Winter 2002

Air Force Personnel Stock Up at McChord Express

Senior Airman Daphne Bowers and Tech Sergeant David H. Blake procure supplies at the Lighthouse's McChord Express

On a recent trip to the McChord Express Store, operated by the Seattle Lighthouse, Senior Airman Daphne Bowers's shopping list included the following: Post-It notes, steel-toed boots, felt-tip markers, thermal tops and pants, staples, razor blades and Gortex clothing. "It's a pleasure to shop here," reports Bowers. "It's a friendly group of people, very warm, responsive and helpful. And sometimes we just come for the home-made cookies!"

According to base service store Manager Charlene Weber, McChord Express can fulfill any supply needs McChord personnel may have. "We serve people who use the government Impact credit cards," Charlene explains. "If we don't have what they need in stock, we can special order it."

Senior Airman Bowers happens to have a few of these specialty items on her list. "I need lithium batteries and plastic tube socks that we use when decontaminating air-crew members that might have been in a chemical environment," she says. Tech Sergeant David H. Blake is training Bowers so she can assume responsibility for supplying their flight. "Our flight is called life support," Bowers explains. "We are part of a larger squadron. Each flight has members who are responsible for procuring supplies. When we need anything, ranging from office supplies to desert clothing, we come to McChord Express."

Opening its doors June 1, 2000, McChord Express is operated by the Lighthouse under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program. The JWOD Act mandates that government agencies purchase specified goods and services from agencies employing people who are blind or otherwise severely disabled. "Stores like McChord Express, on military bases around the country, help promote blind employment in a number of ways," explains Charlene. "About 30% of the items in our inventory are made by agencies that employ blind people. Some of our products are made at the Seattle Lighthouse, other products come from agencies around the country. We also create employment opportunities for visually impaired people at our stores." For instance, Juan Villarreal, who began working at the Seattle Lighthouse in 1979, recently accepted a new position at McChord Express. "I love this job," Juan says. "The people are great. The customers are awesome. I know quite a few customers who know that shopping here benefits blind people, but there are still tons of customers out here that don't realize it."

In addition to the main Express store, the Lighthouse also operates McChord's Hazardous Materials Pharmacy. "In the Hazmat Pharmacy we sell items like oil, hydraulic fluid, solvents and paints. Anything that technically can't be washed down the drain," Charlene continues. "McChord is very environmentally conscious. The base maintains very strict control over hazardous materials and who is authorized to purchase them." Charlene and base store Assistant Manager Oliver Jackson are on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for anyone needing to purchase items from the Hazmat Pharmacy. "We have two hours to respond, in case of things like a sudden deployment in the middle of the night. People are very particular about items used in aircraft. Some of our adhesives have a shelf life of only three months. Our items can never be out-of-date," says Charlene.

The Lighthouse currently operates base service stores at McChord, Fort Lewis and Fallon Naval Airstation in Nevada. Plans are in the works for opening several additional stores on other military bases in the near future.

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