RFB&D-NJ Unit Readers Note 9-08 (text)

New Jersey Unit Celebrates Its Super Heroes During Volunteer Luncheon on October 2nd

You scale Biochemistry books in a single bond…Make Economics appear less nonsensical than Astrology…You join forces with Theta and Cap I to bring Electronics to justice…You flex your mental muscles and rip the locks off books and make them accessible for people who are blind, visually impaired or dyslexic. YOU ARE TRULY SUPER HEROES!

Join your fellow Super Heroes at Queenship of Mary Catholic Church on Thursday, October 2 from noon to 2:30 for lunch and a well deserved pat on the back. Capes and masks are optional.

If you haven’t already, RSVP by Monday, September 29, at the studio or call 609-750-1830. And not to worry, Queenship of Mary Church is a kryptonite-free facility.

We’re collecting your printer cartridges and cell phones. Please support our fundraiser and help the environment. Bring in empty inkjet or laser cartridges and used cell phones and drop themoff in the box by the sign out area or to Grace Alparone in the Development office.

After three months as a volunteer, visiting superhero Julie Falkner has now headed home to Ontario. She says, "It was great to spend the summer in Princeton --thanks to my fellow volunteers for the travel and website tips!"

Harry Zapolsky and Leonor Conzevoy were in France. Rick Sinding was in the Near East. Jerry Freedman was in Washington, DC.Joshua Moreno is off to University of Wisconsin-Madison (my dad’s alma mater). Manishika Agaskar is off learning from Click or Clack (whichever one of the Car Talk guys teaches at MIT). Arlen Salthouse is in Oregon. Nancy Gardner was in Quebec. The Synod has finally allowed Charles Austin to retire and go to China for a few weeks.

Do you have news to share? Tell Tony Gruenewald or email him at tgruenewald@rfbd.org.

Who’s Kate?
Where’s Lauren?
Kate Benincasa is excited to join the RFB&D team as an Assistant Production Director. Kate graduated from The Hun School of Princeton (and is happy to have recently returned to the area) after spending the last five years in Washington D.C. She has a BA in Theater and Modern Dance from The George Washington University, and has been a performer and educator here in the Princeton area, NY, and Washington D.C. In her free time she enjoys yoga, performance arts, reading, playwriting, and movies with her big brother.

Lauren Markley’s clothing and jewelry design businesses have taken off so much that she has to spend more time keeping her customers satisfied. She’ll still be with us as a Production Assistant on Fridays, Saturdays and another day during the week. You can find out more about her work at fairindustry.com and antigenre.etsy.com. She hasn’t paid me to remind you that her jewelry will make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season.

Dear Aunt Bea…
A reminder: The studio is open on Columbus Day, Monday, October 13. The Outreach Center and Administrative Offices are closed.

Dear Aunt Bea,
Change! I’m sick of change. Obama wants change. McCain wants change. The guy at the convenience store wants EXACT
change. I come to RFB&D and I’m looking for the brown plastic cup holders and the white plastic cones for my coffee. All I find is paper cups. MORE CHANGE! What in tarnation is going on?
Kofi Drinker

Dear Kofi,
Here’s the deal. Some folks never got the concept that the cup holder stays and the cone goes in the trash. The cup holders were disappearing...we assume to the trash and Aunt Bea don’t dig through nobody’s trash for a hunk of molded plastic. So, the paper turns out to be more economical and Earth-friendly than the plastic.

Dear Aunt Bea,
I’m a new reader. The person who read the book before me self-directed. He/she didn’t mark where they ended in the reader’s copy of the book. Any chance you could remind them to update BOTH books?
Lost in Basket 21

Dear Lost,
You betcha! Self Directors: If there are two copies of the book, please update both copies of the book. A Bookings Institute
study found that it’ll take you less time to update the second book than it will take for the next reader to find their place. Thank you for your cooperation!

Record-A-Thon 2009 Sponsors
We’re already looking for sponsors for this April’s Record-AThon. This will be a special celebration of New Jersey volunteerism (that would be you) and our Outreach Center’s tenth anniversary. Do you know anyone in a decison-making position in the following companies:
Wachovia
Bank of America
Aflac
Pepsi
New Jersey Council for the Humanities
Soverign Bank
Kodak
Fedex
Geico
Verizon
Gilead
APC
…if so, Michelle would LOVE to speak with you!

The Speaker’s Bureau
The response has been great so far and we’re starting to line up events for our new volunteer speaker’s bureau.
(You’ll hear from me soon…very soon.) If you would like to be part of the team and spread the word about how rewarding it is to volunteer for RFB&D, see Tony and we’ll add you to the team!

Second Saturday Music Café coupon
For RFBD volunteers and staff
Frank Glaz invites everyone to The Second Saturday Music Cafe located at the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, NJ on the corner of Neilson and Bayard Streets, the former site of Mine Street Coffee House. For more information, visit secondsaturdaymusiccafe.com. Thanks Frank!!!!!!

Educational Outreach Center Volunteers
Are you able to give the Educational Outreach Center an hour of your time in any of these areas?

Place Book Orders
Look up book titles
Take book orders from teachers, students and parents

Research
School and individual memberships
NJ Department of Education information
Legislature and county information

Database Systems
Update school and individual membership profiles
Merge data into Microsoft Office Access^® through Excel^®Process books for schools and individual members

Record-a-Thon
Help plan and celebrate Educational Outreach's 10th anniversary
Join in the collaboration of Studio and Outreach projects

General Computer Tasks
Send e-mails
Confirm school in-service appointments

Prepare book lists for teachers
Prepare Excel^® spreadsheets
Various Office Tasks
Photocopying
Answering the telephone
Filing paperwork
Collating information
Assembling information packets

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic New Jersey Unit
69 Mapleton Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-750-1830