Braille outreach celebrates 25 years

Volunteers with the Braille Work Center in Freistatt work morning or afternoon sessions at the school to prepare specific books of the Bible to be compiled and distributed to those in need at no charge.

The group, with members from Freistatt, Monett, Mt. Vernon, Aurora, Springfield, Shell Knob and Purdy, participate in preparing books, which includes two volumes on pronunciation of Biblical names in English; the books of Ruth and Esther in Kiswahili and Spanish; the books of Daniel, Hosea and Jeremiah in Bahasa Indonesian braille; and the books of Matthew, Hebrews and Jude in English. The group also does “Portals of Prayer,” a two-volume quarterly devotional.

Rev. Ken Lampe directs volunteers and serves as liaison to the program’s headquarters, Lutheran Braille Workers, Inc., in Yucaipa, Calif.

“This is a non-denominational organization, and everyone is welcome to help,” Lampe said.

Orders for which books are needed and where they are to be shipped comes from headquarters. Volunteers then get to work punching paper, running it through the press where metal plates emboss the text onto the page. They then collate and bind the books and prepare them for shipping.

“These books are sent all over the world,” Lampe said. “The boxes are stamped ‘Free reading material for the blind,’ and the post office delivers them postage-free.”

Braille books may be read about 100 times before the embossed bumps, which make up the braille alphabet, become too worn and need replaced.

“In 1997, this group raised $3,000 to equip the braille print shop with a press, puncher and binder,” Lampe

Story by Melonie Roberts

Volunteers for the Braille Ministry at Freistatt’s Trinity Lutheran Church

In the first row, said. “About $800 of that came from donations from the local church, while the remaining $2,200 came from the Freistatt Lions Club.

Lois Gaddy, Nancy Duncan, Karen Schmedeke, Alma Barnes, Darlene Lampe, Linda Schelin, Jeanette McAlexander, June Brandt and Orville Meyer. Second row: Elva Bossaller, Don Schmedeke, Connie Austin, Bonnie Worm, Joanne Michel, Edith Chambers, Loretta Pennington, Darlene Nowak, Carolyn Schad, Evelyn Bracht, Linda Gaines, Kay Johnson and Doris Meyer. Third row: Herb Bossaller, Ken Lampe, Bruce McAlexander, Delphine Hesemann, Joe Pennington, Debbie Brafford, Alison West, Phyllis Melby and Pam Bowling.

“Since that time, additional equipment has been acquired, with the responsibility of paper, packing boxes, shipping tape, labels, and spiral binders for the books being the responsibility of the local center and paid for by donations.”

More than 3,000 volunteers working at 117 centers across the nation strive to print large type Bibles, emboss braille, record tapes, fold, punch, bins and ship materials all over the world.

“We have about 32 workers, many from 13 area churches, who work the center at Trinity Lutheran School,” Lampe said. “Our quarterly devotional is printed in two volumes and shipped to about 350 people,” he said. “The other books of the Bible are embossed at other work centers.”

Phyllis Melby, left, and Darlene Nowak, operate the press that imprints the braille text onto the page. The templates are such that imprints may be made on both sides of the paper and then are bound into chapters.

Volunteers for the Braille Ministry at Freistatt’s Trinity Lutheran Church include: Lois Gaddy, Nancy Duncan, Karen Schmedeke, Alma Barnes, Darlene Lampe, Linda Schelin, Jeanette McAlexander, June Brandt, Orville Meyer, Elva Bossaller, Don Schmedeke, Connie Austin, Bonnie Worm, Joanna Michel, Edith Chambers, Loretta Pennington, Darlene Nowak, Carolyn Schad, Evelyn Bracht, Linda Gaines, Kay Johnson, Doris Meyer, Herb Bossaller, Ken Lampe, Bruce McAlexander, Delphine Hesemann, Joe Pennington, Debbie Brafford, Alison West, Phyllis Melby, Pam Bowling, Ken Saloga, Gwen Lampe, Maxine Schad, Anna Wecker, Alison West, Linda VanEaton, Wilma Hall, Edna Haynes, Thelma Barnes, Dale Chapman, Kenneth McIntyre, Joe Pennington, Betty Sawyer, Ruth Skaggs, and Edna Stricklin.

All together, the Braille Bible and the large print format is printed in 30 languages and sent to more than 164 countries.

A commercially produced Bible costs more than $700, but the cost of the Lutheran outreach Bible runs about $275. Each Braille Bible is comprised of 37 volumes covering five feet of shelf space.

“The materials are paid for completely through donations, and we, in turn, send them directly to anyone in need, anywhere in the world, free of charge,” Lampe said.

Those wishing to make donations may send them to: Trinity Lutheran Church, c/o Braille Bible Mission, 207 N. Main St., Freistatt, MO 65654.

Visitors or volunteers are welcome to stop by Trinity Lutheran School on Mondays. For more information, call 417-235-7300. n

by Meagan Ruffing