BLINDED VETERANS
ASSOCIATION
Chartered by the
United States Congress
FLORIDA REGIONAL
GROUP
3801 Coco Grove
Avenue
Miami, Florida
33133
FRG web site: www.bvafrg.org
FRG Newsletter -
August 2012
FRG President's Message: Greetings to the membership of the Florida Regional Group. We have made progress filling the vacant district director positions. Northwest Florida is the only district director position vacant. I am pleading with the members of northwest Florida to step up and give of your talents and volunteer. If you have computer skills and want to help your fellow blinded vets get the information that is available contact me at the numbers below. I hope that you all have been exercising by doing something as easy as walking every day. Don't sit still and turn to stone. Don't be left behind due to advances in technology and the VA contracting with the Apple Corporation. The world has opened up to the blind, bringing us on a more equal footing with the sighted. I encourage you all to seek out Iphone and Ipad training. Iphone and Ipad training is available at Biloxi and Birmingham. You will be surprised to find out all the neat things that these devises can do.
How long has it been
since you have had your claim checked over by a national service officer? You may be due and increase in your benefits,
because of a worsening of your condition.
I hope that you have gotten a BVA cap to show others that you belong to the
Blinded Veterans Association. Please
keep sending your ideas to your Officers and Directors. All ideas for helping the Regional Group
obtain the younger Blinded Vets and to have fun and help to make BVA a
household name, are needed. Following is
contact information for the FRG Officers and Directors. President Darryl Goldsmith - Pensacola (850) 554-7819 email dandv5@cox. net;
Vice President Terry King - Punta Gorda (941) 505-7747 email
tnking18@earthlink.net; Secretary-Treasurer George Stocking - Miami (305)
446-8008 email gstocking@bellsoutn.net; Northeast
District Joe Brack - Glen St Mary (904) 259-1404 email eocjoeb@nescom.net;
Central West District Earl Bessent- Tampa (813) 286-1708 email ebessent@tampabay.rr.com;
Central East District Charles Brooks - Kissimmee (407)
847-0761 email eagle77732@yahoo.com; Southwest District Bob Walczak - Port
Charlotte (941) 875-9876 email milwallyg@comcast.net; Southeast
District Jim McCoy - Sunrise (954) 748-9428 email jmccoy70@att.net. Well that’s all for now. Darryl Goldsmith, FRG
President
FRG Auxiliary President's Message: I would like to give special mention to a wonderful blinded vet who has a great talent creating throws and blankets with military insignias with deep affection for our great military. I had asked her to create two of her blankets for the Florida Auxiliary to donate to the National Auxiliary for our auction. I am sure they will be the best items in the Auction. Thank you June Brigadier of Ocala. Do you have socials with other people in the BVA? If you do send me a story or two for our Newsletter. Down here in the Southwest part of Florida, we have our usual annual walk a thon, support groups once a month, even a once a month breakfast which is attended by not only BV's and their great spouses and Friends but also attended by other visually impaired people in the community. All of these are not only viable for all to learn from each other but it is a way of entertainment. Terry and I were a part of a card group and some are still involved in one. Yes, you and your spouse can play cards, or any other games. In cards a sited person can read the cards normally and the visual impaired can read with having large print cards and even Braille. Woops what did I say? Braille? Yes, only 15 of the alphabet is used in playing cards. Believe me that is not hard at all. Now if you have neuropathy in your fingers that could create a problem, How about Chess? There are many ways of finding entertainment with others, sighted or visually impaired. The more activity together the more normal your life will be. Have a most enjoyable life. Joanne King, FRG Auxiliary President. 24243 Pirate Harbor Blvd., Punta Gorda, FL 33955 (941) 505-7747 email jdking09@earthlink.net.
FRG Meeting Notice: The first Informational Meeting for the
Florida Regional Group this fall , will be held on Saturday, September 8th, at
the Rosen Plaza Hotel 9700 International
Drive in Orlando. Central East Director
Charles Brooks has made the arrangements for this luncheon. The meeting will begin with a period of socializing
at 11:30 AM, followed by lunch at noon. For
lunch, you may have either Breast of Chicken Picatta with Erb Roasted
Potatoes, or Sliced Roast Sirloin with Wild Mushroom Sauce
and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes each with Garden Salad with Parmesan Peppercream
& Greek vinaigrette
Dressing, Julienn of Fresh
Vegetables, Ice Tea or Coffee, and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing or White Chocolate Raspberry (no sugar added) Cake. The
price of the lunch will be $5 per person, including tax and tip.
FRG President Darryl Goldsmith will preside at the informational meeting
following lunch. Representatives from
the Department of Veterans Affairs will be on hand to provide information about
services and benefits of interest to BV's and their families. A National Legislative Up-Date will be provided. A report will be presented regarding the BVA
National Convention in Galveston, Texas. Future FRG activities will be discussed. Information about the FRG Auxiliary will be
presented. Charles Brooks has made Arrangements
with the reservation office at the hotel, at $89 per night for Friday and/or
Saturday nights. If you are coming from
out of town and wish to stay over night call the hotel reservation office at
(407) 996-9700 and make a reservation giving the "Blinded Veterans
Association" as the organization which made the arrangements. Cut off date for reservations
is 12 PM on September 5. The Booking ID # 40528.
The hotel has asked us to notify them as to the number who will be
attending and the type of lunch desired before September 5th. Please make your reservations prior to that
date by writing to Charles Brooks at 3500 Linnet, Kissimmee, FL 34746 or call
at (407) 847-0461 email eagle77732@yahoo.com.
You may also make your reservation by calling Rick Cassidy (407)877-8448.
Please give the name of each person who
will attend and the choice of meal desired.
The restaurant needs the reservation information in order to prepare
properly for our meeting.
To
get to the Rosen Plaza Hotel from Tampa and the Gulf Coast, take I 4 East to
exit 72, take 528 East (Bee line Expressway) to exit no. 1 - International
Drive. Turn right on International Drive;
the Rosen Plaza will be on your left after the Convention Center. From Daytona or the East Coast, take I 4 and
continue as above. From the North or
South on the Turnpike, go to exit 259.
Take I 4 West to exit 72 and continue as
above. Note: The Orlando Convention Center is between the
Rosen Plaza Hotel and the Rosen Center Hotel.
Our meeting is in the Rosen Plaza, so be sure you have the correct
hotel. Free Parking is available behind
the hotel. Check with your fellow
Blinded veterans, family members, and friends and make plans to join us in
Orlando on Saturday, September 8th.
National Legislative Up-Date:
On June 26th, Dr. Tom Zampieri, BVA Director of Government
Relations, testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on S 1755 the
joint BVA-PVA sponsored bill to provide Beneficiary Travel to VA Blind Rehab
Centers and Spinal Cord Injury Centers for NSC veterans whose income is above
the income limit. Senator Patti Murray,
Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee supports this bill. The Senate plans to merge a number of bills and
vote on them as an omnibus veterans benefits
bill. It is hoped that the House
Veterans Affairs Committee will take up HR 3687 a companion bill to S 1735 in
its sessions prior to the recess in September for the National Elections. To date no representative from Florida has
signed on as cosigners of 3687. Please
write to your Florida Representatives and urge them to support HR 3687.
At present, VA Regulation 2101 B which provides the Adaptive Housing
Grant for service connected BV's requires a visual acuity of 5/200 or less or a
field of vision of 5 degree or less to qualify for the grant. For several years, the BVA has worked to have
the VA recognize 20/200 or a 20 degree field as the description of
blindness. In the BVA's Paired Organ
bill, Congress did pass the 20/200 acuity or a 20 degree field as the legal
description of blindness. However, the
VA Regulation governing the Adaptive Housing Grant still includes the 5/200
acuity or 5 degrees of field to qualify for the grant. Both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs
Committees have included that provision in Omnibus Veterans benefits bills
which may be considered later in this Session.
There are two Adaptive Housing Grants: Section 2101 a, $63780 primarily for wheelchair bound veterans. However, 2101 B is also available to BV's with
service connected blindness and the loss of a leg. The smaller Grant, Section 2101 B, $12,756 is
available to SC BV's with 5/200 acuity or 5 degrees of field. When the most recent legislation on the
Section 2101 A & B was passed, it included a provision which permitted
eligible veterans to use the grant up to 3 times as long as the total amount
did not exceed the amount of the present grant 2101 A $63780 or 2101B $12756. If you previously used the Adaptive Housing
Grant but the amount was less than that above, you may be eligible to use the
difference up to two more times as long as the total does not exceed the
amounts above. For information call Dennis Thompson at the
VARO Adaptive Housing Unit at (727) 319-7602.
Generally veterans
benefits are administered by the VA Regional Office. However there is one benefit that is
administered by the VA Medical Centers.
That is, the Home Improvement and
Structural Alteration (HISA) Grant. HISA Grants are available through your local
VA Medical Centers and is available to both SC and NSC BV's. Recently, through the efforts of the BVA and
PVA, the HISA Grants were increased to $6800 to sc BV's and $2000 to NSC
BV's. This grant may be used for minor
alterations to your home in relation to your disability. For information about HISA Grants contact
your VIST Coordinator.
It is premature to anticipate if the measures presently before Congress
will be passed. It is important for BV's
to contact their US Senators and Representatives regarding the legislation
earlier in this article. Grass roots
contacts are important in getting legislation passed. Congress listens to those who elect
them. Although Congress has passed the
2013 Fiscal Year (beginning on October 1, 2012) appropriation for the Department
of Veterans Affairs, congress has not acted on the Appropriations measures for
most of the government. There is
question if there is time to get these measures to a vote. It may be possible for the measures to be
considered in the lame duck session after the election and before this session
of Congress comes to an end on December 31st. If we are successful, you will hear about the
bills in future BVA Bulletins and FRG Newsletters. If Congress does not pass the legislation
this session, the BVA will begin working on them in the next Congress.
Work In Progress: At the
writing of this Newsletter, work is underway on the scheduling of the FRG
Luncheon meetings around the state. At
the end of each Newsletter, you will find a schedule of meetings for the
remainder of the year. When the location
is formalized, please mark the dates and locations on your calendar and make
plans to join us. It is anticipated that
by the time we meet in Orlando on September 8th, more definitive
information will be available regarding the opening of the new VA Medical
Center in Orlando. Several delays have
resulted in the opening being delayed several times. It is hoped that it will finally be open in
early 2013.
FRG
Southwest District Walk-A-Thon: Attention FRG Southwest District
members! The 9th annual
Walk-A-Thon will be held in Ft. Myers on Saturday, October 13th, 2011 from 9 AM
to 2 PM. We urge all Blinded veterans to
participate in this fund raising venture.
The entire share amount of the funds received by the BVA-FRG shall be
used toward providing bus transportation for Southwest district Blinded
Veterans and their families to the FRG State Convention in Daytona Beach next
spring. White Cane Day is an
international awareness event to celebrate the importance of the white cane and
to promote a safe environment for users.
Once again the walk will take place at Lakes Regional Park in Fort
Myers, beginning at Pavilion B. Registration
for walkers is $20 per person.
Pre-registration ensures a tee-shirt with The Vision Awareness logo on
the front and our sponsors listed on the back.
In addition, there will be a catered luncheon, a 50/50 raffle drawing,
door prizes, music and entertainment. In
the past we have had over 150 participating walkers. For information,
contact Terry King at (941) 505-7747; Bob Walczak at (941) 875-9876 or Former
VIST Joyce Thornton Gilbert at (239) 995-7722.
Remember to mark your calendar for Saturday, September 8th, so that you,
your family members, and friends, may attend the FRG meeting at the Rosen Plaza
Hotel in Orlando. Be sure to call those listed
above and make your reservations, before September 5th. If you make a reservation and can't come,
please call Charles or Rick and cancel your reservation before that date. The FRG will pay $15 for each meal we
guarantee. We don't want to pay for
meals not used. Join us at the Rosen
Plaza Hotel in Orlando on Saturday, September 8th for an informative,
interesting, and enjoyable afternoon.
FRG Meeting
Schedule
September 8th FRG Meeting Rosen Plaza Hotel in
Orlando
October 6 Proposed FRG Meeting in Jacksonville
November 4 Proposed FRG Meeting in Ft.
Myers
December 2 Proposed FRG meeting in the
St. Petersburg-Clearwater area
January 6 Proposed
FRG meeting in Ocala.
February 3 Proposed FRG meeting in
Tampa
FRG Newsletter Staff
Darryl Goldsmith FRG
President
Joanne King FRG Auxiliary President
George Stocking Newsletter Editor