RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 1,200 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:
respectofflorida.org.
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A Message from Executive Director Ryland Musick
School is out, and summer is just around the corner. At RESPECT we always talk about how important it is for people with disabilities to have access to employment opportunities.
We also know that recreation is another important part of a well-balanced life. Did you know Florida has two parks specifically created for people with disabilities and their family members? The Agency for Persons with Disabilities operates
Hawkins Park in Milton and
Billy Joe Rish Park in Port St. Joe. Both parks are accessible and are sure to provide hours of fun for the whole family.
The Florida Disabled Outdoors Association's (FDOA) mission is focused on inclusive recreation. If you attend the Family Cafe in Orlando this year, be sure to participate in the
SportsAbility Sampler. Additionally, they have a
resource page on their website that includes links to a variety of inclusive recreational activities. FDOA coordinates the
Miracle Sports in Tallahassee which includes Tennis, Baseball, and Kickball seasons.
I hope your summer is full of family fun!
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RESPECT Attends NIGP and FAPPO
RESPECT of Florida Product Specialist Katie Mayo attended an NIGP (The Institute for Public Procurement) Reverse trade show in Panama City on May 5. At the show she met with about 15 state and local government purchasers.
"I really enjoyed meeting each buyer personally, understanding what their purchasing needs were, and discussing how RESPECT could help. I walked away from the show feeling as though I had made a positive impact," Katie said.
On May 25, Katie attended the FAPPO (Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials) trade show and was accompanied by RESPECT Executive Director Ryland Musick.
Ryland said, "The FAPPO trade show provided a great opportunity to catch up with the buyers we already know and to make new contacts. This is a show we enjoy participating in year after year."
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Facebook is one more way RESPECT wants to connect with you. Click above to like our page.
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Meetings, Training, and Events
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Commodity Line of the Month
Flags are a visual display of history, loyalty, and honor. RESPECT offers USA, state, POW, and custom flags to meet your need.
RESPECT also offers beach flags to alert beach goers of potential dangers in the ocean.
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RESPECT of Florida Offers Printing Solution
RESPECT of Florida offers Managed Print Services for enterprise and/or network printers. Contracting for this service through RESPECT has several benefits: cost control, fixed printing budget, and a simplified procurement process.
Pasco County School Board Senior Manager Craig Coile said, "
Pasco County Schools has been utilizing RESPECT of Florida for over 12 years for our managed print services. With this service, we register all our District owned black and white laser printers with RESPECT. This allows us to pay a fixed "cost per print" at a very low rate which covers any service and toner supplies required. We have realized steady and predictable costs over the years with significant savings per print compared to purchasing OEM cartridges and repairing the printers ourselves or by an outside vendor. We are able to budget easily each year for our printer costs without worrying about trying to estimate a repair budget and deal with the ever increasing cost of toner and disposal. RESPECT handles shipping toner to us and takes our old cartridges for recycling. The ordering process for toner and the ticket system are all online and simple. RESPECT also provides our District with a technician that consistently handles any repair issues quickly and our schools have embraced him as if he were an employee of ours."
With Managed Print Services, an organization can either buy or rent new print machines or often use existing equipment. The organization simply provides the paper, and RESPECT handles the toners, fusers, trays, feeders, and other maintenance issues.
RESPECT services are available to governmental entities as a Florida Department of Management Services State Term Contract. The main benefit of purchasing through RESPECT is exemption from the competitive solicitation process. Buyers can negotiate directly with RESPECT to procure the services that best fit the need and budget.
For more information on Managed Print Services, please contact RESPECT Service Contracts Director John McBride at [email protected] or (850) 570-3467.
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The Arc of South FL Coffee Project
The Arc of South Florida has teamed up with TintCafe to bring the most delicious coffee from Colombia, South America to raise funds for the organization with the sale of this exquisite coffee.
Two major quality differentiators are the type of bean and the best growing, harvesting, and processing practices. The coffee plants are an Arabica type of bean as opposed to the lesser flavor and quality bean of most other brands, the robusta bean. Sustainable best planting and processing practices are monitored by a group of professionals that certify that the plants comply with the established standards of quality.
The formula that has been developed for this market, consists of a blend of grains from Huila and Villeta. This formula was carefully chosen to provide the best aroma and flavor possible. A slightly darker roasting level was chosen to please the American taste.
TintCafe will offer the standard 12 oz. packages. The coffee will be packaged in the standard bag and in addition, the product will be packed inside a folding carton box with a special liner to preserve the coffee's freshness and quality.
If interested in learning more about the Arc of South Florida Coffee Project, visit the web page at www.arcsofla.org/arc-coffee-project/, or call Gabriel Parra at (305) 759-8500, ext. 141.
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Training, the Most Essential Tool Employers Do not Use
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HR & Compliance Manager, Dayna Lenk |
You may have heard the saying "Money spent on the brain is never spent in vain." Intuitively we all know that this is true, but many employers do not apply this saying to training their employees.
Training employees is time consuming. It takes time to plan, develop, and execute. It can be expensive and can result in lost productivity. What is the benefit of providing training to employees?
- Training makes your employees feel like they are part of a team. Inclusion builds employee trust.
- Training programs demonstrate interest in employees' professional development or skill enhancement.
- Ongoing training helps to create the reputation of a great place to work and results in fewer wage demands, less absenteeism, and a longer list of job applicants.
- Training eliminates skill gaps in all level of employees.
- Knowledgeable employees make fewer mistakes.
- Trained employees need less supervision.
- Trained employees are more productive.
- Training instills pride in products and services.
- Training creates a knowledgeable workforce - a resource for promotion and interchangeability.
- Training increases safety and decreases work-related injury/illness.
- Training increases the ability to employ new technologies.
- Training ensures that your employees knows your policies and procedures.
- Some training is either required or recommended by law, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act, sexual harassment and ethics. Failing to train on these topics could result in litigation or fines.
Training plans do not have to be elaborate or costly
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Focus on starting with the most essential training and expand from there. Keep your training local, and in-house when feasible. Having good managers who value training, are adept at understanding their employees, and recognize their skill needs will save the company time and money.
Untrained employees cost you more than their wages. They can cost you customers, profits, and potentially your business.
Taking time to train your employees will provide value to the company and will reduce your company's liability. When training is done well, the payoff can be substantial, and when it is not done the cost can be substantial.
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Respectfully Yours
Editorial Team
Lindsey Boyington - Editorial Director
Ryland Musick - Columnist
Dayna Lenk - Human Resources Feature Writer
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