Longevity, Family and Community: A Profile of the East Los Angeles CCB Chapter
by Susan Glass
If you dial the telephone number listed for the East Los Angeles chapter President Stephanie Rewd, you'll hear a warm, informative voice reading a dynamic message about chapter and CCB events. By dynamic, I mean that her message changes every few weeks so as to give chapter members the most current news about their meetings, and about CCB. The message for May 20 2019 encourages them to listen to the recording of the new proposed CCB bylaws, and to participate in the live call where they can ask questions and seek clarifications. Stephanie urges members to do this in order to provide feedback to their convention delegate so that she may accurately represent them when she votes. The message concludes by reminding members to attend their summer fiesta celebration at the Garcia home. You'll learn a lot about the Garcia family as you continue reading this article.--
I've been president of my chapter for 3 and a half years, and it never occurred to me to set up a phone line and recorded message where members could stay abreast of chapter happenings, as well as feel connected to their president and to each other. What an inclusive strategy! Thank you, Stephanie Rewd. I'm going to try it.
Inclusiveness, longevity, family, and community are the words that come to mind when describing the East LA Chapter of CCB. John Lopez and Mannie Lopez were its founders, establishing the chapter on March 9, 1963. According to current member Louis Herrarra, they advocated capably on behalf of blind and visually impaired people. John Lopez, who worked with troubled youth in Juvenile Services, showed his sighted charges how to read and write braille, and they became interested in the needs of blind people. According to Louis Herrarra, this set a precedent for the East LA chapter's involvement in community life. The East LA chapter sometimes held community dances as a fund-raiser.
Initially the chapter held meetings in the American Legion Hall and the Knights of Columbus facility. Then in 1974, a sighted couple, Philip and Virginia Garcia, offered to prepare home cooked meals for the chapter's monthly meetings, and in 1982, they offered their backyard as the meeting location. The chapter has been meeting at the Garcia home ever since, and the cost for the luscious home cooked meals is only $5 per person. Though Philip and Virginia Garcia have passed away, their children carry on the tradition of hosting the chapter's meetings.
One of the East LA chapter's most far reaching endeavors is a project called the International Friendship Circle. Members collect braille paper, slates and styluses, braille writers, and other much needed literacy materials, and then bring them to blind people in Mexico, or donate them to people in countries where the cost of such items might otherwise be prohibitive. Chapter member Louis Herrarra also repairs broken braille writers, including the old Hall model, and a Belgian braille machine that resembles a lunch pail. "If we can bring a braille writer back to life," Louis says, "We send it to someone!"
Like many other CCB chapters, East Los Angeles faces the reality of an aging membership. It currently has 31 members. It strives for balance between providing social activities, and encouraging advocacy. In the near future, the chapter hopes to arrange an outing to a local old time radio museum. Some members would like to sponsor assistive technology workshops. As with other CCB chapters, fund-raising is an ongoing need. One possible goal for fund-raising would be to sponsor local high school blind and visually impaired students to attend the CCB convention.
So, if ever you find yourself in East Los Angeles on the second Saturday of the month, consider spending from 10:30 to 1:30 with the East Los Angeles chapter. You're sure to enjoy the experience.
President: Stephanie Rewd
Vice President: Marie Herrarra
Membership Contact: Lynn Coates
