Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Jim Remington | Fred J. Puente, president of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM),...... read more read more
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WASHINGTON - The Ability One Base Supply Center on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) celebrated its 20th anniversary Oct. 27 with a short ceremony and lunch to thank its customers for their support.
Operated by Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM), the store provides the base with supplies and converts profits back into training, rehabilitation and employment opportunities for the blind.
During his short introduction at the ceremony attended by more than 20 customers located on JBAB, Ken Barnett, director of BISM’s Base Supply Centers, said that he sincerely appreciated their customers’ support that allows them to create and sustain employment opportunities for the blind.
Today BISM operates eight facilities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and Fort Knox, Kentucky. It manufactures and sells a variety of office and military uniform supplies to government customers, but its their unique mission of working with the blind that distinguishes BISM from other manufacturers and suppliers.
President of BISM, Fred J. Puente, said that during the company’s 20-year relationship with JBAB and formerly Bolling Air Force Base, BISM has experienced impressive growth allowing it to expand its philanthropic work with the blind. Recognizing Barnett’s leadership role in that growth, Puente said that one of the best decisions he ever made was to hire Barnett following his retirement from the U.S. Air Force.
“When Ken came to work at Blind Industries we employed about 130 people in three or four operations. Our sales were about $13 or 14 million. And today, with Ken’s leadership and a lot of other people’s leadership, Blind Industries employs about 600 associates in 11 operations, and our sales will be about $100 million this year,” said Puente.
Puente went on to thank his associates at the JBAB Ability One Base Supply Center for their contributions of providing excellent service to JBAB customers. But he reserved his greatest appreciation for the store’s customers.
“The most important objective I have is to thank you, the customer, for what you’ve done to support this store and the people who work here. Every time you make a purchase and you buy an item that says ‘Skillcraft’ you’re supporting the employment or training of a blind person somewhere in the United States. The impact of what you do goes far beyond here,” Puente said. “And without you, none of us could do anything of what we want to do. So I have to make it clear, you are singularly the most important thing we have here at this store, and beyond that for your service to this country. You allow us to be free. You allow us to do things that others can’t do. For that we’re in your debt.”
Jessica Brasseal, a young woman from Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada, now living in Temple Hills, Maryland, also participated in the ceremony by singing the National Anthem at the start, and finishing it up with remarks about her own experience with BISM as a participant in three of its training programs and now as an employee.
Her involvement with BISM began in 2013 after she contacted Maryland’s Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) for employment assistance. With some independent living skills learned from her parents growing up but no employment experience and only one college course on her resume, Brasseal was having no success with her job hunting. DORS recommended BISM for its programs and made an introduction. Brasseal subsequently toured BISM’s headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, that administers the BISM’s corporate business functions, manufactures U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force uniforms, paper products, cleaning supplies, bottles water and also conducts training and rehabilitation programs, all under a single roof.
The match was a good one and Brasseal began the Adult Comprehensive Orientation, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment (CORE) Training Program, a program in which blind students gain confidence and learn important life skills. Most of the program’s dedicated instructors are blind and also serve as mentors and counselors to students. Instruction is based on a positive, confidence-building curriculum that enables students to acquire diverse skills that apply to independent living as well as professional employment.
Residents reside in the program’s housing in downtown Baltimore, a location BISM calls its “Life Skills Residential Center.” All of BISM’s programs are accredited by the State Department of Education’s, Division of Rehabilitation Services.
During the summer break in her Adult CORE Training Program, Brasseal served as a counselor and instructor for BISM’s seven-week Work to Independence program that provides high school-aged students with the skills and confidence necessary to smoothly transition from high school to college, vocational training, and employment.
As a graduate of Adult CORE, Brasseal was the second student in BISM’s new College Preparation Program which has now graduated 14 students. Brasseal said that enrolling with BISM was one of the most important decisions she ever made.
“There were some hard times along the way, as we all have in life occasionally. But ultimately I learned a lot of things at that program,” said Brasseal. “And the most important thing that I learned was not necessarily the skills that I learned, but the fact that I already had it in me to be independent. I think it’s important that every person, in this case every blind person, should learn that they have what it takes to be independent. So that was a nine-month training program for me.
“But what happens after that? That’s a question to which some people know the answer right away and others have to figure it out. For me I have to admit that it did take a little while to figure out. But eventually I ended up here where I could use the skills that I learned in the CORE program, and bring that to this job. The Ability One program is really a win-win for everybody. It provides people like me to learn and to use those skills they learned. It gives others the opportunity to teach people like myself these skills. It gives the customers an opportunity to buy the supplies they need. And most importantly it gives us all the opportunity to come together and have a positive attitude about blindness, about the things we can do, and just about the people in general.”
JBAB Vice Commander, Air Force Col. Kendall Peters, upon receiving a BISM challenge coin from Puente, thanked BISM employees for what he called “an awesome program.”
“We were talking just a few minutes ago about how we can improve the number of customers coming in here and we’re going to do that,” said Peters. “Thank you for coming out and taking care of your people, because that’s what you’re doing coming out here today, celebrating this milestone of your company and the success of the 20 years of the relationship that we’ve had. I just want to say thanks and accept this on behalf of the base and JBAB’s commander, [Navy] Capt. Frank Mays.”
At the end Barnett presented store employees with a plaque to hang in their store, celebrating this 20-year milestone, concluding concisely saying, “Jessica told you some of her story. But there are lots of stories, and collectively they all work together to provide our customers what they need, when they need it.”
The plaque reads, “In recognition of 20 years of the Base Supply Center we wish to express our sincere appreciation for your dedicated service and outstanding efforts to create and sustain employment opportunities for blind Americans. The commitment that you’ve shown to your customers, allowing them to meet and exceed their mission requirements and educating leaders at all levels and creating community awareness about the Ability One BSC mission is changing people’s attitudes about blindness. We are grateful for all of your achievements. You have made a difference in the lives of others.”
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2015 11:37 |
| Story ID: | 182445 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Hometown: | COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CA |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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