You'll be able to process UPS shipping orders more easily and efficiently, as well as maintain a shipping history, process multiple shipments to the same location, and track packages. The potential for error is reduced because the information you type into the system is used directly and not reentered.

Before coming to UI, Helen worked at a company that processes mailings for nonprofit organizations--"the same as here, but in larger quantities." With orders commonly in the three- to four-million piece range, she would hand sort some 150,000 to 170,000 mail pieces a day.

"I love my job. I'm always using my hands, it's interesting, there's always something new. 'You're not just doing a job, you're doing a service for people,' " she says, quoting her former employer. "It's something I'm good at. And I work for a great boss!"

She and her husband, Jerry, a supervisor at a company that makes valves for equipment such as tractors and fire hydrants, live south of Iowa City in Crawfordsville. A San Diego-area native, Helen landed in Iowa because "My husband is from here. I met him in Bible college in Indiana. He kept pursuing me and finally won! It took six months, but I finally caved in. I think I made the right decision."

Their children are Dave, a UI senior majoring in Computer Science and German; Steve, a married father of two daughters; and Tim, a high-school senior still at home. Helen's sister, Cindy Herron, lives near them and also works at Central Mail. While visiting Helen she decided she liked Iowa--and stayed.

Helen's other interests include her cat, a collection of wolf statues, and books. "I love to read. I can't get my hands on enough books!" she says. When Iowa Review, published by the Department of English, arrives in Central Mail, "I'll grab one and read it, just to learn something new," she says. Her favorite book is a Danielle Steele novel about a young girl who suffers abuse and abandonment. "I like it because it deals with issues some children face; it shows how bad things can be for some people."

The story helps her to put things in perspective. "I work in a place where everyone gets along and helps each other out; I'm very blessed and privileged," she says.

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"They treat us so well here. We've worked with a lot of businesses, and we've never met a nicer group of people to work with. The management and the crew have been phenomenal," says Lois Brown, a job development specialist at Goodwill Industries. "It's an honor for the participants to come to the Laundry. They must meet a certain level of productivity, and they compete to be able to do this."

Like other administrators on campus, Dave Gray, manager of Laundry Service, continually seeks ways to contain costs and increase productivity. All departments on campus attempt to achieve these goals. But they are especially valued after another series of funding cuts by our state legislature. So the possibility of reducing costs sparked Gray's curiosity when a local business contacted him.

Several months ago Lois Brown and Joyce Bernardy, from Goodwill Industries, called on Gray. During their visit, Brown, a job development specialist, proffered the idea that Goodwill Industries has a "wonderful solution to labor needs," i.e. trained Goodwill participants for hire. They work in the community but are actually employed by Goodwill, which pays their wage, covers worker's compensation, and has a benefits package with vacation time and holiday pay.

As a potential employer, Gray asked, "Could Goodwill participants make a positive contribution to the UI Laundry Service? Would the Laundry have tasks suitable for Goodwill's clients?" Together they began a careful evaluation of the job skills required of a laundry production worker.

After Gray and Brown defined the essential functions, production quotas, and physical demands for this position, the staff at Goodwill Industries began evaluations of their clients with disabilities. How many washcloths, towels, or blankets could a Goodwill worker fold every hour compared to the average produced by our full-time merit staff? Each eligible person was tested at Goodwill's training facility on skills, strengths, interests, ability to interact, adjustment to change, and areas for growth pertinent to the Laundry's quotas. Satisfied with the test results, Gray agreed to collaborate.

Although the Goodwill clients were tested on job skills, they still had to be trained to perform specific tasks. In a one-on-one environment, selected clients were trained by a job coach at the Goodwill Training Center.

Training takes time, and it was weeks before the Goodwill clients actually began work at the Laundry. The wait proved fruitful.

Brown assured Gray that job coaches focus entirely on their clients, but they do more than just supervise. They work alongside their clients, performing the same task while monitoring them. Production quantity is doubled, yet Laundry is only billed for work done by the client and there is minimal need for a floor supervisor's time. What could be better?

Nothing lasts forever. The Goodwill workers and their job coaches won't always be at Laundry Service, because the purpose of Goodwill job development specialists is to graduate their clients to community jobs.

The clients placed at Laundry Service are cheerful and eager to work. The staff at Laundry Service is honored to have Goodwill clients here and, collectively, say "Welcome aboard!" to each of them.
Jo Anne Worley

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The existing MIGS application will continue to be available. Please use whichever ordering method you prefer. If you have not used MIGS in some time, your password may need to be reinstated. Call the ITS Help Desk at 335-6363 and they will provide you with a password and user ID information.

We have attempted to make the new application as easy as possible. If you do have questions, contact Judy Rockafellow, 384-3906.

Lamps--with bulbs! What a concept. Joe Deutsch, storekeeper at University Surplus, explains: "We used to have the lamps priced at a quarter apiece, but when they started coming in with bulbs in them, we raised our rates to fifty cents!"

Vasquez is currently vice president of NACAS-Central. He has also served as secretary and for a three-year term on the board of directors. Nationally, he has held three-year terms on the membership and business partners committees. During the coming year, he will be part of the program committee, which will be planning the 2003 national conference.

The NACAS membership includes representatives whose major responsibilities are to provide auxiliary services to the students, staff, faculty, and guests of their respective colleges and universities. The national organization is divided into four regions, with representation from all 50 states and several foreign countries. The central region comprises 12 states. NACAS is considered one of the largest organizations of its kind and is a member of the Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA).

Save: Order paper from General Stores.
Always compare our prices before ordering paper from another source. The state of Iowa's contract with Xerox has much better pricing than the paper listed in the Corporate Express catalog, and we have blocked many of those paper items to prevent ordering. We stock both white and colored papers.

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Our department will scan large volumes of paper records and make the data available either on CD or on the Web, depending on your need. This not only makes information available electronically, but also reduces the need for storage space.

Some areas already using our service include the Cashier's Office, the College of Medicine, Employment Services, and Research Services. If your department wishes to have records scanned, we will schedule meetings with you to determine your needs and preferences. A test project will be developed and refined until you are satisfied with the process and ready to implement the system.

Preparing the paper documents for scanning can be time consuming and may include removing staples, taping small pieces of paper to 8.5x11 sheets, photocopying pages of light or heavy stock for consistent weight, and filling out control, or cover, sheets for indexing. You may choose whether to do part or all of this work yourself or have Printing do it. When finished, we can either return or shred the original documents.

The cost of the service varies according to each department's needs and is determined on a case-by-case basis. Contact Janet Wieland, 384-3762, or Sandie Herwig, 384-3713, for more information.

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