NC House bill would provide revenue boost to nonprofits employing the blind, visually impaired

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The state House passed by a 106-2 vote Thursday a bipartisan bill that would provide a revenue boost to two Triad nonprofit groups that serve and employ people who are blind and visually impaired.

The two most likely nonprofit groups benefit from the bill are IFB Solutions Inc. of Winston-Salem, which has production facilities in Winston-Salem and Asheville, and Industries of the Blind Inc. of Greensboro.

Read the full article from the Winston-Salem Journal here.

IFB Solutions honors Employees of the Year, Mark Doughton, Charlie Pine and Milliken and Company for Contributions to Non-Profit’s Success

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nicole Ducouer

nducouer@ifbsolutions.org, M 304-685-2393

Winston-Salem, NC (May 25, 2021)—IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind in the U.S., recently recognized its Employees of the Year, partners and volunteers who play a vital role in the nonprofit’s mission of employment, training, and services.

Diana Soto of Winston-Salem named overall IFB Solutions Employee of the Year. Diana, who is from Puerto Rico, works as a sewing machine operator in IFB’s Winston-Salem manufacturing facility. With IFB since 2018, she volunteers as a translator during company-wide events, teaches English to Spanish-speaking employees, and is a writer for IFB’s company newsletter. During the Covid pandemic, she volunteered at IFB’s Tracy’s Little Red Schoolhouse to help care for employees’ children when school was closed and no childcare was available, allowing several Spanish-speaking employees to come to work and earn a paycheck.

Headshot photo of Diana-Marie

Jason Denton named IFB Solutions Asheville Employee of the Year. Jason exemplifies “Mission Possible,” an IFB core value—jumping in to help whenever a job comes his way. A sewing machine operator in the Fuel Handler Coverall department, he joined IFB in 2017. Since then, Jason has worked on several production lines, including t-shirts, belts and paper. He focuses on doing quality work and spreads that work ethic among his peers.  Jason has Retinitis Pigmentosa; he has night blindness and has lost peripheral vision but doesn’t let that slow him down. He loves doing improv and stand-up comedy.

Terrail Richardson named IFB Solutions Little Rock Employee of the Year. Terrail joined IFB in 2015 and has worked in every department in the Little Rock facility. He’s earned promotions three times since joining IFB and currently sets collars in t-shirts which is a difficult job for sighted employees let alone for someone who is visually impaired. Terrail’s positive, upbeat attitude makes him the perfect person to participate in IFB’s Buddy Program helping new employees who are blind become familiar with the facility.

Joseph Rehmatullah of Asheville named IFB Solutions Indirect Labor Career Achiever of the Year. Joseph is completely blind and works in the Asheville facility as an Assistive Technology Trainer. He has earned four master’s degrees and previously owned a language and computer center in Pakistan. Starting in IFB’s Contract Cutting department in 2013, Joseph also worked in sewing and Impulse Merchandise. He began teaching computer skills to co-workers, then broadened to teach children across North Carolina who are blind to use technology through IFB’s S.E.E. program.

Shawn Sims of Little Rock named IFB Solutions Delmer Wall Outstanding Service Award. Shawn started at IFB in 2011 as a sleeve machine operator in t-shirts, then was promoted to production assistance and supervisor. She now supervises two departments setting goals focused on quality and process. She is vital to IFB’s Covid-19 safety protocols, assisting in health screenings and helping the medical staff. Shawn, who is sighted, also rallies the team to help fellow employees in need.

Charlie Pine honored with Kathryn Garner Volunteer of the Year award. This award recognizes someone who gives personal time to raise funds, enhance programs and services and raise awareness to support IFB’s mission. Charlie has served on IFB’s Asheville Advisory Council since 2009, including chairing the council from 2011-2014. He also served on the IFB Solutions Board of Directors. In 2010, Charlie played a major role in IFB’s capital campaign, helping raise nearly $1 million to build a Community Low Vision Center at the Asheville facility along with a multi-purpose room, cafeteria and more. He’s a strong advocate for IFB, leading tours, bringing in new Advisory Council members, and introducing customers to the Community Low Vision Center.

Mark Doughton honored as IFB Solutions Commodore Funderburk Visionary Award recipient.  This award is named for the late Commodore Funderburk who was blind, deaf and mute and worked for IFB for 40 years without missing a day. Mark is a long-time member of the IFB Solutions Board of Directors and served as Board Chair. He also was as a member of the IFB Solutions Foundation Board and has played an integral role in IFB’s fundraising efforts including growing community awareness and helping IFB pursue a number of grant opportunities. A dedicated philanthropist, Mark is president of the Stephen Doughton, Jr. Foundation for Leukemia Research (named after his son who is in remission) raising more than $100,000 for research.

 

Milliken and Company named IFB Solutions Partner of the Year. Milliken is a research, design and manufacturing company founded in 1865. The company has partnered with IFB Solutions since 2008 and sponsors the annual IFB Solutions golf tournament, shares business acumen with IFB leadership and provides constant philanthropic support. A long-time advocate for IFB’s mission of jobs, training and services, Milliken has helped secure employment opportunities for people who are blind in N.C. and across the country.

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ABOUT IFB SOLUTIONS

IFB Solutions 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 in the United States, IFB operates manufacturing facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C., Asheville, N.C., and Little Rock, Ark., in addition to operating nearly 20 office supply stores across the country and producing mattresses. IFB produces eyewear under its Twenty200 brand at its Winston-Salem lab and operates a retail location in Winston-Salem. IFB Solutions funds employee training and services as well as community programs through grants and private donations, making possible summer camps, afterschool programs and activities for children who are blind, and Community Low Vision services through its low-vision Centers across North Carolina and in Little Rock, Ark. ifbsolutions.org

 

 

 

IFB Solutions One of Two Winston-Salem Companies to Win BBB Ethics Award

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IFB Solutions One of Two Winston-Salem Companies to Win BBB Ethics Award

Media contact:

Nicole Ducouer

nducouer@ifbsolutions.org

May 18, 2021 – Greensboro, NC – Better Business Bureau (BBB) congratulates two Winston-Salem
businesses for winning a 2021 Torch Awards for Ethics:
– IFB Solutions – Winston-Salem
– Frank Myers Auto Maxx – Winston-Salem

The Torch Awards for Ethics is the most prestigious honor BBB can present to a business. Being a
recipient indicates the business not only believes in the high standards of honesty, integrity and
transparency promoted by BBB, but also consistently acts on these standards and continuously
integrates them into its daily practices.

“The Torch Awards for Ethics is not a popularity contest. An independent panel of judges reviews
each nominee and evaluates the company’s demonstrated commitment to business practices that
build trust with employees, customers, and vendors in the marketplace. The winners exemplify
TRUST in the community,” said Brad Huffstetler, Executive Director of the BBB Education
Foundation of Central & Northwest NC.

A three-judge panel evaluated the businesses on four criteria to determine which ones best exemplify TRUST in the community. The criteria are:
1. Character: As CEO, President, Owner, or Executive Director your leadership character sets the tone for your entire organization. As a leader, explain how you behave intentionally and
communicate with your leadership team, employees, customers, and stakeholders in a way
that is consistent with your beliefs.
2. Culture: Illustrate how your organization works toward a culture of trust through clarity of
purpose, empowering employees, and opportunities for growth.
3. Customers: Give examples of internal practices your organization uses to build better
customer relationships.
4. Community: Display organizational programs, contribution, and activities that return value
to and support your community.
In choosing IFB Solutions as a 2021 Torch Award winner, one judge wrote, “It was refreshing to
read about the “Contagious Character” IFB Solutions has been able to maintain over the last 85
years. Their meetings begin with the needs and recognition of their staff before any discussion of spreadsheets. They remind themselves of their mission before they speak about money, and they focus on their advocacy efforts before any other item on their agenda. These employees and
community-focused efforts solidified my vote for IFB Solutions.”

Judges picked Frank Myers Auto Maxx as a winner for their commitment to ethics. One judge
wrote, “Frank Myers ethical-conduct class for employees and its step-by-step guidelines for ethical
customer service offers car buyers a hassle-free experience.”

The finalists up this year are:
-Trinity Solutions, Inc. – High Point
-Go-Forth Pest Control – Greensboro
-Global Contact Services – Salisbury
-Brod Disability Law – Greensboro
-Pat’s Body Shop – Winston Salem
-Xterior, LLC – High Point
-Xtern Software – Greensboro
-The Vineyard Camp and Retreat Center, Inc.- Westfield

The two winning businesses can now compete in the International Torch Awards for Ethics.

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2019, people turned to BBB more than 132
million times for BBB Business Reviews on more than 4.5 million businesses and Charity Reports on
11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. BBB of Central & Northwest NC serves 19
counties. This office is one of 108 local, independent BBBs across North America

IFB Employee Graduates from Blind Leaders Development Program

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Rebecca Arrowood of Wauwatosa is a part-time clinical interviewer at IFB Solutions. She graduated from the Blind Leaders Development Program at the American Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) virtual commencement ceremony. The Blind Leaders Development Program was created by AFB to increase upward mobility and create meaningful leadership experiences for individuals who are blind or low vision. Rebecca, along with fourteen other professionals, completed the program. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Read her full story here.

 

 

 

Staying Inspired: Finding Work through Blindness

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Staying Inspired: Finding Work through Blindness

By: Faith Harding, Administrative Assistant for IFB Base Supply Centers

Headshot photo of Faith Harding smiling
Photo of Faith Harding

In the Beginning

Originally from Louisiana, I was born 2lbs 3oz at 26 weeks. Since I made it through the night, doctors felt I would have a list of mental and physical disabilities associated with prematurity. Gratefully, retinopathy of prematurity; easy retinal detachments, was the only diagnosis that held true. At four years old, I went totally blind in my left eye and a few years later I went blind in my right. Thankfully, reattachment surgery restored some usable vision months later. Sometimes in life, the challenges that will boost your growth tenfold are ones you cannot run from.

Walking on Shaky Grounds

Reminiscing, teenage years were a walk in the park. Although with some college, looking for work introduced new challenges. Employers were uninformed of accessible technology and hesitant of my abilities to perform the work duties efficiently. The employers who looked past my limited vision faced challenges with software being incompatible with ZoomText, a magnifying program for Windows PC.

At the age of twenty-five, I lost my vision completely once again. This caused another layer of challenges toward being hired. I needed to learn quickly, improve navigating with a cane, confidently advocate for myself, and on top of that, deal with the emotional roller-coaster blindness took me on. Being blind is equivalent to having an inward mirror constantly facing you, the image does not improve until your mindset does.

IFB Solutions Journey

In 2015, I walked on faith and moved to Winston-Salem, N.C., to work at IFB Solutions as a sewing machine operator. For the first year, I decided to find positive attributes toward working at an industry for the blind facility. I was relieved  IFB encourages upward mobility for blind and low vision workers, holds various support groups, volunteering opportunities, community events, and much more. Stepping out of my comfort zone, I began participating and bringing my skills to the table. Six years later I am thankful to be an administrative assistant for our Base Supply Centers, editor of IFB Insider, president of Visionaries in Public Speaking, and love volunteering where I can.

 

Looking for work has many challenges, but do not give up. Here are some tips that assisted me in my journey:

-Look inside yourself, what skills do you naturally possess: writing, technology, communication, etc. What can you do to improve your knowledge in these areas?

-Look for and participate in various opportunities that remove you from your comfort zone. This will improve your confidence, knowledge, and internal growth.

-Pay attention, learn how to confidently advocate for yourself. Sell your abilities, skills, and attributes to launch a successful career.

-Remain open-minded and do not give up on yourself. There will be times you are denied an opportunity. Do not take it personally. Learn from the event, keep improving your skills, continue pushing past your comforts, and the right opportunity for you will come.

Yes, it is challenging to step out there. But at the end of the day, all the work you put into yourself will shine through. You will become an asset and opportunities will open for your success.

Wishing you the best on your journey!

 

 

 

IFB Employee of the year Diana-Marie Soto covers QuePasa Magazine

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IFB Solutions 2021 employee of the year, Diana-Marie Soto is featured on the front cover of QuePasa Magazine.

Leer en español aquí.

English translation of the QuePasa article below.

Winston-Salem .- Diana Soto never thought that machine sewing was possible, much less did she imagine that she could dedicate herself to it professionally. Soto was born visually impaired, and since joining a Winston-Salem organization that serves blind people, her life has taken a 180-degree turn.

IFB Solutions is a city-based non-profit organization that employs and trains more than 1,000 blind people nationwide, including Soto, who was recently named Employee of the Year.

“(This recognition) means a lot, not only for being the employee of the year but because I am a Hispanic employee of the year,” Diana-Marie said in conversation with Qué Pasa.

IFB employs 300 Spanish-speaking people, of which 150 work at the Winston-Salem headquarters.

“I am proud to represent my community and that they see that they can do it too.”

Soto started working at IFB in 2018, where she learned how to sew military shirts at the organization’s factory. She also helps translate company information into Spanish and teaches English to her fellow Hispanics.

Working for the first time
In addition to sewing jobs, IFB trains and employs people for other jobs such as machine operators or customer service.

“We have people who come without experience, but we are willing to train, hire and give an opportunity,” Laura True, director of human resources, told Qué Pasa. “Just because they’ve never operated sewing machines before doesn’t mean they can’t.”

True explained that a third of his employees had never had a job before because, she said, blind people, tend to overcome many barriers, whether it be discrimination, transportation barriers, or, “employers just don’t have the confidence to hire someone who is blind. ”.

“Without organizations like ours, what are these people going to do? Many companies do not know how to receive them in their organizations ”, said True.

Barriers such as discrimination, transportation, or a lack of trust mean that many of IFB’s employees have never had a job before.

This is the case of Soto. The Puerto Rican was born with a retina pigmentosa, an eye disease that prevents her from seeing, especially when she enters places after being in the sun. Before coming to IFB, she had not had a job, and joining the organization has meant “a great change” in her life because, she said, it has given him the opportunity to have a job, a salary, and provide her children with things that before could not. Even, “now I have an iPhone and before I did not have!”

Although today, having a smartphone has become normalized, “for a blind person it means a lot because this type of phone has programs for the blind that make us completely independent,” she explained.

For example, she said, there are apps that help people guide them while they walk, others that tell them the colors of clothing or read letters or text messages.

Resources for adults and children
IFB also has a Community Center for Low Vision, through which it provides technology and other resources “to help those who want to live an independent life, both for adults and children,” explained Nicole Ducouer, director of communications.

“There is a lot of help for families with children who are struggling with their work, who are concerned that their children will one day be independent adults,” Ducouer said.

In addition, the organization offers after-school programs and summer camps for visually impaired children in Winston-Salem and other areas of North Carolina.

To learn more about the organization’s programs visit: https://ifbsolutions.org
To learn about the employment program, call Laura True at 336.245.5653.