Press Release

JWOD Mailroom Service Contracts Following Agency Directives

October 31, 2001
For immediate release
Contact: Annmarie Hart-Bookbinder
Public Affairs Specialist
Phone: (703) 603-0174
Fax: (703) 603-0655
E-mail: abookbinder@jwod.gov

Arlington, VA-In light of anthrax concerns in Federal mailrooms located in the D.C. Metropolitan area, nonprofit agencies employing people with severe disabilities who operate mailroom facilities under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program are taking steps to ensure the safety of their JWOD employees and the Federal personnel they serve.

The five JWOD-participating nonprofit agencies that operate 22 mailroom facilities in the D.C. Metro area are working closely with their Federal customers to implement appropriate policies and procedures for mail handling and distribution as they are announced. In an effort to better educate themselves and others about new security and safety concerns, these five nonprofit agencies, led by SOC Enterprises in Arlington, VA, have joined together to form a Disaster Preparedness Task Force. The Task Force meets regularly to discuss security and safety issues as well as to learn from experts in the fields of Disaster Preparedness Planning and Human Resources to best serve the needs of both their customers and their JWOD employees.

From a program-wide standpoint, the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the Federal agency that administers the JWOD Program, as well as members of National Industries of the Blind (NIB) and NISH (serving people with a range of disabilities), two central nonprofit agencies, are attending several intra-agency meetings regarding mailroom security and safety practices and then sharing this information with the JWOD community. Representatives of the JWOD Program are attending meetings of the Interagency Mail Policy Council, comprised of mail managers from all Federal agencies, as well as meetings held by the General Services Administration's (GSA) Office of Mail Communications Policy (located within GSA's Office of Governmentwide Policy).