Michelle Bergh

I first got to work with some of the people from Blind, Inc., at the Toys for Tots with cancer event in December, 2011, at the Andover Cinema that Joe Johnson, with OneforJoe, put on.

The people at Blind, Inc., made these incredible wooden Christmas ornaments for the children, using real power tools!  I don't know how they did it without being able to see, but it was pretty amazing!  I got to pass out the hand-made ornaments to all of the children.

Blind, Inc. has a training program for blind people.  My mom's only sibling, Ron, has been blind since birth, and he actually went through their program when he was a teenager. 

Blind, Inc. teaches their students life skills and also vocational skills.  When my uncle went through the program, they taught him things like how to do laundry and how to cook simple meals.  They also helped him find a job.  They eventually helped him get a job working in a dark room at a photo finishing studio.   Unfortunately, with the switch to almost all digital cameras, Ron was no longer needed in the dark room.  But Lifetouch Portrait Studio, where he worked until he retired, retrained him as a film splicer, so he was able to keep his employment. 

Although my uncle is blind, he took three bus transfers every day one way to get to his job, and he went to work even when the weather was nasty.

I have a lot of compassion for blind people.  Besides my uncle, my late grandmother in Norway (called "Bestemor") became blind with macular degeneration, and my mother is losing her vision from glaucoma, so organizations that help the blind are important to me.  I also had a former classmate who is blind.  I was impressed that she never allowed that challenge to prevent her from doing anything.

If you'd like more information about the services Blind Inc. provides, or would like to volunteer, here's their link:

https://www.blindinc.org/

 Below:  With some of the Blind, Inc. members 

OneforJoe "Glow in the Dark Golf Tournament", September, 2012.

I was able to work with the Blind, Inc. organization again in September, 2012.  Joe Johnson put on his second annual fundraiser to benefit Blind, Inc.  It was an after dark "glow in the dark" golf tournament, dinner and raffle. 

At this event, I got to help with check in, give directions and help with the raffles.  Because it was on a school night and REALLY REALLY far from my house, I wasn't able to stay for the golf tournament.  But I got to chat with many of the blind people, and it just amazes me at how competent and independent they are.  One of the things they make the blind students do is go to downtown Minneapolis all alone during a busy time, and take buses to various locations.  That would be scary for me even with my vision!