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A newsletter of the Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, Inc.
May 2001
Employees of the Year Announced Carolyn Whitley and Bal Garcia
Recipients of the 2001 Russell G. Broaddus Employee of the Year Award
The Russell G. Broaddus Employee of the Year Award is named for the Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, Inc.’s first executive director and first president, Colonel Russell Broaddus, who retired in 1974. Russell Broaddus, a longtime member of the Raleigh (Host) Lions Club for over 59 years, died in 1999. On an annual basis, the Raleigh Lions Clinic names a blind and a sighted employee deserving of this award in honor of Russell G. Broaddus. Our newsletter highlights this year’s nominees. The blind employee who is a recipient of the Russell G. Broaddus Employee of the Year Award is also our nominee for the national Peter J. Salmon Award. As you may know, the Peter J. Salmon Award was established in 1968 by the Board of Directors of National Industries for the Blind (NIB) in cooperation with the General Council of Industries for the Blind (GCIB). This award was named after the late Dr. Peter J. Salmon, an advocate for the blind, who was instrumental in the passage of the Wagner-O’Day Act in 1938, and who served on NIB’s Board of Directors.
RECIPIENTS OF THE RUSSELL G. BROADDUS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD CAROLYN WHITLEY Carolyn Whitley, our 2001 blind employee of the year, recalls being quite surprised to be the recipient of this award! To all of us who know Carolyn well, we easily recognize her positive attitude towards work, people and life. For employment, Carolyn remarks that the Raleigh Lions Clinic has been her favorite place. This dedicated assembler adds, "I like working around other visually impaired people and just love being here!" Over a decade after graduation from East Wake High School, Carolyn was then working at the NCSU College for Veterinary Medicine cafeteria when she learned that her vision was rapidly deteriorating from Retinitis Pigmentosa. Carolyn soon entered the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind where she learned mobility and independent living skills and later progressed to our Evaluation and Work Adjustment programs. Since her employment began in 1995, Carolyn has achieved her number one goal of becoming a homeowner. For the past three years, Carolyn has enjoyed her condo, spending much of her time listening to music (particularly Gospel, R&B and Soul) and eating out. "I love fast food", Carolyn admits! Carolyn also looks forward to talking with her mother, who is also a Wendell native, several times weekly. Our congratulations to Carolyn Whitley on all her achievements!
BAL GARCIA When asked about being the recipient of the 2001 Russell G. Broaddus "Sighted" Employee of the Year Award, Baleriana "Bal" Garcia smiled brightly. It was exciting for her to be recognized! As an inspector, Bal truly enjoys the work she is doing at the Raleigh Lions Clinic and appreciates the many benefits offered. This quality conscious employee admits that she "checks every item as if it were her own". As a Texas native, Bal recalled her first experience working at age 7 pulling cotton with her father near Corpus Christi and has been working ever since. This petite lady is a mother of six (ages 25 to 43) and grandmother to ten, with one on the way! In addition to working outside the home, Bal found time to sew many of her children's clothes, prom dresses and cheerleading outfits. Bal made North Carolina home about 16 years ago, but enjoys visiting family in her home state every chance she gets. It comes as no surprise that Bal loves to walk. Bal is one of the dedicated walkers during her breaks and at home. She estimates walking about one hour a day, weather permitting. Bal also loves cooking from scratch, both Mexican and American dishes and listening to Latino and Country music. Our best to Bal Garcia for being this year's recipient.
A SPECIAL FOOTNOTE The Raleigh Lions Clinic celebrates its 35th anniversary this year! The Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, Inc. was chartered on November 15, 1966 by the Raleigh (Host) Lions Club in cooperation with the North Carolina State Commission for the Blind (now known as NC Division of Services for the Blind). Since the Raleigh Lions Clinic began operation on January 30, 1967, our facility has served over 7,500 blind and visually impaired persons. Our mission is, "to provide assessment, training, and job placement services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, empowering them to access the vocational setting of their choice and to achieve economic and personal independence through employment".
ANCHORS AWAY During the period September 18 through October 21, we procured four Navy ServMart stores from the New Orleans Lighthouse. We began operation of the New Orleans East Bank store on the 18th. The East Bank installation is located on the Mississippi River 3.9 miles from downtown New Orleans and serves as the Command Headquarters for all U.S. Navy Reserve Operations. On September 29th , we acquired the West Bank ServMart. The Navy mission for the West Bank is to support East Bank operations and is known as the Naval Support Activity. This base is directly across the river from the East Bank facility and there is a Navy launch that runs every fifteen minutes between the East Bank and West Bank. Interestingly, this boat ride is part of our blind employee's daily transportation to and from the West Bank. On September 28th we took control of the Stennis ServMart operations located at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. This installation is located just across the Mississippi/Louisiana state line. Not only is part of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) located at this facility, but also a number of highly classified Naval activities are conducted at this base. Our last acquisition took place on October 21st in Gulfport, MS at the Navy's largest SeaBee training base. The Gulfport Naval Construction Battalion on Mississippi's Gulf of Mexico is one of only two Seabee bases in the U.S., the other is in California. All of these stores supply products similar to our other Base Supply Center (BSC) operations in Seymour Johnson AFB, NC and Ft. Campbell, KY Army Base. Some of the stock includes, JWOD products, military items, office supplies, computer accessories, cleaning materials, and hardware items. The Gulfport ServMart operates an annex store dedicated to the base Public Works department-their mission is to keep up all base buildings. The Public Works store provides lumber, paint, plumbing, electrical, hardware, heating and cooling supplies, and other building maintenance needs. The stores are named by location; RLCB ServMart Stennis, RLCB ServMart East Bank, and so on. We have seven employees working with our ServMart endeavor, an Operations Manager that oversees store operations, four Managers and two blind Associates. We are thrilled at the prospect of adding additional blind workers in our ServMarts. We are pleased to announce that the Eielson Air Force Base Individual Equipment Element is a winner! It has been so well received by base contracting and personnel that we have been allocated additional space to operate a BSC. RLCB Iceman Outfitters BSC opened its doors for business on February 26th. We are confident this venture will pave the way for us to develop another BSC at Ft. Wainwright Army Base near Fairbanks, AK. As our operations grow, it presents the prospect of satisfying one aspect of our vision, to provide work for blind individuals. The Raleigh Lions Clinic now employs blind individuals in six states, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi, with three of our newest employees coming on board within the last couple of months at Seymour Johnson, Gulfport, and Eielson.
DISTINGUISHED VISITOR On March, 19, 2001 the Raleigh Lions Clinic was pleased by the visit of Rear Admiral Raymond A. Archer, III, Supply Corps, United States Navy, who, accompanied by his aide, viewed our operation after a briefing about the items we manufacture and the Clinic's programs. Many members of the Raleigh (Host) Lions Club Board of Directors were also in attendance. Rear Admiral Archer is currently serving as the Vice Director of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at its headquarters in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Rear Admiral Archer is a procurer of DLA items and is instrumental in the purchasing of products through the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) program. As a result of the opportunity to tour our facility, Rear Admiral Archer was impressed with our capabilities and was very much interested in our programs.
Rear Admiral Raymond A. Archer, III tours the Raleigh Lions Clinic for the Blind, Inc.
MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT REMINDER As you know, the Board of Directors approved the medical reimbursement program again for this fiscal year (July 1, 2000 - June 30, 2001). The amount allocated is $200.00 for each eligible employee. For accounting purposes, please submit outstanding medical reimbursement claims by June 30th if possible. However, the plan allows a grace period of ninety days after the end of the fiscal year for claims from the prior plan year to be submitted for processing.
VACATION AND SICK LEAVE REMINDER Our fiscal year is quickly coming to an end. Please be reminded that vacation leave must be used by the end of our fiscal year, June 30th, for production and base supply (non-staff) employees. A maximum of 40 hours sick leave is permitted to be carried over to the next fiscal year. Please refer to your handbooks for specifics on these policies.
THE HEALTH CORNER As you probably are already aware by your watery, irritated eyes, sneezing, running nose, and dry, scratchy throat, it is allergy season again. It is difficult to avoid the pollen and other dusts that cause these symptoms because it is everywhere in the air; however, here are a few tips to assist you:
Note: Before starting any medication you should consult your physician or pharmacist. There are several anti-histamines from which you and your doctor can choose. Sometimes it will take trial and error to find the one that works for you. If you are taking other medications it is especially important to discuss the medication with your doctor before starting to be sure it will not cause you harm. The RLC Nursing Department has been holding classes for the past few months. Our first class was on "Blood Pressure". The primary points covered were the importance of:
Our next class was on "Nutrition". We discussed the primary food groups and information was given on healthy eating habits in order to have a well balanced diet as well as a discussion on special diets for those individuals with diabetes and heart related conditions. We also had a class on "Diabetes". Some common signs and symptoms of diabetes are:
The next series of classes that will be offered will be related to "Low Vision". Information will be provided on the newest types of services that are available. Also to be presented are the various types of low vision aids that the RLC has to offer. The classes have been a great success and the feedback from those attending has proven to be very beneficial. Health-related issues are being addressed secondary to the educational classes. We look forward to our next series of classes. If you have any health-related issues, please feel free to put your name on the Nurse's list.
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