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Please contact us: VP: (617) 505-4823 | Email: frontdesk@deafinconline.org
Hello! I am Darian Gambrell, the new DEAF, Inc. Executive Director. I want to thank each one of you for your emails, FB messages, texts, and phone calls. It has been a humbling experience thus far, thank you again!
Who am I? I learned ASL at the age of 10. At that time, my family lived in a small town in Virginia. They decided to make the move to a bigger city, Washington, DC, because there were better opportunities for me. I am forever grateful for my family for making this life changing decision. After learning ASL, I went to Gallaudet University for my BA and MA. I worked at Gallaudet for 16 years then moved to North Carolina to be closer to my family. At that time, my mother lived in NC, and I wanted to be closer to her. I worked as a Manager at the Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing regional center in Raleigh, NC. My work has always been in the community, and I love it! In my free time I enjoy going to plays, short get-away trips, learning the history of different towns and cities, and much more!
The positive energy you give me will go towards DEAF, Inc’s mission to inspire the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind and Late-Deafened communities on self-determination and awareness of your rights. This is not the work of 1 person but a community which is a team. Your partnership with us is valuable, and resources will always be exchanged.
There is so much I want to share, but I am committed that we will meet! More information about where we can meet each other will be shared with the community in the next few months.
Did you know on September 19th the Red Sox is hosting Deaf Day? I will be there! I hope you already bought your ticket to have an afternoon of fun while being safe to cheer on the team! Here is the link to purchase tickets:
www.deafinconline.org/post/red-sox-night-2021
You may reach me by email at frontdesk@deafinconline.org or by VP at 617-505-4823 to meet me.
I want to thank you again for the wonderful welcome. See you soon!
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Sheryl Spera
Executive Director Search Committee Member and Board Member
DEAF, Inc. is embarking on an exciting new chapter. DEAF, Inc. has selected as its new Executive Director, Darian Burwell Gambrell, effective September 2021! Gambrell succeeds Sharon Applegate, who will retire this month after 18 years of service to DEAF, Inc.
The organization is the only Massachusetts community-based, multi-service nonprofit run by and for Deaf (Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened) adults. DEAF, Inc. is founded on the principle of self-determination and the rights of Deaf people to identify their own goals and follow through on achieving them, taking increasingly independent charge of their lives.
The search, which was first announced in March 2021, was led by a search committee of staff members and Board representatives and facilitated by Innivee Strategies, Inc., a Deaf-owned and led organizational and leadership development company.
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Wesley Ireland
Board President
The search process attracted a group of excellent candidates who brought their unique experiences and vision for the organization. We are excited to welcome Darian Burwell Gambrell as DEAF, Inc.’s new Executive Director. She is a true champion of the community. Darian impressed the search committee and the Board with her transformative leadership philosophy and the depth of experience she brings to the role.
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Darian Burwell Gambrell
Incoming Executive Director
DEAF Inc. has had an amazing impact on the Massachusetts community over the past 44 years through its educational and human services. I look forward to getting to know the many people and groups who have been impacted by and supported DEAF, Inc., and building a shared vision for the organization’s future together. Thank you for your confidence in me to continue to lead DEAF, Inc.’s vision. I look forward to meeting with the staff, community members, and current/new partnerships in the Massachusetts area. One of my priorities at DEAF, INC will be to expand visibility on the top services and resources DEAF, Inc. has to provide. I can’t wait to meet you!
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Sheryl Spera
Executive Director Search Committee Member and Board Member
Since 2017, Gambrell has been a manager at the Raleigh regional center of the North Carolina Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, which has seven regional centers across the state. Prior to this role, Gambrell was well-known at Gallaudet University for her student-centered management; she oversaw the Office of Student Success and had a leadership role in the university’s JumpStart and Peer Mentoring programs for incoming students. Gambrell has worked in several positions in non-profit, colleges, and state agencies throughout her career. She is a current member on the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University and a former board member for Arts Access, Inc. Gambrell hosts community conversations and workshops and has since cultivated a reputation as an engaging facilitator on diversity and inclusion dialogues.
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Shane Feldman
CEO - Innivee Strategies
Hello! My name is Shane Feldman. I am the CEO for Innivee Strategies, Inc. The DEAF, Inc. Executive Director search committee and board did an incredible job in leading the search process in collaboration with our company. The process was co-created and designed with an emphasis on involving stakeholders and building trust in the search and selection process. Their efforts resulted in the selection of Darian Burwell Gambrell, the new Executive Director of DEAF, Inc. Her qualifications, leadership, and vision are parallel with what the organization and community shared that they wanted from the new DEAF, Inc. Executive Director. Both DEAF, Inc. and Innivee Strategies, Inc. wish to extend their appreciation to the DEAF, Inc. community members who contributed to the search process and to all individuals who applied for the role.
Hi everyone!
We have 2 workshop announcements coming up!
DEAF, Inc. will be hosting a workshop titled “What is a Good Credit Score?” on Wednesday, September 29th, 2021, from 2:00PM – 3:30PM EST.
You will learn how to read, build, and get your credit score.
Zoom information:
Meeting ID: 918 8838 8357
Passcode: brainfood
If you need accommodations, please contact the Front Desk at 617-505-4823 or frontdesk@deafinconline.org as soon as possible.
Our next workshop is on Wednesday, October 6th, 2021, from 10:00AM – 11:00AM EST.
“Discussing Delta Variant”
Workshop topics include:
· Do you know about the Delta Variant?
· How is the Delta Variant different?
· What can I do to keep myself and family safe?
· Does the vaccine work to protect against Delta?
Zoom information:
Meeting ID: 918 8838 8357
Passcode: brainfood
If you need accommodations, please contact the Front Desk at
617-505-4823 or frontdesk@deafinconline.org
Join a Virtual Town Hall with MCB and the MBTA on Thursday, October 7th from noon to 1:30 pm EST to discuss the importance of public transportation for individuals who are blind.
Learn how MCB and the MBTA work together to ensure equal access to public transportation for older adults and people with disabilities.
Get MBTA updates about system-wide accessibility; learn about innovations in customer technology; learn about the new process to obtain a free or reduced fare Charlie Card; and find out about the new RIDE Flex program!
ASL and CART Services are requested. The event will be recorded.
Zoom information:
Meeting ID: 977 1585 2566
Passcode: 100721
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Cynthia: Hi! My name is Cynthia Bartlett and I work for DEAF, Inc. in the Cape Cod region.
Ashley: Hi! My name is Ashley Kingston and I work for DEAF, Inc. in the Boston region.
Cynthia: Hi! We have a special announcement for you! Want to know?
Ashley: Yes! Tell me, I want to know!
Cynthia: What are you doing on Tuesday, November 9th, 2021 at 6-8pm?
Ashley: I don’t know. That’s far ahead! What’s happening that day?
Cynthia: SAVE THE DATE for DEAF, Inc’s CommUNITY Virtual Dinner: Let’s Reconnect!
Ashley: Wow! Awesome! Tuesday, November 9th, 2021. 6-pm. I will put on my calendar. What will happen? No dinner like before? How do we reconnect?
Cynthia: It will be a Zoom event. No dinner provided by us but feel free to eat dinner while watching our event. We will have plenty of entertainment.
Ashley: Wow. That sounds really cool! Will we find out who is be providing entertainment?
Cynthia: YES! We will share more information as time goes. Stay Tuned!
Ashley: Don’t forget, SAVE THE DATE! Tuesday, November 9th. CommUNITY Dinner: Let’s Reconnect!
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Ashley: We will have communication access for everyone because everyone is welcome to join! We will provide ASL, English, and captioning. If you need DeafBlind interpreting, contact us frontdesk@deafinconline.org 617-505-4823 VP/V. Looking forward to seeing you all!
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Need a vaccine, Need a lift?
MassHealth provides transportation for vaccination
1. MassHealth under One Care plan (or Senior Care Options, or PACE)?
2. Contact your health plan or PACE provider.
3. MassHealth or Health Safety Net – call 800-841-2900
Lyft (up to $15 each trip) to and from vaccination sites.
If you want to help someone you know get their shot, you can book a ride to pick them up (details below).
How to send a ride
1. Tap search bar on home screen of Lyft App
2. Tap the ‘me’ button at top
3. Helping someone else -Tap – add rider and follow the prompts
4. Enter pickup location and vaccination destination
5. Ride recipient must have own Lyft account and will see ride details in their app
UBER (up to $15 each trip) to and from vaccination sites.
1. Sign in to your Walgreens.com account, create a new account or schedule an appointment as a guest.
2. You must complete the process as a guest if you’re scheduling an appointment on behalf of someone else
3. Complete a quick eligibility screening.
4. If you’re eligible, we’ll look for available COVID-19 vaccination appointments based on your age and location.
5. Schedule new appointment
6. The app will bring you back to selecting a ride and pickup time
7. You can also reserve ride for 2nd dose
Hello everyone!
My name is Robbie. Today I wanted to talk about different scams related to COVID-19.
As we know, the COVID-19 vaccine is being disseminated throughout the US. However, there are scammers out there taking advantage of the situation. I’m going to tell you three way you can avoid being scammed:
1: You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine. That’s a scam
2: You can’t pay to get early access to the vaccine. That’s a scam.
3: Nobody legit will call you about the vaccine and ask about you credit card information, bank account number, or social security number. That’s a scam.
If someone contacts you asking for personal financial information, ignore them. It’s a scam. For more information, visit these two links:
Now I’d like to discuss COVID-19 contact tracing scams. If you have contracted COVID-19, your state health department may call you. However, scammers are pretending to be contract tracers as well. I’m going to tell you five important things you need to know to be able to identify a scammer.
1: Real contact tracers won’t ask for money. That’s a scam.
2: Real contact tracers won’t ask for your bank account information. That’s a scam.
3: Legitimate contact tracers won’t ask for your social security number. That’s a scam.
4: Your immigration status doesn’t matter for contact tracing. If someone asks about this, it’s a scam.
5: If you receive a text or email with a link, don’t click it. It is likely a scam.
If you experience any of these scams, report them to your state.
Now I will discuss stimulus check fraud. The FTC issued warning signs about possible scams related to the stimulus checks.
1: The IRS will not text you regarding stimulus checks. That’s a scam.
2: The IRS will not send you mail with a password on it. That’s a scam.
3: The IRS will not send you an overpayment check. That’s a scam.
Other types of scams include economic impact payments. That’s a scam. Do not apply if you already filed your 2019 taxes. Stimulus checks will be sent automatically. If you have not yet received a direct deposit in your bank account, a physical check will come in the mail. For social security recipients, no action is needed. Watch out for overpayment from the IRS. They won’t ask you to send money back. The IRS will not contact you through phone, text, or email asking for your bank account information. If you are contacted in this way, it is a scam.
Now I will discuss scams related to online dating. If an online love interest asks you for money, it is a scam. Scammers know that millions of people use online dating sites. Scammers set up online dating profiles and are hidden amongst the websites. Here are three signs of potential scammers:
1: If someone suddenly confesses their love for you, it may be a scam.
2: If someone asks you for money, it is a scam.
3: If someone claims to need money for an emergency, hospital bill, or travel, it is a scam.
Romance scammers also ask their targets for money to:
1: Pay for their plane ticket or other travel expenses.
2: Pay for surgery and other medical expenses.
3: Pay customs fees to retrieve something.
4: Pay off gambling debts.
5: Pay for a visa or other official documents.
Please be careful of these online dating scammers.
The FTC reported $201 million lost since 2015 due to scammers. Here are four tips on what you can do about scammers:
1: Slow down – scammers tend to rush their targets. If someone is rushing for you to give them money, it’s a scam.
2: Never transfer money from your bank account, buy gift cards, or wire money to someone. You won’t get it back.
3: If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank immediately and they will help you through the process.
4: If you have experienced a scam, report this to the online dating site, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov/complaint, and the FBI at ic3.gov.
Scammers ask people to pay them via wiring money as well as gift cards. For example, gift cards from Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, or Steam. Scammers will ask you to load money on these types of cards. Please avoid and report this. It is a scam.
Now I will be discussing scams related to unemployment. Scammers have been sending forms to companies’ human recourses (HR) departments. HR provides information and contacts employee to let them know about the fraudulent claim.
Sometimes employee gets mail from DUA on their unemployment benefits, with information on how to join the health connector, and a flyer for Mass Hires. This is a national scam.
It is believed that the scammers have used stolen personal information from previous data breaches of large companies to file for the fraudulent benefits.
Now – DUA needs added identity verification measures that will temporarily delay the payment timeframe for many unemployment claims in Massachusetts.
Some people who are filing for unemployment may be asked for additional identity information to verify their claim.
What to do if you receive notice that you are a victim of this scam:
Your HR or DUA says claim made in your name and you did not file –
Important to report this right away.
You must report this as well as your HR department. Let them know you were scammed. Run a credit check on yourself to make sure your finances are in order.
If you discover that your finances have been tampered with, report it to these three companies:
1: Equifax
2: Experian
3: TransUnion
You can request your free credit report copy by contacting these 3 credit card companies. They will help you.
That concludes this informative video related to scams and fraud. Please, be careful moving forward and be on the lookout. Have a good day!
DEAF, Inc. offers American Sign Language (ASL) classes for adults interested in learning the language and Deaf culture in the US. DEAF, Inc. also hosts monthly ASL social events.
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