IFB Beat – Week of April 29, 2024

A Message from the Editor

Greetings all! We’re excited to bring you several updates this week. Read on to discover our latest news:

• Help us extend a warm welcome to our newest Customer Service team members.
• Mark your calendars for our upcoming General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, May 7.
• Friendly reminder! Don’t forget to attend the Asheville CLVC Demo Day on May 6th and 7th.
• Check out this week’s featured item from the CLVC – the Spice Carousel, designed to assist low vision cooks in staying organized and efficient in the kitchen.

Anastasia Powell

IFB Solutions Communications Manager

apowell@ifbsolutions.org | 336-245-5698

Quick Links:

New this Week

– Welcome to our new hires!
– General Assembly – Winston-Salem Facility Tuesday, May 7 at 11:00am
– Reminder: CLVC Demo Day – Asheville
– On-time delivery update!
– 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

 

Welcome to our new hires!

Meet Timothy Blanchett! Timothy is originally from Michigan, but now resides in Knoxville, Tennessee. He joined IFB on April 22nd as a Customer Service Representative under the supervision of Shannon Satterfield. With a background in software technical support, Timothy brings valuable expertise. Outside of work, he enjoys activities like swimming, hiking in the Smoky Mountains, and spending time with his teenage daughter. Please welcome Timothy to IFB Solutions!

Meet Jamie Davis! Originally from Ohio, now residing in Cincinnati, Jamie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Wright State University. . He joined IFB on April 22nd as a Customer Service Representative under the supervision of Shannon Satterfield. Jamie’s career journey includes great experiences from his role as a sales agent. Outside of work, Jamie enjoys spending time with his wife, singing in the choir, and sharing their passion for music together. Please extend a warm welcome to Jamie!

 

General Assembly – Winston-Salem Facility Tuesday, May 7 at 11:00am

There will be a General Assembly meeting held on the manufacturing floor on Tuesday, May 7 at 11:00am. We’re looking forward to presenting employee of the month awards for February, March, and April as well as recognizing employees’ years of service and remarks from Dan Kelly, President and CEO.

Supervisors, please be sure to shut down all equipment, fans and other things that contribute to noise on the manufacturing floor promptly at 11:00am. If your workspace is not close to the central offices (outside Pedro Rojas and Edward Sykes’ doors), please move closer to ensure you can hear. Any office administration working in the building on May 7, your presence will be appreciated.

 

Reminder: CLVC Demo Day – Asheville

Come be a part of the Asheville CLVC team for Demo Day on May 6th and 7th! Experience firsthand the latest in head-borne low vision technology, including the Iris Vision, the new eSight, the Patriot, the Orcam, and more. Our expert trainers will be available in Asheville to showcase these devices. Don’t miss this chance to explore these innovative products and discover if they can help enhance your independence. To schedule your appointment, please contact the Community Low Vision Center in Asheville at 828-761-2468.

 

On-time delivery update!

Our best one yet! 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 For the month of March, IFB’s on-time delivery percentage was 99.1%! This percentage is based on a 15-day delivery, which is the AbilityOne policy.

Dan Carson, Program Director, Consumer Products states, “THANK YOU for all of the work this team has done to improve our delivery percentage. You saw the challenge and LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW! Let’s continue to improve and get IFB to 99% not only in the eyes of AbilityOne, but to all of our wonderful yet demanding customers.”

 

See what S.E.E. is doing!

The S.E.E. Program provided tactile coloring pages at the beeping egg hunt sponsored by the Winston-Salem Bomb Squad and coordinated by Angie Swaim. S.E.E. kids listened for the steady chirps to find the eggs hiding in the grass at Reynolda House and Gardens. Other stations they enjoyed included face painting, making a shaker from a plastic egg, planting a marigold, listening to musicians, and petting a miniature donkey and miniature horse. Winston-Salem police officers were on hand to facilitate the transition between tents and activities.

 

Adult Support Group Meetings:

Consider Visiting a Support Group Virtually or at IFB’s Winston-Salem Facility

Are you interested in talking with other people with similar experiences or learning about new research and resources to make life better for the blind/low vision population? Then come and join in the fun and knowledge sharing of our support groups.

• If you work from home, join the support group that meets at 7 PM via Zoom.
• RP support group Meets the first Wednesday of each month in Tad’s room at 12 PM
• Diabetic support group Meets the third Wednesday of each odd month in Tad’s room at 12 PM
• Have a guide dog or support dog? Meet with the Guide Dog support group the fourth Monday of each month in Tad’s room at 12 PM.
• Contact Angela Haynes in the ACS department if you are interested in being a part of the Forsyth National Federation of the Blind that meets the second Monday of each month in Tad’s room at 12 PM.

Whatever you are experiencing, find a support group that is the right fit for you. Supporting these groups with attendance and participation will help ensure that they are here to meet our needs – after all,  there cannot be support group meetings without people. If interested in a support group or have questions contact Kim Shoffner, Manager of Programs at kshoffner@ifbsolutions.org or 336-245-5669.

CLVC Item of the Week:

KitchenArt 25000 Select-A-Spice Auto-Measure Carousel Professional Series White for $32.95

This spice carousel helps a low vision cook stay organized and always ready to cook the next good meal!

• 12 spice containers with 55 pre-printed spice labels
• each container measures out spices in ¼ teaspoon audible clicks
• measured increments help keep spices in control
• great for low vision cooking
• carousel can double stack or mount under a cabinet

If you have questions or are interested in any of the weekly items, please contact your local CLVC for assistance.

 

From Our Community

Insider Corner

Virtual Xylophone Web App

Submitted by Kim Shoffner, Manager of Programs

This is a fun Web app that allows you to play a virtual xylophone in your Web browser. Pressing the numbers 1 through 8 plays the corresponding note on the major scale and you can even press more than one key at a time to play chords. Users of screen readers will need to disable browse mode.

After installing on your device, press insert z, and you will be able to play the xylophone by numbers with JAWS.  JAWS still says each number but the notes sound each time a number on the number row from 1 through 8 is pressed.  Chords play as well. Enjoy the fun!

https://playxylo.com/

 

HR & Opportunities

New Job Announcements

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

Customer Service Representative – NC Department of Vital Statistics

Education and work experience:

• Minimum of 1 year of call center experience preferred.
• Associates degree or higher in a related field preferred.
• Ability to speak Spanish preferred.

For more information, please contact a member of the recruitment team at careers@ifbsolutions.org.

 

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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877 853 5257 US Toll-free
888 475 4499 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576