[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5526]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING BOSMA ENTERPRISES AND THE ABILITYONE PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LUKE MESSER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2014

  Mr. MESSER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of a 
great Indiana organization, Bosma Enterprises. Bosma, working through 
the AbilityOne Program, has helped thousands of Hoosiers who are blind 
or visually impaired and is Indiana's largest employer of people with 
vision loss.
  AbilityOne is an initiative to help people who are blind or have 
other significant disabilities. For over 75 years this critical program 
has helped thousands of Americans find employment by working within a 
network of nonprofit agencies that sell products and services to the 
U.S. government. More than 700 Hoosiers in 2013 alone were served 
through Community and Center-Based Services at Bosma. These services 
helped them achieve a greater level of independence and self-esteem and 
allowed many people to gain employment in good paying jobs in central 
Indiana.
  I have had the opportunity to visit Bosma Enterprises and see first-
hand the impact that the AbilityOne program is having in the lives of 
so many Hoosiers. Nearly 60 percent of all employees at Bosma 
Enterprises are blind or visually impaired. One such employee is 
Preston Richardson. Preston lost his sight in 1988 and after several 
years of struggling with his disability was officially diagnosed in 
1997. It was then that he found Bosma Enterprises, where he went to 
work in production. Preston's handwork and dedication enabled him to 
excel at Bosma, becoming the first visually-impaired employee in the 
customer service department. Preston was then promoted to account 
manager with the sales team where he now manages over 300 state and 
national accounts.
  The largest AbilityOne contracts Bosma holds are with the Department 
of Veterans Affairs (VA). Bosma supplies all of the VA hospitals and 
clinics with examination and surgical gloves. These contracts provide 
job opportunities to people who are blind or visually impaired while 
also providing the VA with the resources they need to take care of 
America's veterans.
  I ask the entire 6th Congressional District to join me in recognizing 
the life changing work done every day by the men and women of Bosma 
Enterprises and the importance of the AbilityOne program. They have 
helped improve the lives of Hoosiers throughout the 6th District and 
central Indiana by enabling them to learn skills, find employment, and 
lead a more independent and fulfilling life. The dedication and 
commitment of AbilityOne employees is an example we can all aspire to. 
They have helped strengthen our communities and make the state of 
Indiana a better place to live.

                          ____________________