02/03/2009
(Fredericksburg, VA) This month Rappahannock Goodwill workers at the FBI Academy began using a new all-electric van to get to their work sites around the sprawling FBI campus. The Vantage International VanGo EVP 1000 is powered by six, 12 volt sealed maintenance-free batteries. It has the equivalent of 35 horsepower and can be recharged in four to six hours.
The van is used by the Goodwill custodial crew assigned to the FBI Firing Range complex within the FBI Academy campus. It went into operation on Dec. 1. The van transports supplies, cleaning equipment and crew members to the buildings that are served by the Goodwill workers.
“We purchased the van to help the crew with their daily duties,” says Norm Doucette, vice president-contracts. “It allows the crew to carry a small amount of supplies and reduces the amount of time moving from building to building.”
The zero-emissions van is the latest in Goodwill’s longstanding record of green practices. The gently used clothing and household goods donated to Goodwill are recycled and reused. Goodwill also has a companywide recycling program for paper and plastics, and an energy-reduction program in place at its commercial laundry operation in Fredericksburg.
Rappahannock Goodwill Industries is a private not-for-profit organization that provides work opportunities and job training to people with barriers to employment, particularly those with disabilities. Its operations include three job help centers, a commercial laundry, off-site custodial and administrative services, an outsourcing and contract facility and eight retail stores and donation centers.