The IFB Beat 7-13 Edition

A Message from the Editor

Summer is in full swing, and so is the excitement at IFB Solutions! This week, we’re celebrating the people, programs and milestones that make our organization so special.

As our 90th anniversary celebration continues, take a moment to discover another piece of our history with this week’s “Did You Know?” feature and make plans to join us for our 90th anniversary cookie bar on July 16.

Be inspired by our newest Employee Spotlight featuring Jeff Ellis, learn how our Asheville team is building understanding through a sensitivity to blindness training and don’t miss HR’s helpful reminders on how your flexible spending account can help you stay safe in the summer sun.

Thank you for being part of IFB Solutions, and enjoy this week’s edition of the IFB Beat!

Quote of the week:

“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” — Unknown

Thank you for strolling the Beat. See you next week!

Anastasia Powell

IFB Solutions Communications Manager
apowell@ifbsolutions.org | 336-245-5698

 

Quick Links:

New this Week

– Cheers to 90 Years!
– Asheville and Winston-Salem: A Sweet Celebration for 90 Years!
– Asheville Sensitivity to Blindness Training: Walking in a Coworker’s Footsteps
– Employee Spotlight Featuring Jeff Ellis, Asheville Facility
– Winston-Salem Facility Support Groups

From Our Community

– ADA36 Celebration

HR & Opportunities

– Hot Summer Days, Hot Sun Rays, Sunburns and Your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)!
– Job Opportunities

IFB Beat Phone Lines
Support Group Zoom Meeting Links
Archived Editions of The IFB Beat

 

Cheers to 90 Years!

This year, IFB Solutions proudly celebrates 90 years of creating jobs and changing lives for people who are blind. That’s nine decades of perseverance, growth and most importantly, YOU.

This special section of the IFB Beat will take you on a journey through our history. Over the next several months, you’ll discover fun facts, inspiring milestones, employee spotlights and throwback moments. So don’t miss a week!

Did you know?

 

Asheville and Winston-Salem: A Sweet Celebration for 90 Years!

Ninety years deserves something sweet!

Join us on Thursday, July 16, during second break for a special 90th anniversary cookie bar at both our Asheville and Winston-Salem locations.

Stop by the café to enjoy a delicious cookie, celebrate this incredible milestone with your coworkers, and strike a pose at our photo station to help capture memories from this historic year. It’s our way of saying thank you for being part of 90 years of making a difference together.

 

Asheville Sensitivity to Blindness Training: Walking in a Coworker’s Footsteps

Our newest employees at the Asheville facility recently had the opportunity to experience our sensitivity to blindness training, giving them a chance to better understand what many of their blind coworkers navigate every day.

During the session, participants wore blindfolds, learned basic white cane techniques and practiced traveling independently through our facility—including finding their way to the employee break room using the skills they had just learned. The experience offered a new perspective on the confidence, adaptability and independence that our blind employees demonstrate every day.

Because all of the participants were Spanish-speaking, Asheville Plant Manager Alina Rovello generously translated throughout the training, ensuring everyone could fully participate and engage in the experience.

 

Employee Spotlight Featuring Jeff Ellis, Asheville Facility

Welcome to Employee Spotlight. Each week, we celebrate the incredible individuals who make IFB thrive. This week, we are excited to feature Jeff Ellis.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born and raised in Maud, Ohio.

Q: How long have you been at IFB, and what brought you to the organization?
A: I’ve been with IFB Solutions for 10 years. I first learned about IFB while visiting Camp Dogwood.

Q: Do you have any fun facts or hidden talents?
A: I enjoy sculpting busts (head-and-shoulders sculptures) of people.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
A: I like spending time with friends and having a good time.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite meal?
A: Beef Wellington

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at IFB?
A: The social aspect and the people I get to interact with every day.

Q: What’s a quote or piece of advice you live by?
A: “You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”

Special thanks to Administrative Assistant, Denise Drake, for supporting these highlights. Who knows? You might be next in the spotlight! Stay tuned, and thanks for reading.

 

Winston-Salem Facility Support Groups

If you’re interested in attending a support group, please review the update here: https://ifbsolutions.org/the-ifb-beat-12-16-edition/#two-d

 

 

From Our Community

ADA36 Celebration

Submitted by: Winston-Salem Mayor’s Council for Persons with Disabilities

The Winston-Salem Mayor’s Council for Persons with Disabilities is pleased to host the ADA36 Celebration, commemorating the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), on Friday, July 17, 2026, from 1–4 p.m. at the Reynolda Manor Branch Library, 2839 Fairlawn Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.

We invite you, your family, friends, colleagues and community members to join us in this special celebration.

The ADA36 Celebration honors a landmark civil rights law that has transformed opportunities and expanded access for millions of Americans with disabilities. As the world’s first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities, the ADA continues to shape a more inclusive and accessible society.

As we celebrate the progress achieved since the ADA’s passage, we will also engage in meaningful conversations about the barriers that individuals with disabilities continue to face and explore solutions that can strengthen accessibility and inclusion throughout our community.

A limited number of vendor spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The vendor registration fee is $25. *Vendors are asked to provide their own six-foot table.*

Admission to the ADA36 Celebration is no cost for attendees. Light refreshments will be provided.

Event activities include:

• Panel discussions
• Community vendors and exhibitors
• ADA resources and information
• Screening of the documentary Back on Track, click here for a preview of the film.

Please register using the link below:

RSVP for ADA36: https://pci.jotform.com/form/252324946309056

We greatly appreciate your support and participation in the ADA36 Celebration. Together, we can continue advancing accessibility, inclusion and equal opportunity for all.

 

 

HR & Opportunities

Hot Summer Days, Hot Sun Rays, Sunburns and Your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)!

What? Your FSA? Absolutely!

With summer temperatures heating up, don’t forget that your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) can help you stay protected while enjoying the sunshine.

Sunscreen
Broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher is FSA eligible, including children’s sunscreen and suntan lotion.

Sunburn Relief
Too much fun in the sun? Your FSA can help cover eligible products like aloe, hydrocortisone cream and other medicated burn relief items.

SPF Lip Balm
Don’t forget your lips! Lip balm with SPF 15 or higher is also an FSA-eligible expense.

Prescription Sunglasses
Protect your eyes in style. Your FSA can be used for prescription sunglasses that provide both vision correction and UV protection. (Non-prescription sunglasses are not eligible.)

Remember Before You Head Out!

✔️ Sunscreen (SPF 15+)
✔️ Sunburn relief products
✔️ SPF lip balm (SPF 15+)
✔️ Prescription sunglasses

These summer essentials may be eligible for reimbursement through your FSA!

So stay safe, stay cool and make the most of your FSA while enjoying everything summer has to offer! ☀️

*Information provided by CBIZ.

 

Job Opportunities

Presser/Tester, Asheville

Education and Work Experience

• On the job training will be provided.
• Prior experience in a manufacturing environment is preferred.

External candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909/jobs/232411

Internal candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909/jobs/232412?jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

USAF Assistant Store Manager, Tyndall AFB

Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred.
• Minimum of two years of experience in a leadership role in one or more of the following areas; customer service, retail, supply chain, warehouse operations, government supply, military logistics, purchasing, or distribution experience.
• D365 or other ERP system experience is preferred
• Must pass a government background check and drug screening.

Internal candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909/jobs/232459?jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

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

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

 

IFB Beat Phone Lines

English line: 336-245-5691

Spanish line: 336-245-5663

 

Zoom Meeting Links

Support Group Zoom

https://ifbsolutions.zoom.us/j/86167111929?pwd=G9vSBWcnTFrMHixqb19TpU7q8sQW1N.1

Meeting ID: 861 6711 1929
Passcode: 992614

One tap mobile:
+13126266799,86167111929# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,86167111929# US (New York)
888 475 4499 US Toll-free
877 853 5257 US Toll-free