you don't win the First Prize, 2nd or 3rd prize cash awards make GREAT presents. And if you don't win, you're still supporting the Xavier Society for the Blind.
2) A place in the Golf Outing. If your Father's Day recipient plays golf, how about a fun day with the Xavier Society at Split Rock at Pelham Bay? Lunch, prizes, dinner - oh, and a round of golf with interesting people. A gentle drive from the city, easy access from other areas.
3) Pilgrimage to Rome. Fr. John is leading a one-week trip to Rome, and you can either just buy a ticket ($2,300) or take a chance and get a raffle ticket ($50 per ticket - only 250 sold). First Prize is 2 tickets on the pilgrimage, including air fare, hotel, and everything else in a standard ticket. 2nd Prize - $1,000, 3rd Prize - $500. Drawing on August 3rd. (If you make a reservation, and win the First Prize, we refund your reservation money.)
4) Assorted CDs. Father John has three solo CD's, and we also have the Christmas album (Amo, Amas, Amat - Have Yourself A Latin Little Christmas) with 19 carols all sung in Latin, and a word book so you can sing along.
5) Dedicate a library book or sponsor an edition of our periodicals in his honor. His name will be mentioned at the beginning and end of each recording, or written into the front of each book or publication sponsored. Call and ask for Manuel for more information.
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| DOUBLE OUR MONEY | |
Of course, any contributions made to the Xavier Society for the Blind are tax-deductible. But if your company has a corporate sharing or a matching gifts program, we get even more from your gift.
And when you are planning for the future, it only takes a moment to remember the Xavier Society for the Blind in your will.
For assistance and more information, please call Manuel at (212) 473-7800.
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VISION AWARENESS DAY
On Saturday, June 18th, the mid-Manhattan branch of the New York Public Library will host a vision awareness day from 10 am to 4 pm.
It will host such disparate events as a glaucoma screening van, a talk on retinal surgery and the screening of a movie about blindness.
This event is a collaborative effort between the National Library Service, Visions, the Lighthouse and the Xavier Society for the Blind.
As its contribution, the Xavier Society is sponsoring a talk by Ms. Deborah Kendrick, a Xavier reader, who will address the issue of vocational choices after blindness.
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| OUR WEB SITE | |
The web site for the Xavier Society for the Blind was made possible by a generous grant from the Knights of Malta, and we thank them for their support of our work.
The web site is designed to be accessible to screen reading programs, and those who have registered with the XSB have a special section where they can make address changes, order books from the library and download or sign up to receive periodicals. For more information on how to register, or how to get online, contact
clientservices@xaviersocietyfortheblind.org
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OFF TO BOSTON
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 | | Executive Director Kathleen Lynch with the globe used by Helen Keller |
In May, Executive Director Kathleen Lynch made a trip to Boston, to visit with National Braille Press, the printing house that produced the new Braille version of the Bible. They said it was the largest order they have ever undertaken (45 volumes of Braille printed on both side of the page), surpassing even Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Joy of Cooking.
She was also able to visit the Perkins School for the Blind, and the Carroll Center for the Blind.
 | | Kathleen Lynch with NBP staff: Jackie Sheridan, Nicole Tuttle and VP of Operations Jefferson Lyons. Volumes in the background are the Book of Genesis. |
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FACTS ABOUT THE XSB
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"I get your Newsletter, and I read about Pilgrimages and Golf Outings, Auctions and raffles and all sorts of events that don't seem to have anything to do with helping the blind. What am I giving my money to - more parties?"
I have to be honest, sometimes we ask ourselves the same question.
But the truth is, since we don't charge for any of our services, we need to do whatever is necessary to raise money. We encourage people to remember us in their wills, and we send out begging letters four times a year. We apply to foundations and corporations, and we pray a LOT. And we have special events, all to help us raise the money to pay our bills.
Part of the reason we have these events is for publicity, so that more people will know we exist. That helps us find clients who need our services, and it helps bring us to the attention of potential donors, whose generosity helps keep us at work.
If YOU would like to help keep us providing these services, you can send us a gift, remember us in your work, volunteer to help here or with a special event. Every bit helps.
For more information about what we are doing and providing, please visit our web site at:
www.xaviersocietyfortheblind.org or for more specific information or questions (or to volunteer), send us an email at:
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VETERANS OUTREACH PROGRAM
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Since 2010, the Xavier Society for the Blind has embarked on a strategic initiative to serve a "forgotten" audience of both recently disabled as well as aging Veterans. "Don't Lose Sight of God!" is the theme behind our efforts. Reaching out to this admittedly niche audience is consistent with our mission to provide specialized encouragement and support, in this case to Veterans with vision impairments.
After the trauma, first you cry. Then you realize that there can be productive life after blindness or significant vision loss. It is now apparent to all of us that most visually impaired people today can do just about anything sighted people can do, albeit with a lot more effort and, perhaps, some assistance.
An eye-opening statistic: From now to the year 2020, the Veterans Administration estimates there will be over 1 million Veterans with significant visual impairment and legal blindness. Since 9/11, the number of Disabled Veterans in America has swelled from 2.1 to 3 million. 38% of Veterans of the Global War on Terror have filed disability claims. Currently, there are 157,000 Veterans in the United States who are legally blind. Veterans of previous wars are suffering from age-related macular degeneration, a chronic condition causing vision loss.
Eye injuries account for 13% of injuries to Veterans returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the "improvised explosive device" is the enemy's weapon of choice. About 60-70% of severe and moderate traumatic brain injury cases also include some form of visual impairment. VA statistics indicate that there will be a sustained need for services and assistance even 40 years from now.
The Xavier Society is in the forefront of bringing this problem to national attention with its participation in the Department of Defense Wounded Warrior Task Force, and by liaison with the major national Veterans organizations, including the Catholic War Veterans and American Legion. We are developing special programs uniquely tailored to the needs of both the young and older Veteran alike. This is our contribution to the war effort and to the on-going support of those injured on the front lines while defending our freedom.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | |
JUNE 14-16 - US Catholic Bishops Conference in Seattle.
JUNE 18 - Vision Awareness Day, NY Public Library
JULY 3-8 - National Federation of the Blind National
Convention, Orlando, FL
JULY 8-15 - American Council of the Blind
National Convention, Reno, NV
AUGUST 7-14 - Catholic War Veterans National Convention,
Orlando, FL.
GOLF OUTING - SAVE THE DATE
September 22 - Split Rock Golf Course,Pelham Bay
More details shortly
OCTOBER 2 - 9, 2011 - A Pilgrimage to Rome
There is a possibility for a presentation to the Holy
Father at a Wednesday audience, although that is NOT
guaranteed. Full itinerary available on the web site.
DECEMBER 11 - A Concert in Honor of St. Lucy
DECEMBER 13 - Mass for the Feast of St. Lucy, Patron Saint of the Blind. St. Patrick's Cathedral, 6:30 PM
For more information on these or any events, please contact our office or check our web site.
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| Secure Server |
On our web site, we have a secure server connection. This means you can contribute money to the Xavier Society using your credit card in perfect safety. When you get to the web site, there is a button "Donate." If you click on that, you will be taken to the Secure Server area where you can make any contribution in complete safety. (If the server is not working, please call our office at 212 473-7800 and ask for Manuel.)
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