Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB) recently honored its employees and volunteers for their commitment to helping IFB provide jobs, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. In addition to recognizing five individuals with organization-wide awards, IFB celebrated numerous service milestones. Twenty-seven employees received service awards for 15, 20 and 25 years, and 33 employees were recognized for 10 years of service. IFB, with manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, Asheville and Little Rock, Ark., is the nation’s largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired.

Rick Gaefe of Kernersville was named IFB Employee of the Year. After having served in the U.S. Army, Gaefe began losing vision and became homebound for 12 years. He then moved to Winston-Salem to be closer to family where he learned of Industries for the Blind. He joined IFB in 2005 and has worked in a variety of departments, including serving as IFB’s first Assistive Technology Instructor to help others learn valuable computer and technology skills. Recognized as a mentor by many employees, Gaefe is always looking to make a difference. He sits on the IFB Safety and Guide Dog committees in addition to being a member of the IFB Blind Veterans Support Group and the Guide Dogs Support Group.

Pablo Morales of Lewisville was awarded the IFB Career Achiever Award. As IFB’s Training/Accessibility Coordinator, he supports all employees in building their computer skills and taking advantage of the latest assistive technology tools. Since taking on this role in 2015, Morales has helped 82 IFB employees complete a specially-designed curriculum that he developed covering unique assistive tools such as screen reading software and smart devices. A native of Venezuela, Morales earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and began working at IFB in 2004.

Tina Jolly of Roaring River received the IFB Delmer Wall Outstanding Service Award. Jolly is a Supervisor for IFB’s Scissors, Military Resale and Markers Departments in the Winston-Salem facility. Jolly is known for the special care she takes with every new employee to ensure that person feels

welcome and comfortable. An IFB employee for 12 years, she values the importance of building community and camaraderie, especially for people who have not had an opportunity to work prior to joining IFB. According to National Industries for the Blind, more than 70 percent of working-age Americans who are blind are not employed.

Jerry Mintz of Winston-Salem received the Kathryn W. Garner Volunteer of the Year Award for his leadership with the Forsyth Blind Bowlers. His tenure with the organization spans an astonishing 36 years, and he has worked tirelessly to help the group evolve from a small core to a strong team of more than 30 individuals who are blind. In addition to serving as the team secretary, Mintz coordinates all team transportation to both practices and tournaments and manages the necessary equipment such as the rails that make the game accessible for people who are blind. Mintz is statewide advocate for blind bowling as an active member of the Carolina Blind Bowling Association and the American Blind Bowlers Association. He was instrumental in establishing a statewide blind bowling tournament, sponsored by IFB, and works with other communities to create their own blind bowling teams.

Karen Carey of Winston-Salem received the IFB Commodore Funderburk Visionary Award. A retired attorney with Womble Carlyle Sandridge and Rice, Carey’s service to IFB over the course of more than 11 years has come in many forms. She served as a member, and later chair, of the IFB Board of Directors, a board member of IFB’s supporting A Brighter Path Foundation, and a volunteer with Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse and the SEE (Student Enrichment Experience) program. In addition, she trains guide dogs on behalf of the Southeastern Guide Dog Association, and has brought her dogs for classroom visits and the annual SEE Summer Camps. During her board service, Carey was instrumental in assisting IFB with the acquisition and integration of The Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind completed in 2013.

Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB) is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB also provides outreach through A Brighter Path Foundation, which operates Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse based in Winston-Salem.

Funding For New Buses Provided by Miracles In Sight Eye Bank.

In 2012, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind opened Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse as a unique after-school and summer camp resource for children who are blind or visually impaired. Nearly 100 local children in grades K-12 are visually impaired, but regular school bus routes can take more than an hour and families are hard-pressed to coordinate alternative transportation. Now, with funding provided by Winston-Salem-based Miracles In Sight, the second-largest eye bank in the U.S., IFB purchased two buses that will ensure all students can take full advantage of the Schoolhouse’s specialized educational and recreational programs. IFB will officially unveil the new buses featuring custom graphics along with leaders from Miracles In Sight during a special celebration event.

Shareff Stewart, a junior at R.J. Reynolds High School and a 9-year participant in the Student Enrichment Experience (SEE) programs at Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse, will speak about how he has benefited from the programs. Shareff now serves as a mentor to younger students.

Dean Vavra, Executive Director of Miracles In Sight Eye Bank, will present a check for $150,000 to David Horton, Chief Executive Officer of IFB, and David Barnwell, President of IFB’s supporting A Brighter Path Foundation. The donation reflects a long-standing relationship between IFB and Miracles In Sight and brings the eye bank’s total support to IFB to more than $1 million. Miracles In Sight is committed to helping all people with vision challenges, not just those whose sight can be restored through corneal transplants.
The non-profit A Brighter Path Foundation encourages activities and training that bolsters confidence, supports independence and increases the life and job skills of people who are blind or visually impaired. Resources funded through the Foundation include IFB’s Community Low Vision Centers in Winston-Salem, Asheville and Chapel Hill, Mobile Low Vision Care, Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse, and the Eye Care Education Center.

WHEN:
Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:
Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse on the campus of Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, 7730 North Point Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Following the check presentation event, IFB will offer brief media tours of Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse, IFB Community Low Vision Center and the IFB manufacturing facility, including the Optical Lab where employees manufacture eyeglasses for military veterans.

Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB) is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB also provides outreach through A Brighter Path Foundation, which operates Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse based in Winston-Salem.

With the recent opening of its 21st AbilityOne Base Supply Center (BSC) at Tyndall Air Force Base outside Panama City, Florida, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB) creates new jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired. The new store, which officially opened Jan. 13, will employ two people who are blind or visually impaired at the Panama City location, as well as generate additional employment opportunities at other IFB sites. IFB employees are involved in all facets of store operations from on-site staffing and customer service, to manufacturing and distribution of items sold at AbilityOne stores nationwide.

Like other AbilityOne BSCs, the Tyndall AFB location is a marketplace for AbilityOne products, which are manufactured by people who are blind or have other severe disabilities. The portfolio of AbilityOne items includes SKILCRAFT® branded products made by people who are blind or visually impaired at agencies like IFB. Nearly 45,000 people who are blind or have other severe disabilities are employed by AbilityOne agencies nationwide.

“For every new AbilityOne BSC we open, we are creating new employment opportunities across the spectrum of our business for people who are blind or visually impaired,” said Silas Martin, IFB Vice President of Base Supply Centers and IT. “From office supplies to mattresses to eyeglasses, our IFB employees manufacture a phenomenal portfolio of products needed on base and beyond.”

The new Tyndall AFB AbilityOne BSC will stock 900 highest-demand products, with additional access to more than 100,000 items available at IFB’s eCommerce platform, www.bscsource.com and a virtually unlimited number of special-order items. “At our BSC stores, we provide everything from common office supplies and janitorial products to items like golf carts and kitchen sinks,” said Martin. “Our in-house procurement specialists are experts at tracking down any item that a customer may need and getting that ordered, shipped and billed within a matter of days. Simply put, we get you what you need, when you need it.”

Customer service and in-house procurement are handled by IFB employees in the Winston-Salem location. Manufacturing of a diverse number of AbilityOne products runs across IFB’s locations in Winston-Salem, Asheville and Little Rock, Arkansas, and each of those facilities manages its own distribution network.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Tyndall AbilityOne BSC was attended by leaders from Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, National Industries for the Blind and Tyndall Air Force Base. Anastasia Powell, a long-time IFB employee and community advocate, was the event’s keynote speaker.

Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind (IFB) is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 that provides employment, training and services for people who are blind or visually impaired. As the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to more than 40 office supply stores and optical centers across the country. IFB also provides outreach through A Brighter Path Foundation, which operates Community Low Vision Centers across North Carolina and Tracy’s Little Red School House based in Winston-Salem.