Insight Newsletter
By the Association Vision Rehabilitation and Employment
Meet Sarah Buckner: AVRE’s 2018 Employee of the Year
Sarah is AVRE’s ray of sunshine. Whether it is a “Hi” in the hallway or a smile at her work station, she is always beaming positivity at work.
Born with retinitis pigmentosa at a young age, Sarah first began receiving vision rehabilitation services from AVRE in 2015. While receiving services she initially expressed interest in a volunteer position. Thus she assisted AVRE’s Development department by sealing envelopes for mailings. Shortly after, she met with our Production Manager to learn more about the employment opportunities available.
“Sarah had never worked before and her parents stated that they had not considered work as an option for her,” said Vision Rehabilitation Specialist Annie van der Wal. “They came in for a tour of our manufacturing facility and were very impressed. Sarah filled out an application and started her journey at AVRE.”
Sarah became a full-time team member in 2016. She has experience working on a variety of projects, including packaging batteries and folding hand towels for Bates Troy. She currently works in our light assembly department repackaging Goody hair care products for military commissaries and assembling travel kits for New York State.
Regardless of what area she is working in, Sarah gives her best effort and never misses a beat.
AVRE’s Production Manager Luigi DiRusso commented, “From the first day Sarah joined the AVRE team, she has made a positive impact. She comes to work every day with a great attitude and gives 100% in all that she does.”
When she is not at work she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and cooking with her mom. She also enjoys riding her bike, hiking, and vacationing in new places. Sarah is an asset to our team. We are proud of all that she has accomplished and thankful for all of the great work she has done for AVRE. Congratulations Sarah!
Our Mission: “To create opportunities for success and independence with people who are blind or visually impaired.”
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October 2018 Sales - an Agency Record!
AVRE’s primary customer base comprises of various federal agencies across the country. As such, we are extremely busy for the four or five months leading up to the end of the federal government’s fiscal year on September 30th.
We are excited to share that it was a record season for sales, across the board! Activity typically slows in October, but this year we actually set an all-time, monthly sales record in October! Not only were sales up, but we also improved significantly in our on-time delivery rates. It took planning and preparation, but in today’s business environment we have to be ready to meet our customer’s ever-increasing demand to get our deliveries to their destinations quickly! It required increased efficiency, working Saturdays, commitment, and teamwork.
Thank you to each and every employee who worked to make this happen!
“I would like to thank AVRE for the most helpful tools and great suggestions Annie gave me during her visit to my home. Annie is a wonderful representative of your organization and I am making good use of all the equipment for the visually impaired, like myself. Thank you again for giving me more confidence on how I am able to handle my everyday tasks as a person with very poor vision.” - Rose-Ann J.
Sharing Our Message
As you know, AVRE provides comprehensive vision rehabilitation services to individuals across nine New York counties and employs people who are visually impaired through our manufacturing and switchboard operations. Unfortunately, AVRE is still not known by many who live in our service area.
Our current advertising campaign has helped us inform people about the services we provide, the products we sell, and the mission that we strive to fulfill.
We need your help! If you know someone who is experiencing changes in their vision, tell them about AVRE. They can begin by going to our website at www.avreus.org or calling us at 607-724-2428.
We are always here to answer any questions you may have!
Welcome Board Members!
Lou McKeage
Lou is the Director of Trade Adjustment for the Research Foundation State University of New York and has an extensive background in manufacturing operations. He is a 20+ year member of the Binghamton Lions Club and is an active member of the Elk Lake Protective Association and the United Presbyterian Church in Binghamton, New York.
Alecia Lashier
Alecia has over 18 years’ experience in software/systems engineering. She is the current Vice President of Solutions Engineering for Innovations Associates, a global solutions provided for the pharmacy fulfillment industry. In this role, Alecia leads engineering, IT, and product development support services for the PharmASSIST line of products.
InSight is published quarterly by the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, Inc. 174 Court St., Binghamton, NY 13901
Phone 607-724-2428, Email: avreinfo@avreus.org, Website www.avreus.org, Editor: Cassie Burgess
InSight is available in the following formats: Large Print (14 pt), Braille, emailed text, Word document on disk or CD, and regular audio cassette. If you would like to receive InSight in a different format, please call us.
AVRE serves visually impaired individuals of all ages who live in the New York counties of Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins and Schuyler. AVRE is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.