Vibrant Works

Yesterday, our President and CEO Cindy Watson, Board of Directors and team members celebrated our 2024-2025 Emma Freeman Scholarship winners with a special reception! 🎉  The Emma Freeman College Scholarship Fund was established in 1970 to afford students with vision loss the opportunity to obtain a college education. This year, we proudly awarded scholarships to ten deserving individuals.  Congratulations to our winners: Bradley Cottengim, Lily Deagan, Shawn Digby, Chase Gilson, Kiyoe Cook-Kroeger, James Nguyen, Jesus Regalado, Atrety Dunson, Avery Neal, and Ghani Oussaci! 👏 “To date, we have awarded 405 scholarships totaling around $723,000, so we’re super excited to recognize our scholarship recipients,” our President and CEO Cindy Watson said. “Upward mobility, employment opportunities, and having access to education and career advancement is extremely personal to me as a person who is blind. Having an undergraduate degree and an MBA has opened many doors for me professionally, so I strongly believe that education is the gateway to a fulfilled career.” Special guest Roselena Balderas from UTSA’s Student Disability Services shared some words of encouragement: “Remember you are not alone on this journey. You have a community of supporters who believe in you. Your success inspires others, so strive for excellence and make a difference.” Stay tuned as we highlight each of these incredible recipients in the coming weeks! 🌟 #VibrantWorks #EmmaFreemanScholarship #Inclusion #Education #ScholarshipRecipients

Happy 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)! 👏 On July 26, we celebrate this important civil rights law that works to ensure all people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g5xA9tu9 #ThanksToTheADA #ADA34

Our Workforce Development team recently toured the Randolph Base Supply Center and learned about the valuable services our stores offer to the military and community. As part of our mission to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired, our team enjoyed learning more about the diverse roles available within Vibrant Works across our BSCs. The visit also provided a great opportunity for our Employees of the Year, Christian Sanchez and Jose Marin, to be recognized for their hard work! 👏 #VibrantWorks #WorkforceDevelopment #CareerOpportunities 

Swing into action for our “Fore the Blind" Charity Scramble on Sept. 9 at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort!🏌️♂️ With less than two months left, it's time to secure your spot and tee off for a great cause! Join us for a day of excitement as golfers who are blind and sighted team up to play and participate in mission activities led by members of the American Blind Golf Association. Plus, don't miss the helicopter golf ball drop! 🚁 Numbered golf balls will be dropped from the sky, with big prizes for the two closest to the pin: a $1,000 Visa gift card for 1st place and a $500 Visa gift card for 2nd place. (No need to be present to win!) Purchase your golf ball entries here: https://lnkd.in/gpkHEnEq. Sponsorship opportunities are still available here: https://lnkd.in/gY3QirQY. All proceeds support our mission to empower people with vision loss.  #ForeTheBlind #Golf #VibrantWorks

Want to know why our team loves working at Vibrant Works? Check out our latest video! 🎥 We’re currently hiring passionate individuals who want to make a difference and help us empower people with vision loss. As one of the nation’s largest employers of individuals with vision loss, we have multiple positions available. Learn more and apply today at vibrantworks.org/join #VibrantWorks #NowHiring #JoinOurTeam

We’re starting off the week by congratulating these incredible employees who were nominated by their peers for embodying our core values! Each received a bracelet with their value embossed in braille.✨ Our core values are: Be a Team, Be People-Centered, Be Limitless, Be Trustworthy, and Be Resilient.  Serena Blanche - Be a Team - “Serena always works hard and exemplifies teamwork.” Gisel Medrano and Keila Torres - Be People-Centered - “Gisel and Keila have been outstanding in supporting our employees who rely on VIATrans in the mornings. Their assistance and dedication have notably bolstered our team’s morale and ensured a smooth and effective transition, improving the overall experience for our employees.” Irma Ibarra - Be Resilient - “Irma worked tirelessly, always with a smile, to ensure our facilities were maintained at the highest level.” Alejandro Corona - Be Limitless - “When the Komo router went down and no technician was available for over 10 days, Analisa and Alejandro read the manual, performed troubleshooting, identified the issue, replaced the parts and fixed it. This avoided potentially two weeks of downtime and saved over $6,000 in service costs. Great work, team!” Lucy Ramos - Be a Team - “Lucy has been instrumental in helping IHPS, from trimming here and there to training individuals on new jigs. Thank you, Lucy!” Jennifer Juarez - Be People-Centered - “When an employee needed assistance with a question, Jennifer was very helpful and promptly responded to with some resources to assist the employee.” Rudy Vallejo - Be Limitless - “Rudy is a hard working and dedicated team member. Due to staffing shortages, he was the sole technician for four buildings over the last quarter. During that time, he managed and closed 624 maintenance request tickets. He is a superstar!” Julian Crofford - Be a Team - “Julian joined the facilities team and made a positive impact by working hard and learning his job quickly and efficiently. He is a vital member of the team!” Thank you all for your hard work and dedication! 👏👏 #VibrantWorks #CoreValues #Teamwork

Today, we kicked off a sweet new tradition: celebrating our employees' birthdays with cupcakes and fruit during lunchtime!🧁 Our leadership team and staff had a great time handing out the cupcakes and celebrating with everyone. It’s our way of saying thank you for all your hard work! Happy Birthday to our amazing Vibrant Works employees celebrating this month! We can’t wait to celebrate with you every month! 🎉 #VibrantWorks #EmployeeAppreciation #BirthdayCelebrations

Thank you, Capital Leather, for sponsoring our Celebration Lunch at the Fore the Blind Charity Scramble! ⛳ Your support furthers our mission of empowering individuals with vision loss. There's still time! Join us at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort on Monday, Sept. 9, to be part of this impactful event! Become a sponsor today: https://lnkd.in/gY3QirQY

Workforce Development Manager Amanda Gomez recently spoke at the Alexander Briseño Leadership Development Program (ABLDP) Transportation Class.👏 She shared her personal story of vision loss and discussed her experiences with public transportation, including her challenges and best practices. Amanda also provided an overview of Vibrant Works' services and concluded with a blindness sensitivity training. Thank you for inviting us, ABLDP (San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce)! #VibrantWorks

Join us in congratulating these amazing employees for living out our core values! 🎉 Each received a bracelet with the value they represent embossed in braille. 👏 Rene Perez - Be People-Centered - "Rene Perez has been exceptional in his support for our employees who use VIAtrans in the mornings. His dedication ensures a smooth and efficient transition, underscoring his commitment to enhancing the overall experience for our employees." Jose “Oscar” Rios - Be Resilient - "Oscar came through for us by finishing painting the second plane just in time for shipping. Without him, we would have missed our deadline. Thank you for your hard work, Oscar." Orlando Casas - Be a Team - "Orlando has gone out of his way to do his best and help in any area asked of him. He is friendly, kind, and completes his work quickly and with competency." Stephen Walters - Be People Centered - "Steve is always kind, respectful and honest to everyone. Steve makes sure to help anyone who needs help." Oscar Guerra - Be a Team - "Oscar has been helping out by staying in the afternoon and jumping from machine to machine without being told. Oscar never gives any negative feedback." Thank you all for your dedication and hard work!🙌 #VibrantWorks #CoreValues