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Celebrating the 2021 #NationalVolunteerWeek

Updated as of February 10, 2024.
Photographs of six blind college students and adults—from left to right, top to bottom:
Hindley Williams, a Caucasian female, looking up and smiling with a brick building and courtyard in the background.
Juhi Narula, a young woman of Indian heritage smiling and facing us.
Chris Nusbaum, a Caucasian male, facing us and smiling.
Mike Bullis, a Caucasian male, smiling and holding a microphone in one hand and his long white cane in the other with ocean waves in the background.
Eileen Rivera Ley, a Latina female, smiles at us in her living room.
David DeNotaris, a Caucasian male holds a microphone in one hand and points upward with the other as he faces us.

#NationalVolunteerWeek

In 2021, the Free Bridges Helpdesk celebrated #NationalVolunteerWeek by highlighting skills needed for volunteer work and paid employment with national experts in blindness and low vision employment David DeNotaris and Eileen Rivera Ley. Join us as we explore the wonderful world of volunteering.

Impact of volunteering

In this video, we learn about the incredible impact of volunteering in our country. We also hear from blind college students and adults about the benefits volunteering has brought to their lives. Watch how we kick off #NationalVolunteerWeek on our YouTube channel. Access the “Impact of Volunteering” transcript in Google Drive.

Hindley Williams

In this video, national transition expert David DeNotaris interviews Hindley Williams, then-Project Coordinator for the Free Bridges Helpdesk, about volunteerism in her life. Hindley shares how volunteering has become an important part of her life. Hindley provides great tips, including building on the skills you already have and building your network through volunteering.

Note: This interview took place in 2021. Hindley served as our first Project Coordinator, and we continue to value her knowledge, service, and support. Check it out on the Free Bridges Helpdesk YouTube channel. Access the transcript of Hindley Williams’ interview in Google Drive.

Chris Nusbaum

In this video, then-college senior Chris Nusbaum tells us about the multitude of volunteer opportunities available and how his volunteer experiences have shaped him. Chris shares that his volunteerism even led him to change his major in college and put him on his current career path.

Note: This interview took place in 2021. Now, Chris serves as Project Coordinator for the Bridges Technical Assistance Center. Watch Chris’ video on the Free Bridges Helpdesk YouTube channel. Access the transcript of Chris Nusbaum’s interview in Google Drive.

Juhi Narula

“Volunteering made my life.” In this video, then-college senior and non-profit founder Juhi Narula shares her volunteering journey. Her non-profit, Cherish Life Corporation, helps blind individuals purchase accessible assistive technology and access blindness-skill training. Juhi runs the non-profit and mentors blind and sighted college student interns at Cherish Life.

Note: This interview took place in 2021. Now, Juhi serves as Youth Transitions Manager at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM).

Hear from Juhi on the Free Bridges Helpdesk YouTube channel. Access the transcript of Juhi Narula’s interview in Google Drive.

More thoughts about volunteering

In today’s video, we get some great volunteer insight and advice from leaders in the blindness field: Mike Bullis, then-Executive Director of the IMAGE Center; David DeNotaris, Chief Inspiration Officer for Sky’s The Limit Communications; Eileen Rivera Ley, Founder and President of Blind Savvy USA, LLC; and Carlton Anne Cook Walker, Bridges Project Director and Founder of Blindness Education and Advocacy Resources, (BEAR). Dig into the wealth of knowledge these leaders share on the Free Bridges Helpdesk YouTube channel. Access the “More Thoughts about Volunteering” transcript in Google Drive.

Please contact the Free Bridges Helpdesk anytime.

Contact the Bridges Helpdesk for More Information

This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services.

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