The New Normal

 

Nurses and doctors are not the only professionals working on the front lines. Origlio’s Operations Support Administrator Nichole Fitzgerald and Service Manager Terrence Washington have worked tirelessly to create a “COVID-safe” work environment for employees. Additionally, Washington, with the assistance of other Origlio employees, came to the rescue of Philadelphia’s school-age children by delivering 5,000 laptops purchased by Brian Roberts, the president of Comcast. 

 

“We assembled a COVID Task Force to procure all necessary items the State of PA mandated to keep our employees safe, both in our building and while delivering products. And we only had 48 hours to comply,” Fitzgerald explained. Because of the shortage of hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and PPE, obtaining these items for hundreds of people was not easy. “Thankfully, I found a few local family businesses that filled my orders almost immediately,” she said. 

 

Buying supplies to comply with government requirements was just the beginning. Procedures for cleaning and maintaining appropriate social distance had to be created and implemented. Fitzgerald established stations to dispense hand sanitizers, and reorganized break rooms to seat only 10 people. “All chairs had to face the same direction and be spaced at six-foot intervals,” said Fitzgerald, who then went on to describe how “high-touch” equipment, tables and doors came to be sanitized many times a day by employees and an outside cleaning service. “Forklifts were of a special concern. I set up a ‘car wash’ in the warehouse. We run them through it three times a day.” 

 

Recently Terrence Washington and his team assisted the folks at Bell Beverage in delivering 5,000 donated laptops to schools in Northeast Philadelphia. The endeavor was spearheaded by Dr. Fran Newberg, Executive Director of Educational Technology for the School District of Philadelphia, and sister of Frank Paladinetti – a.k.a Frankie Bell, owner of Bell Beverage. “Frankie didn’t have enough equipment or manpower to efficiently distribute the laptops,” said Washington. “I felt privileged to help, as did Jay Kitchin and other Origlio employees who loaded and unloaded 45-foot trucks with laptops for the kids. Fighting the COVID virus takes many forms and I loved the spirit of cooperation we all felt, just helping out any way we could.”