'See the Difference You Make' for blind people

Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB)

Media release

28 September 2007

Volunteer your time and 'See the Difference You Make' to blind people

The Blind Week appeal is set for 23-29 October, and the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) needs your help!

We need thousands of volunteers to help us raise the $1m we require to provide essential services to our 11,700 members. For the past two years our Blind Week campaign has asked you to "Notice Us", but now it's time to come closer and "See the Difference You Make".

"Volunteers play a crucial role in our organisation, especially during Blind Week. It's such a challenging fundraising climate, so it's really a time for individuals and clubs to get involved, irrespective of age or how much time they have to give," says Dianne Armstrong, RNZFB's Head of Regional Fundraising.

Volunteers are needed to collect at their local supermarket, CBD or shopping centre for as little as two hours. Clubs and groups are also encouraged to lend a hand by organising door knock collections in their local areas.

The minimum number of volunteers needed for each area is:

Auckland/Northland 2,000; Waikato/King Country 1,500; Bay of Plenty 1,500; Hawkes Bay Region 400; Wellington Region 2,450; Marlborough/Nelson 350; Canterbury/West Coast 2,500; and Otago/Southland 3,000.

To donate a few hours of your time during Blind Week, please call 0508 BLIND WEEK (0508 254 639) or visit www.blindweek.org.nz

The RNZFB is New Zealand's primary provider of vision-related rehabilitation services for blind, deafblind, and vision-impaired members. Every year nearly 1,200 New Zealanders join the RNZFB after experiencing serious sight loss.

ENDS

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