ACB Thrift Store Victories and Initiatives: From Awards to Community Impact - ACB At The Helm

The Amarillo Thrift Store, operated by the American Council for the Blind (ACB), has been honored with the Best Thrift Store and Best Secondhand Clothing and Consignment Store awards by Community Votes Amarillo for the second consecutive year. The recognition comes due to the store's efforts in superior customer service, regular supply of new merchandise, and fostering community relations. ACB launched a community platform last year which has since supported over 400 monthly events, utilizing platforms such as Zoom. They are seeking to further understand their audience's needs through a survey that will be closing on 30th September and they offer assistance for anyone needing help to complete it. Danette Dixon has been recognized as the ACB volunteer of the month for August for her efforts supporting the ACB community. In further news, session cartridges ordered for the 2024 ACB convention will be dispatched by the end of October, with further purchase options available until October 4th. The ACB INSPIRE mentoring program has announced its 2024-2025 batch of ACB Explorers and Guides, with a mission of fostering skills such as nurturing, support, preparation, and influence amongst potential leaders. ACB member Ron Brooks has co-authored a book about making public transit more accessible with Kristen Joyner - “All Aboard: Conducting Accessible Community Involvement for Public Transit.” Similarly, former ACB scholarship recipient Tim Cordes co-hosts a podcast - “Bald, https://www.acb.org/dots-and-dashes```