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Established in 1974, NISH is one of two national, nonprofit agencies designated by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled [a federal government agency] to support nonprofit agencies (NPAs) participating in the AbilityOne Program which provides employment opportunities for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities by procuring federal contracts for goods and services.
Headquartered in Vienna, Va., NISH supports a network of more than 1,300 NPAs as well as federal customers by providing the legislative and regulatory assistance, communications and public relations materials, information technology support, engineering and technical assistance, and extensive professional training needed for successful contract management.
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A New NISH Website Will Be Unveiled Soon
On August 30th, the new customer portal for NISH extranet users will be available. NISH is also redesigning Nish.org! It will be available soon. The website will have a new look and feel to make it more attractive and user-friendly. The redesigned website will allow readers to navigate through the site quickly to find and retrieve information of value to them. Again, stay tuned for more details about the new NISH public (www.nish.org) and Extranet which will be unveiled in the near future.
Questions? Call the NISH Help Desk at 1-866-305-4730.
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Arizona Goodwill Needs Help to Rebuild After Fire
A major fire at Goodwill of Central Arizona caused severe destruction of its clearance center and salvage operations on July 31st. The buildings that were destroyed housed donations from local communities. More than 1,000 storage containers were lost. Goodwill personnel are working to ensure retail and workforce operations remain uninterrupted. However, help is needed. Material and cash donations are necessary for the agency to continue operating its 36 programs that focus on helping people with significant disabilities find employment opportunities in central Arizona. Material donations will ensure that Goodwill stores are stocked and its customers can continue shopping. Financial contributions will ensure Goodwill can continue to provide job training programs and employment services during these lean economic times. Goodwill of Central Arizona is looking to partner with local businesses and communities on a donation drive. To learn more, please contact, Chandra Stewart, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at chandra.stewart@goodwillaz.org. To make monetary donations, donors may visit https://www.goodwillaz.org/donation/donate. Cash donors will receive a receipt, either by email or regular mail, detailing their donations. In some cases, cash donations may qualify Arizona residents for an Arizona Tax Credit, up to the first $400 of the contribution. Please see a tax advisor for details.
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NISH Proclamation Celebrates 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, E. Robert Chamberlin, President and CEO of NISH, issued a proclamation citing the organization's continued commitment to the full implementation of the law. To read the full proclamation, visit the link below.
To read the full proclamation, CLICK HERE
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Congratulations to our 2009 National Award Winners!
Thank you for your 2009 nominations. Winners were notified by mail in early January. National winners will receive their awards at our National Conference in Anaheim, California, May 24-26, 2010. We hope you will join us to celebrate the AbilityOne Program successes.
To view the winners, CLICK HERE
Winners are also posted at www.nish.org/awards
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AbilityOne Program employees are spreading the word about the AbilityOne Program through NISH's new AbilityOne Speakers Bureau. Through this program, NISH staff members assist participants with writing and practicing their speeches, as well as with securing speaking opportunities. Participants then share their stories with federal customers, potential federal customers and others. Their message is loud and clear: "Think AbilityOne first." Those speakers who are featured include: Nathan Short of PCSI in Austin, Texas; Frederick Williams of TRDI in Killeen, Texas; Mark Gilmore of Challenge Enterprises in Green Cove Springs, Florida; Belinda Porras of VA Medical Center Employment Source in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Todd Walker of Didlake in Manassas, Virginia; and Brenda Sheaffer of Melwood in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Click the link below to learn their stories.
Click Here to Read Full Article
DVDs of Iraq Veterans Nathan Short and Frederick Williams Available Here
AbilityOne Program's Speakers Bureau
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Shay Assad, Director of Defense Procurement, Acquisition Policy and Strategic Sourcing for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), issued a memorandum entitled "Increasing Contracting Opportunities with the AbilityOne Program" on August 27th. In the memorandum, Director Assad urged DoD contracting officials to keep the AbilityOne Program in mind when making procurement decisions. Click the link below to read the full memorandum.
DoD Memorandum
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