IFB Beat – Week of March 27, 2023

Quick Links:

News to Know
– Winston-Salem Facility – Coffee with the CEO
– IFB Dress Code Reminder
– Volunteers Needed: Winston-Salem Red Cross Blood Drive

Programs and Services
– Winston-Salem Facility – Learn about Non-24 Chronic Disorder
– Winston-Salem NFB Doughnut Discount Card Sale
– Adult Support Group Meetings

Community Low Vision Centers
– CLVC Item of the Week
– CLVC Item of the Month

NEW Insider Corner

NEW Community Connections

HR and Opportunities

Support Group Zoom Meeting Links

News to Know

Winston-Salem Facility Coffee with the CEO

Dan Kelly wants to talk to you!

The week of March 27 we will be rolling out Coffee with the CEO for Winston-Salem employees. This is an opportunity for Dan Kelly to get to know you in small groups, and for him to share his vision for the future of IFB Solutions. In return, This is a great platform to ask questions and for you to get to know the new CEO as well. The format will be very conversational, will last forty-five-minutes, and each will contain eight to ten employees. There will be coffee and light refreshments provided.

We know it will take many, many meetings to get through everyone, and anticipate this lasting over several months. Coffee with the CEO will start in Winston-Salem and eventually roll out across the organization. We thank you in advance for your patience through this process. So, stay tuned as we schedule your time to talk to the CEO with your supervisors!

 

Dress Code Reminder

As the weather slowly begins to heat up and we no longer need to rely on big jackets and layered clothing to keep us warm, let’s all remember the dress code that IFB has in place. If we run into issues of inappropriate clothing being warn in the workplace, you may be asked to change clothing or be sent home. Please look at a few reminders of what is listed as inappropriate work attire:

  • Spandex (dressy yoga trouser pants are acceptable)
  • Bare feet
  • Pants, shorts, or skirts worn below the waistline.
  • Shorts/skirts/dresses exceeding 3” above the knee when standing.
  • Midriff/tank/halter tops, spaghetti straps, low-cut blouses/dresses
  • Clothing or footwear that presents a safety hazard in the workplace.
  • Sexually provocative clothing
  • Clothing with profanity or that includes nude or semi-nude pictures.
  • The observable lack of undergarments or exposed undergarments

 

Sign Up Now! Winston-Salem Red Cross Blood Drive

The Red Cross Blood Donation Services team will be on-site in Winston-Salem April 12 from 10am to 2:30pm in TAD’s Room. Contact your supervisor to set up a time to donate.

Raise your sleeve, and save a life! Did you know? Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Your donations assist with heart surgeries, revitalizing accident victims, organ transplant recipients, and patients needing lifesaving procedures. So, will you raise your sleeve and save a life?

Admin contact: Shonn Redmond at sredmond@ifbsolutions.org or X5672

 

Programs and Services

Have trouble sleeping at night?

Join the RP Support Group on April 5 & Sight Adjustment support group on April 6, both from 12pm – 12:45pm in TAD’s Room to see if you have what is called Non-24 Chronic Disorder.

Up to 70% of people who are totally blind have Non-24 and may not even know it. It doesn’t matter whether a person is born blind or becomes blind later in life. Non-24 is a serious chronic disorder that disrupts a person’s circadian rhythms, which are controlled by his or her master “body clock”. Everyone has an internal circadian clock, or body clock, that runs a little longer than 24 hours. For sighted people, it is reset every day by environmental light cues.

For people who are blind and unable to perceive light, the body clock and sleep-wake cycle can become out of sync with the 24-hour day-night cycle. People who have Non-24 experience a constant daily shift in the times when their body expects to sleep and be awake, creating periods when they may be awake at night and want to sleep during the day.

Without light cues, people living with Non-24 may experience the following:

  • Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep
  • A strong urge to sleep during the day or a tendency to fall asleep unexpectedly
  • Sleep patterns that are different from those of most other people they know
  • Difficulty staying awake during the day, at work, or at school
  • Periods of good sleep followed by periods of poor sleep
  • Wake up groggy or with the feeling that they haven’t gotten enough rest

It is important for persons who experience these symptoms to speak with their doctor.

This educational program about Non-24 can provide a valuable service to persons living with Non-24, as well as their friends and family.

Attendees will be able to:

  • Learn about the biology and symptoms of Non-24 from a trained expert
  • Have a chance to join a comprehensive program with personalized information and resources

About Vanda:
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on providing solutions to unmet medical needs. We are committed to education and research in the area of Non-24 and our continued partnership with the blindness community. Vanda received the 2015 Helen Keller Award from the American Foundation for the Blind, which celebrates individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding achievement in improving the quality of life for people with vision loss.

 

Winston-Salem Facility NFB Doughnut Discount Card Sale

The Forsyth County chapter of the National Federation of the Blind wants you to enjoy a free box of delicious doughnuts! Support this chapter by purchasing a Krispy Kream discount doughnut card for only $20. With every doughnut box purchase, show your discount card, and get a free box of original glazed doughnuts. This discount card is good for up to 10 free boxes of doughnuts. All proceeds support the local Forsyth County chapter. If interested in purchasing a card, contact an NFB member; Brian Ballard (Vinyl), Angela Hanes (ACS), Tracy Gould (T-Shirts), Wilmer Oliver (ACS), or Elena Richards (Vinyl). Thank you for your support.

 

Adult Support Group Meetings:

  • Monday, March 27 Guide Dog support group meeting from 12:00-12:45 in TADS Room.
  • Tuesday, March 28 Glaucoma support group meeting from 12:00-12:45 in TADS Room.

 

Community Low Vision Center

CLVC Item of the Week:

Microwave Cool Plate and Spillover Caddy for $6.95

Easily and safely handle dishes from the microwave with this Cool Plate and Spillover Caddy. Place your bowl, plate, or frozen meal on the caddy inside the microwave. As your food cooks, the caddy will catch any spillover so it does not make a mess in your microwave. The handles provide a safe way to remove your meal and transport it to your table or counter without touching the hot plate.

 

CLVC March Item of the Month:

New Victor Reader 3 for $550.00. MTP Support (usable even if connected to PC)Better/Faster Wi-Fi connectivity (5ghz).
More audio formats supported (Zoom and more!). Bigger SD card support (up to 1tb). Revamped settings menu.
New shortcuts. Customizable voices (up to 2) directly on the device.

 

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

 

Insider Corner

Join Oryan Battis in this smooth beat of “Top Floor”. In this rhythmic production, Oryan reminds us how important it is to stay authentic to our self and strive for greatness. Listen, share, and like at:
https://youtu.be/RDFo2DXzXCI

Nature’s Wisdom

“We can learn a lot from watching ants and bees, living in community and working for the greater good.

When we see ants and bees out in the world, we often see just one, but this belies the reality of their situation. More than any other species, ants and bees function as parts of a whole. They cannot and do not survive as individuals; they survive as members of a group, and the group’s survival is the implicit goal of each individual’s life. There is no concept of life outside the group, so even to use the word individual is somewhat misleading. Often, humans, on the other hand, strongly value individuality and often negatively associate ants and bees with a lack of independence. And yet, if we look closer at these amazing creatures, we can learn valuable lessons about how much we can achieve when we band together with others to work for a higher purpose.” Daily OM

This is a wonderful reminder of the importance teamwork plays. A Group improves its path by strengthening collaboration, communication, and clarification of the journey. Working together improves the likelihood of arriving at the destination faster with less casualties then alone. The best part, when everyone arrives the celebration is even better!

I know you have amazing information to share. Stop thinking about it and be about it. Send to: fharding@ifbsolutions.org.

Make it an awesome week!

Faith

 

Community Connections

Transition to Community Living (TCL) Support Group Available Virtually – Open to All!

Do you know anyone who lives with a mental health condition? It can be hard to sleep, think, deal with emotions…How do we keep a job and live independently? National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) North Carolina has a virtual support group for folks who are learning – or want to learn – how to live in the community just like everyone else. Participants will find a safe space to work through topics that can be embarrassing – like loneliness or money management. Or how to do laundry.

NAMI Program Leaders Lorraine Childs and Nancy Johns will facilitate this group.

  • Nancy is a disabled veteran of the US Army. After a traumatic brain injury, she lived in a state hospital for 17 years. When it closed, she was finally free but didn’t know how to live on her own.
  • Lorraine – whose anxiety is a challenge – had to learn a whole new way of communicating while raising a daughter with autism and mental illness. Ultimately, she taught that child how to live in the community.

If you know anyone who could benefit from this support group, please encourage them to register to get the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpcOCorT4iE9PbkHdeHra-UIA6NmiPcd-o

The TCL Support Group meets at 7PM monthly on the second Tuesday of every month. Questions? Contact us at programs@naminc.org or by calling 919.788.0801.

 

HR & Opportunities

Job Opportunities

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

Utility Operator – Winston-Salem Facility

Education and Work Experience:
Level IV operator experience required or equivalent years of sewing experience.

Internal candidates may apply at
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=59127&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

For information about any employment opportunities with IFB Solutions please contact Brent Burkholder at bburkholder@ifbsolutions.org or 336-245-5611.

 

Zoom Meeting Links

Adult Support Groups Zoom

https://ifbsolutions.zoom.us/j/99498078576?pwd=ODJzK0sxcXZrME9yN25YRTdiNXBSQT09
Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576
PASSWORD: 92638
One tap mobile
+13017158592,99498078576# US (Germantown)

13126266799,99498078576# US
+(Chicago)

Dial by your location.
877 853 5257 US Toll-free
888 475 4499 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576

 

Assistive Technology Support Group Zoom

https://ifbsolutions.zoom.us/j/94434630872?pwd=aXFYSHYyWkh1SE1tWDNOdDIwVURwUT09

Meeting ID: 944 3463 0872
Passcode: 924496

+13017158592, 99434630872, #, # US (Germantown)

+13126266799, 99434630872, #, # US (Chicago)