by Michael Garrett
It has come to my attention that some of our members may not know what ACBES is. Well, never let it be said that our membership is not enlightened. Here is my attempt to share with you about ACBES, what it is and what it does.
American Council of the Blind Enterprises and Services (ACBES) is a wholly owned, non-profit subsidiary (with its own board of directors) of the American Council of the Blind. Its primary mission is to provide funding for the ongoing programs and projects of ACB. This subsidiary currently consists of a network of eight thrift stores strategically placed throughout the U.S. Locations include three stores in the greater Detroit area; Lubbock, Tex.; Amarillo, Tex.; Louisville, Ky.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Milwaukee, Wis.
The stores accept pre-owned and slightly used items and even new merchandise which was previously unsold. Items accepted include: furniture, large and small appliances, articles of clothing (such as hanging garments, shoes, purses and belts), antiques, books and miscellaneous housewares. From time to time, we have also had cars donated. These products are sorted, priced and made ready for resale.
We have a loyal and dedicated group of roughly 200 employees who perform the necessary tasks to keep our stores running. They solicit for donations, and then collect, clean, sort and price thousands of pounds of products, which are then sold to our customers. The stores display the ACB logo and brochures are available for our customers to learn more about our organization. Each store manager has been charged with the task of becoming more visible in the local community where the store operates.
So, there you have it. That's a brief description of what ACBES is and what it does. If you'd like further information, feel free to contact me directly via e-mail at [email protected] or any of our board members through the Minneapolis office at (612) 332-3242. If you have items you'd like to donate, contact the store in your area for pickup.
Store phone numbers
Kentucky
- Louisville: (502) 968-6666
Michigan
- Detroit: (313) 336-5455
- Lincoln Park: (313) 928-2685
- Warren: (586) 758-4111
Tennessee
- Knoxville: (865) 688-5884
Texas
- Amarillo: (806) 371-7707
- Lubbock: (806) 762-1453
Wisconsin
- Milwaukee: (414) 302-5123