*Simpson’s Braille Transcription Services, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit, which was established to address the problem with visually impaired veterans in the under-served area of Downtown Los Angeles, not receiving the vision related services they need, held its’ third fundraiser on October 27.
The fundraisers are to raise funds to secure a building in Downtown Los Angeles that will allow veterans access to services that are either unavailable or for whatever reason, difficult to obtain.
In order to get over the hurdle of grant giving foundations not funding start up organizations, Simpson’s Braille’s Founder and CEO, Shelby Simpson, decided to have concert/bar-b-que fundraisers, using his visually impaired stepfather, Leroy Martinez, a former Marine and bass player, as his centerpiece.
Each subsequent fundraiser has picked up steam. Brenton Wood (“Gimme Little Sign”) has been on hand at two of them to lend his support as well as EURweb’s headman, Lee Bailey and Paulette Simpson-Gipson, President of the Compton Branch of the NAACP, both Air Force Veterans.
The most recent fundraiser held at the American Legion Hall in Buena Park, California, had very special guests in attendance. Sharon Rainwater, VP of the Long Beach Charles Register Regional Center Auxiliary Services, (formerly Long Beach Blind Veterans Association) and who is blind, was the MC for the evening.
Not only was internationally recognized spoken word artist Shamele Jenkins in attendance and knocked her spoken word performance out of the park, visually impaired Tuskegee Airman Retired Lt. Colonel Alfonzo Jackson, who is currently the Chaplain of the Long Beach Charles Register Regional Group, was also on hand, looking all official.
I had a chance to chat with Reverend Jackson over the telephone after the fundraiser to get his thoughts on the fundraiser, what Simpson’s is trying to do and the plight of visually impaired veterans. He said:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the fundraiser. I really did. I got a big kick out of it. I think we need more opportunities like that simply because we have too many veterans that are going through rough times and as rich as the United States is and has been, there’s really no reason why veterans should have to go through what they go through.”
He continued to say, “As the Chaplain for the blind veterans, nobody really knows anything about blind veterans period. Most people are sort of afraid of blind people because they don’t know how to deal with them or how to handle blind people. But just because we don’t see everything like everyone else, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have needs or that we aren’t human and that we don’t have feelings; we do.”
He explained that part of his job as Chaplain and as a member of the Regional Center is to, “try and bring forth information to the public as to what we’re about, what our needs are and that we are not to harm anybody. We need help just like any other person does and it’s one thing about blind veterans, you won’t find a prejudiced blind veteran because when you need to cross the street, you don’t care who it is that helps you get across the street, but you’re the first to say thank you.”
I asked Reverend Jackson what are some of the immediate needs of veterans that he would like to see the government address. Among the things he mentioned, were more opportunities to get help with their needs, more understanding about what veterans are going through, especially housing and food needs, and more solid information.
According to Reverend Jackson, “you can go to Long Beach VA and get one set of information and go to West LA and get a different set of information and it’s confusing because most veterans do not really know what is available for them.” He would like the community to “become more educated on what veterans are really all about and what type of help is needed and how they can get involved.”
A couple of ways to get involved are to attend one of Simpson’s Braille’s’ fundraisers or to visit the Regional Center, take a tour and see what they are about and how you can help. Any help is good help and you can have fun while you are at it. We sure did at the fundraiser. We feasted on three different kinds of chicken, potato salad, green salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, lasagna, rolls, pineapple upside down cake, pecan pie, brownies and cookies. The Soul Brothers Band had em working the meal off on the dance floor.
As if that was not enough, there were raffle prizes…lots of them; a TV, $100 Mastercard gift card, Ipod/Ipad docking station, wireless headphones, a $50 Cheesecake Factory gift card, a Target gift card and just in case someone was low on queen sheets, yep, they were raffled off as well. Everyone had a good time, while raising funds for a worthy cause.
If you will be in the Los Angeles area on April 27, 2019, make your way to the next fundraiser at the American Legion Hall in Buena Park and see what Simpson’s Braille Transcription Services is all about or visit simpsonsbraille.org. See you next time!
Comments