1 Store Solutions 15th Anniversary Event for Travis Air Force Base AbilityOne Store

1 Store Solutions blind employees proud to serve their community and America’s military.

Fairfield, CA – For the past 12 years, the employees at 1 Store Solutions Base Supply Center (BSC) at Travis Air Force Base have been providing on-base mission critical support and outfitting the servicemen and women stationed there. Today, these employees, and South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, reached out to thank the community at Travis for their support and to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the AbilityOne Base Supply Center Program.

U.S. Representatives George Miller (D-CA-07) and John Garamendi (D-CA-10) praised the work of the AbilityOne Program and the 1 Store Solutions BSC.

“The services provided by the employees at the 1 Store Solutions Base Supply Center at Travis Air Force Base play an important role at Travis and for our service men and women,” said Rep. Miller in a statement released to National Industries for the Blind. “Their work is win-win – individuals who are blind are given employment opportunities and 140 government installations receive quality, full service and flexible operations. I look forward to their continued success.”

“On this 15th Anniversary of the AbilityOne Base Supply Center program, we are pleased to congratulate 1 Store Solutions at Travis Air Force Base for their hard work, both on the base, as well as in our communities – and we wish you many years of continued success,” wrote Reps. Miller and Garamendi in a letter presented during a program at the event.

There are 140 AbilityOne BSC facilities located at federal and military installations throughout the United States that provide employment to 300 Americans who are blind or severely disabled. More than 40,000 blind or disabled people are employed through the sale of products and services through the AbilityOne Program.

“1 Store Solutions supports the mission and the service men and women of Travis. It also supports the livelihood of the men and women who, through civilian service support our military,” said Steve Heinecke, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Vice President of Marketing. “1 Store Solutions and NIB personnel are proud to be included in supporting America’s Armed Forces.”

Also attending today’s event were Col. Robert Eatman, Commander, 60th Mission Support Group, Travis AFB, and Regis Barber, President, South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind.

“We opened our first AbilityOne Base Supply Center in 1997, and have expanded to six different locations since that time,” said Barber. “Working with Travis has been an incredible partnership, and we are extremely proud and honored to be able to serve our servicemen and women in this way.”

About National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org) mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program, established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act.

Rep. George Miller Supports 1Store Solutions, AbilityOne Base Supply Center at Travis Air Force Base

In celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the AbilityOne Base Supply Center Program, 1Store Solutions is presented with a congratulatory plaque for quaility, mission support on Travis Air Force Base. (pictured left to right) Congressman George Miller (D-CA-07) representative Janel Lea; Regis Barber, President and CEO, South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind (STLB); Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-10) representative Elise Amaya; Dave Marshall, Vice President of Retail and Government Services, STLB; Brad Husted, Manager of Retail Operations, STLB; Samantha Mueller, Manager, 1Store Solutions, STLB; Steve Heinecke, Vice President of Products and Online Marketing, National Industries for the Blind; and Mission Support Group Commander, Colonel Robert Eatman.

Rep. Dan Lungren Tours AbilityOne Program Facilities at Travis Air Force Base

Ever since U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-3rd-CA) learned about the AbilityOne Program facilities at Travis Air Force Base, the congressman has taken a keen interest in how people who are blind are supporting the airmen and women at the base. On Thursday, August 12, Congressman Lungren toured the facilities – a new Call Center and a Base Supply Center (BSC), both of which are staffed by people who are blind.

“The new Call Center at Travis Air Force Base was extremely impressive,” Lungren said. “The ease of the adaptive technology was surprising, though it certainly requires tremendous skill on behalf of the people using it. This would be a great pilot program to show many other business and organizations across the country that people who are blind can do the job.”

Earlier this year, Travis was chosen by the Air Force to be the site of a consolidated Call Center that will serve 12 air bases by the end of the year. To plan for the mission, Travis worked closely with the NIB and NewView Oklahoma to consider staffing the center with employees who are blind.

Since early spring, NIB and other agencies have been recruiting employees who are blind for the Call Center. These employees are able to take the calls and route them to the proper destination using JAWS (Job Access With Speech) software.

Since 1998, South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind has supported Travis AFB with the AbilityOne: 1 Store Solutions BSC. Approximately 40 percent of the items stocked at the BSC are SKILCRAFT® or other products produced through the AbilityOne Program. This partnership is very valuable to base command and has been widely praised.

To learn more, read the news article and the attached press release. For more questions, contact Kelly Jamieson at 703-310-0324 or kjamieson@nib.org.
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