While you may not expect to find a Goodwill operation on a military base, Goodwill Great Lakes provides food service, administrative, logistic services and laundry to both Sailors and Recruits at the Navy's only boot camp—Naval Station Great Lakes in Great Lakes, IL.
The U.S. Navy, Goodwill and SourceAmerica are partners at Naval Station Great Lakes through the AbilityOne Program, providing employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities. Our trained professionals work closely with individuals with significant disabilities to provide meaningful employment with a comprehensive career ladder enabling them to become independent and self-sustaining individuals who contribute to their communities.
Goodwill staff served 8.9 million meals, handled 2.1 million pieces of mail, issued 2.6 million uniform pieces to Sailors and Recruits in 2018. This relationship of more than 40 years is a stellar example of a partnership at its best.
To show our appreciation for our Navy partnership and for the service of the Sailors and Recruits we serve each day, several special events are held each year. On January 29, Galley 535 hosted its annual Super Bowl Party, with retired Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver and retired Chicago Bears defensive end Alex Brown in attendance. The players posed for pictures, signed autographs and spent time talking with Sailors and Recruits. The event included a special tailgate meal served to 1,532 Sailors and visitors. Donald and Alex kept fans smiling during pictures, autographs and cake-cutting.
For more information on our work at Naval Station Great Lakes, go to GoodwillSEW.com.
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