Action Fund Helps Bring Blind Children to Space Camp

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults provides many unique services and programs to help our blind friends. One of the most rewarding and special of these services is our ability to help those who have nowhere else to turn and are in need of personal assistance.

Recently we were given a wonderful opportunity to help change the lives of four blind children. These children had been selected to attend a very special Space Camp for blind children, but then soon found their special opportunity slipping away from them.

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The teacher of these children wrote to the American Action Fund for help to give these blind children a chance they might never have again. Here is the special letter we received:

“Dear Ms. Walker, I am writing to ask for help. Four children who have visual impairments and two chaperones are planning to go to the Space Camp for the Visually Impaired in Huntsville, Alabama. We have raised the money for the tuition of $540 for each child through scholarships, a used ski sale, a potato salad sale, and through help from the Maria Love Foundation.

Our transportation plans have become a problem, however. From the beginning, we had the pledge of a major airline to pay for the airline tickets from Buffalo to Huntsville and back. As our tickets were a “promotional class,” there were many restrictions placed on them. In the end, the restrictions made travel to and from camp at the appropriate times impossible. We are now forced to find funding for travel from organizations for the blind and from local service organizations.

If you think the American Action Fund is in a position to help, please give me a call. We would appreciate it so much. Thank you for anything you can do. Sincerely, M. S., Teacher.”

Helping blind children learn about new interests, helping them share in the broad experiences available to sighted children, and giving them the chance to discover for themselves the wonders of education and exploration is one of the important and valuable gifts we can give to blind children. We in the American Action Fund are proud that, thanks to your help, we are able to provide this special and exciting service. Who knows, one of these children may just end up being the first blind astronaut!

AAF Helps Elderly Blind Woman Maintain Her Home

One of the most important and unique services of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults is our ability to provide help when no one else can. We often fill in the gaps for those individuals in need who fall between the cracks of other programs. This most often means coming to the direct and personal aid of blind persons who face serious personal, health, and home threats.

This is precisely the situation our friend Viola found herself in. Viola is an elderly blind woman living in Baltimore, Maryland. She is almost one hundred years old. Her family has predeceased her. She is struggling to maintain property in Baltimore, but the money she receives from Social Security has not been sufficient for her to meet the costs of repair and maintenance to her house.

Viola is presently facing the immediate likelihood that the water, the gas and electric, and the telephone service will be shut off. She needs enough money in order to bring the accounts for these utilities current. The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has made a grant in the full amount to our special friend Viola. A responsible blind administrator in the Baltimore area will assist Viola and will assure that the funds are distributed as needed.

Viola plans to remain in her own home and is very proud to remain independent and healthy. We are glad we could help Viola, and we will be here to help our elderly friends like her when they face times of trouble. Your contributions for friends like Viola make it possible for us to help her and others, and we are grateful for this help. We know Viola is, too. This is one very special way we are making a difference in the lives of the blind.