Working together through COVID-19
Being proactive is an important part of any situation, especially during a time of crisis. As COVID-19 evolved, people with disabilities employed through network nonprofit agencies in the SourceAmerica network rose to the challenge by continuing to provide essential services.
SourceAmerica understands how important collaboration is. That's why the organization began sharing valuable industry tips, best practices and critical resources with network nonprofit agencies as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Palmetto Goodwill Services in Charleston, South Carolina, did not skip a beat. In fact, they used and implemented many of the provided resources and best practices across their essential janitorial and custodial contracts. Equipped with the right tools, Palmetto Goodwill Services has continued to support their employees with disabilities while at the same time serving the needs of their customers.
At Palmetto Goodwill Services, individuals with disabilities have:
- Served over 200,000 meals
- Cleaned and disinfected 1-million square feet of custodial space utilizing approved Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 disinfectants
- Processed over 26,500 pieces of mail; and
- Landscaped 30 acres of government used property during.
These are all essential services that have continued operations due to the hard work and dedication of people with disabilities employed through the AbilityOne Program.
For SourceAmerica and its nonprofit agencies, the health and safety of these talented individuals is top of mind. As part of its COVID-19 response, SourceAmerica facilitated the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and provided prepaid memberships to the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA) for nonprofit agencies. Palmetto Goodwill Services has since obtained PPE from SourceAmerica for their team. In addition, staff members received certification through the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, a division of ISSA which Palmetto Goodwill Services has been a SourceAmerica nonprofit agency for eight years.
Through this certification, individuas employed at Palmetto Goodwill Services can prepare for, respond to and recover from biohazards in the workplace. Through the certification training, these essential employees have become "Microbial Warriors," equipped with the right planning, knowledge and processes needed to succeed in this environment. To commemorate and celebrate their accomplishment, Palmetto Goodwill Services provided their employees with t-shirts as a recognition of their “warrior status!"
The organization's proactive approach didn’t end there. The team has also invested and is deploying a new disinfecting sanitizing solution using the Clorox Total 360 system. The electrostatic sprayer can be used with two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered products that are specifically designed to help facilities fight illness and odor-causing germs. This system allows Palmetto Goodwill Services to perform COVID-19 operations developed in line with CDC guidelines to deep clean affected areas.
SourceAmerica is proud to provide Palmetto Goodwill Services, and all nonprofit agencies within its network, with the right tools and resources to help them succeeds during these uncertain times.
To learn more about SourceAmerica please contact customerservice@sourceamerica.org.