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DeafBlind Community of Mississippi
A 501-C3 Nonprofit
Our Mission Statement: Social Well Being of the DeafBlind, Deaf and Blind (Hereafter referred to as DeafBlind or DB)
Our Goal: To defeat mental anguish caused by isolation. The DeafBlind, Deaf and Blind have limited, to nonexistent meaningful, social interaction. Hence mental anguish has a place to grow with ill effects on the mind and body. It can lead to sickness and even death.
This is what we do. There is no money in the DeafBlind world to afford Social Well Being, and as a result, many stay silent and isolated.
On behalf of the DeafBlind in Mississippi, we at the DBCM have initiated legislation in the Mississippi Congress to put forth a bill to add the DeafBlind Community of Mississippi to the list of organizations Free of State Sales Tax. The DBCM deserves legally being listed for Sales Tax Exemption in the laws of the Great State of Mississippi.
There are two major areas we currently work in; all centered on Social Well Being.
One is that we plan social outings that are free to the DeafBlind, including transportation, Interpreters, tickets for events and of course food. There is no money in the DeafBlind world so the DBCM covers all costs. We are donor dependent and need your donations.
Secondly, we have taken on a project to bring the home of a DeafBlind family back to humane living conditions. There was no siding on the house and little insulation. No flooring, no stove or oven, no dishwasher, no sink or running water in the kitchen. Cabinets were not mounted to walls just bunched together with a piece of plywood as a countertop.
Cooking was done on a two burner portable stove and a toaster oven. The microwave was broken. The bathroom sink was the only source of water in the house. Dishes were washed in the bathtub. One of the two bedrooms was dark with light coming from the sun through a crack in the wall. This is only the tip of the iceberg for this family. Her recently deceased husband had a medical condition and could not fix his own home. The family keeps food on the table and pays their bills, and that’s about it.
Andre Frances Jarreau | Founder, President | DeafBlind Community of Mississippi
Backed by years of professional expertise, Andre Frances Jarreau currently excels as the founder and president of the DeafBlind Community of Mississippi, which he established in 2015. Dedicated to the social wellbeing of the DeafBlind, deaf and blind, the organization’s goal is to defeat mental anguish caused by isolation. In 2000, Mr. Jarreau was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him without his ability to see and hear. However, after months of rehabilitation and a significant amount of hard work, he was able to find his footing and pursue his professional endeavors to advocate to the DeafBlind community.
Through his work, Mr. Jarreau has received national recognition from the Helen Keller National Center. Alongside his primary commitments, he also dedicates himself to others as a member of the board of advisors for the Mississippi Hearing-Vision Project in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Looking ahead, Mr. Jarreau hopes to grow the DeafBlind Community of Mississippi to offer transportation services and training programs for its clients, as well as hire a communication navigator. He notes that some of the most intelligent people he has known are part of the DeafBlind community and he wants the next generation of professionals to give importance to them by beginning to obtain a solid donor base via his organization.
During the early stages of his professional life, Mr. Jarreau worked as a consultant in the telecommunications industry, as a manager of international technology for MTEL and as a bid team member for PACECO on a U.S. Department of Defense contract, which involved work on a $39 million dollar contract. He has also offered his skills to PACECO, WorldCom for seven years and DuPont as an engineering consultant. In 1980, he worked in stainless steel for Morrison’s Cafeteria. Mr. Jarreau holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mississippi State University from 1985, as well as a Master of Business Administration in finance and economics, achieved in 1990. He was Series 7 licensed to trade in equity and financial markets in the United States. Copyright ©2024 www.deafblindmississippi.org
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