Securing a Future
for the Blind

Blind Businessmen and Businesswomen
Building a Better America
(800) 381-3494

Run With A Vision 5k 2022

by Randall Crosby
October 19, 2022

Dear Caring Friend,

How would you like to make a positive difference in the lives of people like me who are blind? I am seeking sponsors to help an important nonprofit organization that has helped me have a successful 30-year career that likely would not otherwise be possible. Randolph Sheppard Vendors of Florida (RSVF)'s mission is to protect, promote, and prosper the livelihood of entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs who are blind in Florida.

I feel a great sense of accomplishment as a self-employed person. I enjoy the daily challenges and successes as I work to make my business a success and provide products and services to my customers. Thanks to The Randolph Sheppard Vending Program, I am a contributing member of society rather than a burden.

There are 115 people in Florida and over 2,500 people in the country who are blind and are self-employed because of this important program.

I am fundraising because this organization is very near to my heart and important to members of our community.

The event is a 5K race on January 8, 2022 at Riverview Club in St Augustine, FL. Any donation is greatly appreciated. If you donate $100 or more, your name will be printed on the back of the "Run With a Vision" shirt that the first twenty registered runners will receive.

Will you be a hero and help me pull this off? Thank you in advance for your consideration!

To make a donation, please click the button below:

Warm regards,

Randall

Mission Statement

Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of Florida (RSVF) is a nonprofit membership organization whose members are blind vendors, their employees, and others interested in the Randolph-Sheppard Program (RSP). The organization's mission is to maximize the potential and the implementation of the Randolph-Sheppard Act. To accomplish this goal, RSVF works to improve advocacy on behalf of blind vendors, encourage more involvement of vendors through a full and active participation process, and participate in the leadership of our state’s program in order to promote economic stability. RSVF insists that blind individuals are capable of greatness. When provided with resources and support, they have proven that they are able to achieve their entrepreneurial goals. RSVF works to strengthen and maintain a partnership with Florida’s State Licensing Agency (SLA), facility management, and private and government administrations. In short, RSVF's mission is to protect, promote, and prosper the livelihood of vendors and would-be vendors across the state of Florida.

Our Goals

To improve advocacy, support, and to insure growth and profitability for blind vendors in Florida’s RSP.
To give blind vendors active representation in navigating and resolving state and national conflicts that impact their businesses.
To provide a means of disclosure of actions taken by the Florida Committee of blind vendors and the SLA through a podcast and other forms of media.
To work with the public school system and vendor training programs to improve training and education for new vendors, preparing them for the next generation of business.
To establish a mentorship program that fosters and trains new vendors entering the world of business.
To provide entrepreneurial scholarships to young blind students who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs.

BBE vendors behind checkout counter

A Message from the President

Dear members and visitors,

Welcome to our website! We encourage you to browse these pages, learn about our mission, and reach out to the officers if you have any questions or need more information.

Among the blind community as a whole, the unemployment rate is staggering. Approximately four million working age people in the U.S. live with a visual disability. And of that number, 70% are unemployed or under-employed. Many blind and visually impaired people are forced to seek out supplemental forms of income through state and federal welfare programs. As a result, many are unable to adequately provide for their families. But there is hope through the Randolph-Sheppard program (RSP)—an entrepreneurial opportunity for the blind. It has been proven, time and time again, that the Randolph-Sheppard program can help lift the average blind individual out of poverty and make them an active member of their community. If you are new to this website, I encourage you to explore and learn about the program. We’ll tell you how it works, how it can help you, and how you can help us make a difference in the lives of so many others in the blind community.

The Randolph-Sheppard program was established in 1936, giving blind individuals the right to operate vending facilities on federal property. Since then, the program has evolved into an entrepreneurial opportunity that allows blind vendors to be private contractors, as opposed to state employees. In Florida alone, we currently have 120 vendors holding contracts with our state licensing agency in 150 operating locations. These contracts include: cafeterias, snack bars, non-highway vending routes, highway rest stop vending, and military dining. As you can see, many vendors operate more than one facility. Due to an aging vendor population, we have found it difficult to recruit an adequate number of new vendors to replace those that are retiring. We need your help to spread the word to a younger generation of blind and visually impaired people: the Randolph-Sheppard program is the single best employment opportunity for blind individuals in Florida.

In 2019, the average vendor salary in Florida was $70,000. That’s almost double what the average individual income is for blind people between the ages of 21 and 64. The Randolph-Sheppard program has done more to lift blind individuals out of poverty than any other program in the U.S. But, unfortunately, the difficulty we face recruiting an adequate number of new vendors to replace the aging population clearly demonstrates a need for greater outreach to a younger blind and visually impaired population.

I have made it the mission of this organization to begin working with the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, along with other public schools, to raise awareness of this enormous employment opportunity for the blind. It is my goal to establish a diplomatic relationship with FSDB and the public school system in a renewed effort to get young blind people interested in entrepreneurship. And I would like to be able to offer Young Entrepreneur Scholarships to strong candidates for the Randolph-Sheppard program in a concerted effort to foster and mentor a new generation of business professionals.

I would like to thank you again for visiting this website and reading this letter. Many challenges lay before us. I know, through this organization and its very committed members, that we can achieve the tasks at hand. If you are not an RSVF member, I strongly encourage you to apply. You, too, can have a stake in the future of blind entrepreneurship. If you are able, I also encourage you to donate to the RSVF. Your funding will help make our goals a reality.

Thank you for your continued support in building a better America for blind businessmen and businesswomen.