IFB Beat – Week of January 29, 2024

A Message from the Editor

Greetings all – thanks to everyone who is sending me news and updates to share! A few highlights this week:

  • Updated pathway to TAD’s Room in the Winston-Salem Facility, as well as a few other facility notes
  • Meet the Winston-Salem Business Essentials class of 2024!
  • Support the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Valentines Day raffle

Thanks for reading the IFB Beat and have a wonderful week!

Anastasia Powell

IFB Solutions Communications Manager

apowell@ifbsolutions.org | 336-245-5698

Quick Links:

New this Week

– Important Updates for the Winston Salem Facility
– Guilford College Business Essentials Class of 2024
– What’s Happening on the Floor: On-Time Delivery Performance
– See what S.E.E. is Doing!
– Adult Support Group Meetings
– CLVC Item of the Week

From Our Community

– Insider Corner

HR and Opportunities

– New Job Openings

Support Group Zoom Meeting Links

 

Important Updates for the Winston-Salem Facility

Updated Pathway to TADs Room

The hallway around the former optical lab, that previously contained employee lockers and connected the cafeteria hallway to TAD’s room, no longer exists. It has been demolished and reconfigured for warehouse space as a result of the active construction project. We ask that everyone use the door leading to Low Vision at the back entrance of the cafeteria; note this will require swiping your badge. Go straight down the hallway until it turns right, then straight forward into the front entrance of TAD’s Room. Please be mindful as you travel through low vision to get to the TADs room as there may be customers and patients in the waiting area. Thank you for your cooperation.

Shipping and Receiving Entrance

Due to ongoing construction, employees should no longer use shipping and receiving door (near the former mattress store) to enter/exit the facility. We will update when construction is finished and this door is safe to use. Employees who would typically use this door should enter at the employee entrance or front lobby.

Front Lobby is Not an Approved Break Area

The lobby inside the main entrance at IFB is primarily for the dozens of visitors and guests that pass through our facility each day. While employees may enter, exit and otherwise pass through the space, spending time in the lobby during breaks and eating lunch is not approved. Please use designated break rooms, areas and the cafeteria. If you have any questions, please contact your supervisor.

 

Guilford College Business Essentials Class of 2024

The Winston-Salem Facility is pleased to announce we are again partnering with Guildford College to offer a Business Essentials class. This will be our sixth year working with Guildford College in this capacity. Here are the 2024 class of participants:

  • Paul Allen – Textile Manufacturing
  • Gabrielle Buie – Accounting
  • Noah Davis – Textile Manufacturing
  • Jackie Perrea – Textile Manufacturing
  • Janet Pryor – Textile Manufacturing
  • Denesha Scales – Training
  • Tasha Thompson – Accounting

Congratulations to all of our participants!

 

What’s Happening on the Floor: On-Time Delivery Performance

IFB Solutions continues to improve its on-time delivery to our customers for the commodity product line!

IFB Solutions commodities business lines (consisting of markers, rags, wipes, scissors, staples, and staplers) are packaged and assembled at all manufacturing facilities. On a rolling 3-month average, IFB produces and ships over 350,000 units of products for our longstanding customers. These include commercial wholesalers and distributors such as LCI, S.P. Richards, and Essendant. Other customers include various Base Supply Centers located on military and government sites and AbilityOne.com. The Supply Chain and Manufacturing Production team work hard every day to make sure the finished goods are on the shelves to ship. After commodity products are assembled and packaged, our Clemmons Distribution Center is responsible for prompt deliveries.

Holding all agencies to a high standard, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) issues quarterly reports recognizing on-time performance. For the NIB report, which includes all customers for commodities from October through December, IFB improved to 95.3% on-time delivery. Further, we received a perfect on-time delivery report from Essendant, with a 100% on-time delivery in the month of December.

Dan Carson, Program Director, Consumer Products states, “This success is a result of the hard work from Supply Chain, Production, Customer Service, and Shipping. Thank you, team! Your hard work creates and sustains jobs!”

 

See what S.E.E. is doing!

2 shoes on top of a busy box

The S.E.E. After School kids practiced lacing and tying shoes. We also baked cheesy chicken and practiced cutting it with a knife and fork into bite sized pieces without using fingers in the plate.

Adult Support Group Meetings:

National Federation for the Blind (NFB) Valentine’s Day Raffle

NFB-Winston-Salem chapter will be raffling a couples Valentine’s basket. Tickets are $2 per ticket. The drawing will be on Monday, February 12 at noon.

If interested in purchasing a ticket, contact NFB president, Angela Hanes in the ACS department or NFB secretary, Elizabeth Ellerby in the IWOL department. All proceeds will support educational and social opportunities for people who are blind.

Upcoming Support Group Meetings

  • No support groups the week of 1/29

CLVC Item of the Week:

Flexible Slotted Stainless-Steel Spatula

Flexible Slotted Stainless-Steel Spatula for $13.95. A kitchen must-have! A quality 6 in-15cm stainless steel head with a wide, slotted surface, drains liquids, grease, and oils. The heat-resistant handle has 3 stainless steel rivets for a smooth, comfortable surface.

If you are interested in purchasing Low Vision Equipment through our Loan Program (3rd Party), please contact a Low Vision Coordinator for assistance.

 

From Our Community

Insider Corner

This section is edited by Faith Harding. Reach out to her at fharding@ifbsolutions.org. 

American Council of the Blind (ACB) Scholarships

Generous scholarships are available through ACB! ACB offers educational scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500 for entering first-year, undergraduate and graduate students, and students attending technical college. This program awards students with scholarships to help with educational financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board, and assistive technology. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must: Be legally blind, maintain a 3.0 GPA (for most scholarships), be a full-time student OR a part-time student who works at least 32 hours per week and attends college part-time, and be involved in their school and local community. Students must submit their application by February 14, 2024. For more information, visit https://www.acb.org/scholarships.

ABLE Today Show Podcast Live!

ABLE today officially launched its new podcast – featuring Mark Raymond Jr. and Sara Hart Weir. These two disability advocates will bring you the latest news, stories, and insights from the world of ABLE accounts and disability empowerment. Each week, Mark and Sara will interview leaders and advocates across the country.

In episode 1, they discuss and learn about the history of the ABLE Act, the complete bill name is the “Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving A Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act”. Their first guests are Natalie and Mariae Rose Beck – daughters of the late Stephen Beck Jr., to talk about the impact their father had on the passage of this historic moment for people with disabilities.

Enjoy on YouTube at Intro + The Beck Sisters (youtube.com)

APH Career Conversations Webinar: Interview with a Senior Operations Manager at Nike

Thursday, February 1, 2024, 6:00- 7:00 PM EST; join APH CareerConnect for our very popular Career Conversations Series. Chari Chauvin, Senior Operations Manager in Global Apparel Samples, at Nike. will share her journey from working in the sighted world into being low vision and working.

Register at Webinar Registration – Zoom

 

 

HR & Opportunities

New Job Announcements

For all current openings, visit https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs?clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

HR Representative/Recruiter- Winston Salem

Education and work experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree required in Human Resources or similar field of study.
  • 2 years of experience in an HR role required.
  • Knowledge of HR law and regulatory requirements preferred.
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

External candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=82280&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

Internal candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=82281&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

 

Facilities Manager- Winston Salem

Education and work experience:

  • Must have a high school diploma or GED.
  • At least 3-5 years’ experience in maintenance and/or proper training and certifications of building equipment and maintenance required.

External candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=82062&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

Internal candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=82063&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

 

For information about any employment opportunities with IFB Solutions please contact Brent Burkholder at bburkholder@ifbsolutions.org or X5611.

 

Zoom Meeting Links

Adult Support Groups Zoom

https://ifbsolutions.zoom.us/j/99498078576?pwd=ODJzK0sxcXZrME9yN25YRTdiNXBSQT09
Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576
PASSWORD: 92638
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Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576