BEP Vending Sites

Vending sites are located in county, state and federal buildings as well as along the interstate highways. Blind persons who have completed training in the Iowa program manage these facilities.

• Blind managers in Iowa are responsible for:
• hiring and training employees
• ordering and stocking machines with merchandise
• maintaining and repairing vending machines
• all financial aspects of their business.

Vending in State and Federal Buildings

Vending sites are located in Des Moines, Ames, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Waterloo, and Independence. These facilities are in courthouses, post offices, county office buildings, state office buildings and federal office buildings. The vending offered consists of snacks, cold beverages, hot beverages, cold food, and ice cream. The types of machines at any one location is determined by the building population and the needs of the facility.

Rest Area Vending

There are currently roadside vending sites at thirty-five rest area sites. These facilities are currently located along Interstate highways 29, 35, 80, and 380. The roadside facilities offer cold and hot beverages and snacks.  These facilities are operated by 15 different blind managers who are responsible in whole or in part of the business.