League for the Blind and Disabled

06/05/2026

Join The League for the 2026 Race 4 Independence, a community 5K Run/Walk and 2.5K Family Walk celebrating independence, inclusion, accessibility, and disability empowerment.

Whether you run, walk, roll, volunteer, cheer, or bring your whole family, this event is a fun way to support people with disabilities in our community.

Event Details
📅 Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM
📍 Location: Purdue Fort Wayne Campus
🏃 Race Options: 5K Run/Walk or 2.5K Family Walk

Your participation helps support The League’s mission of supporting people with disabilities to help them keep or obtain their independence.

Register today and invite your friends, family, coworkers, running groups, walking clubs, and community partners.

🔗 Register here:
https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/FortWayne/RaceForIndependence5K

06/05/2026

As a community, how can you help prevent Medicare fraud, errors, or abuse?

If you are out in public and over here, someone talking about Medicare, don’t be afraid to offer information about SMP and .  These are trusted, unbiased government programs in every state, ready to help Medicare, beneficiaries, families, and caregivers.

06/04/2026

We're honored to share that The League has been chosen as the local nonprofit recipient of this summer's Lunch Means More initiative! 🎉

Thank you for choosing League for the Blind and Disabled to be the 2026 recipient!!

Join us at Freimann Square for Lunch on the Square — live music, 11 incredible local food trucks, and great food for a great cause. For every featured food truck purchase, Barnes & Thornburg matches 15% of sales to support our mission.

📅 June 4, June 18, July 2, July 16 & July 30
📍 Freimann Square
Come hungry, leave knowing your lunch made a difference. See you on the Square! 💙

06/03/2026

🏁 Race 4 Independence — Saturday, July 25, 2026, 9 AM at Purdue Fort Wayne.

Run, walk, roll, or guide. Everyone belongs on this start line.
5K Run/Walk or 2.5K Family Walk · race shirt included as long as you register by June 25th · proudly hosted by The League for the Blind and Disabled, celebrating 75 years of supporting people with disabilities to live independently.

🆕 Like our page to start receiving training tips to prepare to the BIG day!

👉 Register: https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/FortWayne/RaceForIndependence5K

06/01/2026

Happy June Birthday to our amazing League teammates! 🎉🐜💜

Whether they are providing care in our Home Care division or Crunching Numbers in Finance .. each one of you makes The League a better place. We are so grateful for your dedication, your kindness, and the unique joy you bring to our team.

Please join us in wishing LaShayla, Kristeen, & Andrea the happiest of birthdays!

May your June be filled with sunshine, celebration, and all the picnic treats your hearts desire! 🎂☀️🎈.

Enjoy your special gift from Chick-fil-A with a friend!!

05/25/2026

Wellspring on Wheels is coming to The League!

Mark your calendar!!

The WOW mobile food pantry will be League for the Blind and Disabled on May 28, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Please help us spread the word to anyone who may benefit.

05/25/2026

🎉 Big shoutout to Advocate Financial! 🎉

Every great race needs a strong support team, and My Advocate Financial is helping The League go the distance as a proud sponsor of the 2026 Race 4 Independence! 💜

They are not just talking the talk — they are walking, running, rolling, and advocating alongside us for a more inclusive Fort Wayne.

At The League, we know independence is not a solo sport. It takes teammates, cheerleaders, community champions, and businesses willing to step up for something bigger than a finish line.

That is why we are so grateful to have My Advocate Financial in our corner — or should we say, in our lane? 😉

Their support helps fuel a race that celebrates:

♿ Independence
💜 Inclusion
🏃 Community
👏 Accessibility
🌟 Opportunity for people with disabilities

So now we have to ask…

👟 Who’s ready to join The League of sponsors?
Your business can help us keep the momentum going and make the Race 4 Independence even more meaningful.

🏁 Sponsor the Race 4 Independence:
https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/FortWayne/RaceForIndependence5K or reach out to John Guingrich - [email protected]
DEADLINE - JUNE 26, 2026

💼 Learn more about My Advocate Financial:
https://www.myadvocatefinancial.com/

Thank you, My Advocate Financial, for being an advocate for independence, a champion for community, and a sponsor worth cheering for! 🎉

05/22/2026

Such a great program!

The Volunteer Lawyer Program of Northeast Indiana (VLP) was founded in 2002 by a group of local attorneys and judges committed to providing a program offering free legal help to low-income individuals and families. VLP paralegals field over 10,000 inquiries annually and place qualified cases with volunteer attorneys willing to help clients without charge.

Over the past 20 years, hundreds of attorneys in northeast Indiana have volunteered thousands of hours of legal expertise to help individuals and families get equal access to the civil justice system.

One of those lawyers is Emily Szczepkowski. Emily started volunteering with VLP in 2017. She currently takes on five to 10 cases each year. Serving as a Guardian ad Litem, she advocates for individuals who cannot fully advocate for themselves, ensuring their needs, voices, and dignity are at the center of every decision.

“It’s a beautiful thing to witness the love of the care provider for the individual in need,” she shared. “There is such joy, and often relief, brought to the petitioner and individual upon the granting of the guardianship. Care providers are now able to get the medical or financial relief to their loved ones that had previously been just out of reach.”

Thanks to volunteers like Emily and organizations like Volunteer Lawyer Program, more people in our community are finding a way forward and moving from dependence to independence.

05/22/2026

Resilience isn't toughness. It's adaptability.

At this year's Inclusion Institute graduation, keynote speaker, W. Thomas "Tommy" Smith, PharmD, JD, reminded us that leadership does not begin when life feels easy, certain, or perfectly planned.

After surviving a rare infection, a 10-week coma, multiple surgeries, and amputations, he shared how community, visibility, and connection helped him move forward — one next step at a time.

His message to graduates was powerful:

You do not have to feel fully ready to lead.
You do not have to be perfect to participate.
Your voice may be the reason someone else believes they belong.

The Inclusion Institute is proud to celebrate leaders who are building more accessible, inclusive communities rooted in disability leadership, self-determination, and belonging.

What does resilience mean to you? Share your thoughts below.