Welcome to the ACB Maine Newsletter for September 2026
The newsletter is designed for accessibility and contains very few graphics. In the lower left hand section of the page is an accessiblity icon to change elements of the page.
Please forward the newsletter to any interested people or relevant agencies.
Our next board meeting is October 8, 2026 at 7:00 PM via ZOOM.
The Zoom link will be sent out separately.
President's Message
Welcome and thank you for taking this opportunity to visit
the American Council Of The Blind of Maine (ACB of Maine)
webpage. I would like to take the time to introduce myself, my
name is Amanda Frost and I am the president of ACB of Maine. I would like
to share a little bit about myself. First and foremost, I am a mother of
12 children ranging from age 24 to 2 years old. We are a very active
family traveling the states, learning about different cultures,
advocating for individuals with special needs and helping
individuals connect with services that has the potential to improve their
life. One organization that’s very near and dear to my heart is ACB of
Maine. The roots of this organization brings individuals together to
provide a sense of belonging through challenges and successes.
Please take the time to observe our mission statement as it will shed some
light on our nonprofit organization. Also, feel free to browse this
website taking special interest in our Board members, events and a
quarterly newsletter. We offer some
Really great resources
such as our annual convention in November, tech Talk once a month, a
scholarship to help with secondary school, and information
about support groups. If you have any questions, feel free to email
acbmaine64@gmail.com
Convention Plans
This year‘s annual convention will be November 7, 9 AM to 4 PM, at Embassy suites 1050 Westbrook St., Portland, ME. We will have some great door prizes, including Olive Garden gift card, Meta glasses, and some other great items. Please come enjoy guest speakers, a great meal and socialization. Everyone is welcome!
Convention buffet will be plated and served! Everyone will receive a dinner roll, Garden salad, cup of New England haddock chowder, a side of roasted potatoes and seasonal sautéed veggies, and an choice of assorted Whoopie pies. the entrée choice is either grilled lemon and herb chicken, or eggplant rollLatini with mozzarella and ricotta cheese smothered in marinara sauce.
Reflections On ACB National Convention
from Julie Welch
Hello everyone, this is Julie Welch. I am the secretary of the ACB of Maine.
I would like to share my experience with the national convention deligate vote.
In our June board meeting, we had asked someone to step in to do the national convention and we had no one at that time and I had asked questions about it how it works and what do we need to do considering that we are the affiliate of the national ACB and I was asked to see if this is something I could do. Of course this was all new to me and such short notice. So I stepped up I had some resources from the president, Amanda Frost and the vice president Linda Porelle with their experiences.
It appeared that I needed more informationin to better understand how to be a representative from our affiliate to cast Maine vote which led me to these two amazing women who were willing to help me with this process - Donna Brown from West Virginia and Katie Frederick from Ohio. These ladies were very helpful very informative with their knowledge and their involvement with the national ACB.
So I’m taking this role of
being in the being representative affiliate vote along with Lolita Hodsdon
our treasurer was the alternative. You really have to be dedicated and
committed this was not a one day process. It was a whole week long then
the convention to be part of know what you’re voting for to represent
from your State because every vote count which it invovoting on the
constitution and bylaws.
I was really beside myself when I got
to cast my vote and was able to hear all the states affiliates from
Alabama through Wyoming. With being a member and on the board committee,
it is a great opportunity to learn and gives you more confident of what
you believe in our ACB organization.
