Miss-Delectable
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Organizer seeks deaf attendees for event - TwinCities.com
The way Harvey Hoffman talks, one would think gathering deaf and hard-of-hearing residents was like rounding up runaways.
He's setting up Minnesota's first statewide general gathering for hearing-impaired residents next month — and is finding it hard to contact them. Despite organizations and Web sites such as tcdeaf.com and deafminnesota.com, he said, many have drifted off and not formed strong links to the deaf community.
That may seem fine for those who are independent and live mainstream lives. But Hoffman, a 50-year-old deaf building-operations manager who works in St. Paul, said many still need support networks that only those with common experiences can provide.
"I can name hundreds of deaf who ... go home after work, stay home and then come back to work again the next day," he said in an e-mail. "We want to know where they are and pull them in, give them a hug, and tell them they are cherished."
He's putting on the Friends Together Again reunion May 17 in two locations in St. Paul. It'll be a chance for deaf Minnesotans to socialize, play indoor sports, meet famous deaf athletes and get information on matters important for the deaf.
The free afternoon gathering is from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Neighborhood Building, 179 E. Robie St.
The evening social night, held at Tara Event Hall at 2900 Rice St., costs $5 and lasts from 7 to 11:30 p.m.
Entertainment will be provided by a deaf DJ.
The way Harvey Hoffman talks, one would think gathering deaf and hard-of-hearing residents was like rounding up runaways.
He's setting up Minnesota's first statewide general gathering for hearing-impaired residents next month — and is finding it hard to contact them. Despite organizations and Web sites such as tcdeaf.com and deafminnesota.com, he said, many have drifted off and not formed strong links to the deaf community.
That may seem fine for those who are independent and live mainstream lives. But Hoffman, a 50-year-old deaf building-operations manager who works in St. Paul, said many still need support networks that only those with common experiences can provide.
"I can name hundreds of deaf who ... go home after work, stay home and then come back to work again the next day," he said in an e-mail. "We want to know where they are and pull them in, give them a hug, and tell them they are cherished."
He's putting on the Friends Together Again reunion May 17 in two locations in St. Paul. It'll be a chance for deaf Minnesotans to socialize, play indoor sports, meet famous deaf athletes and get information on matters important for the deaf.
The free afternoon gathering is from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Neighborhood Building, 179 E. Robie St.
The evening social night, held at Tara Event Hall at 2900 Rice St., costs $5 and lasts from 7 to 11:30 p.m.
Entertainment will be provided by a deaf DJ.