They’ll deliver more than 375 pairs of scrubs on Wednesday.

OMAHA, Neb., April 10, 2020 — When Creighton University School of Medicine students contacted Goodwill Industries, Inc. (Goodwill Omaha), asking if the nonprofit organization’s thrift stores had any medical scrubs on the racks that they could spare, staff from Goodwill Omaha and local dry cleaner Max I. Walker jumped into action.

“Our stores are temporarily closed right now due to the coronavirus threat, so our retail operations team went store to store and collected every piece of scrubs they could find,” said Tobi Mathouser, president and COO at Goodwill Omaha. “They found more than 375 pairs of scrubs.”

The donation is for a medical scrub drive that Creighton’s medical students are holding to collect the garments and donate them to health care workers at CHI’s Bergen Mercy.

“There is an increased demand for scrubs at the hospitals due to heightened precautions for doctors and nurses to be able to decontaminate themselves as they travel to and from home and the hospital,” said Adrienne Pyle, a third-year medical student at Creighton School of Medicine and drive’s organizer. “With these extra scrubs, the medical professionals will be able to decontaminate themselves with frequent scrub changes and thereby keep their patients and own families safe.”

Next, Goodwill needed a partner to launder the scrubs for the health care workers. They found one in local dry cleaner Max I. Walker.

“We’re committed to giving back to the community that’s supported us for more than 100 years, so when we got the call, this was something we really wanted to do,” said Casey Walker, director of retail operations at Max I. Walker. “With the current pandemic, health care workers are on the frontlines, and if we could help them, we absolutely wanted to.”

This afternoon, Goodwill dropped off the scrubs at the Max I. Walker location in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Walker’s team will launder them. On Wednesday, April 15, Goodwill and Max I. Walker’s retail operations teams will pick up the scrubs in Council Bluffs and deliver them to Creighton for distribution to Bergen Mercy doctors and nurses.

“With COVID-19 cases continuing to pop up, the medical staff is going through many more pairs of scrubs,” said Pyle said. “We were amazed at how quickly these two businesses were able to collect scrubs and coordinate laundering of them. We are incredibly grateful to Goodwill and to Max I. Walker, as are the doctors and nurses at Bergen. They have gone above and beyond in organizing this effort, and they’ve shown a genuine desire to help. We are so thankful to both.”

The Creighton medical scrub drive runs through April 25. Blue and green scrubs are preferred, and patterned scrubs are also accepted. Pyle asks that scrubs are washed prior to donation, and donors have two drop-off option, or they may request pickup:

• Drop off at Wohlner’s Neighborhood Grocery & Deli, 3253 Dodge Street, inside the double doors
• Drop off at First Covenant Church, 201 N. 90th Street, outside the main entrance
• Request pickup by emailing the Creighton Cares team at creightoncares2020@gmail.com

About Max I. Walker Dry Cleaning & Laundry

Max I. Walker Cleaners & Launderers was founded by Max I. Walker on March 17, 1917. Over the past 103 years, it has grown into a company with hundreds of employees serving customers at 22 locations in Omaha, Elkhorn, Papillion and Bellevue, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Today — five generations later — Max I. Walker remains family owned and operated. In addition to dry cleaning services, Max I. Walker offers a Wash & Fold Laundry Service for all laundry items, and a free pickup and delivery service from home or office. As the proud recipient of Best of Omaha 1st Place for Dry Cleaning in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, Max I. Walker is Omaha’s Favorite Dry Cleaner.

Max I. Walker is committed to serving the communities that support us — we wouldn’t be here without them — and we seek out opportunities to give back by supporting local media, small businesses and charitable organizations. We also hold an annual fundraising event, the Ultra Chic Boutique dress sale, which benefits the Nebraska Alzheimer's Association. For more information, visit MaxIWalker.com.

About Goodwill Industries, Inc.

Goodwill Industries, Inc., Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, has been a leader in helping people fulfill their dreams through work since 1933. Our mission is to train and employ people with disabilities and others who may be at a competitive disadvantage in the job market. We do this by selling value-priced merchandise at 17 locations throughout the Omaha metro area.

Although many people know Goodwill as a place to donate used clothing and household items, they may not realize that their donations sold in our retail stores fund programs that give thousands of formerly unemployed individuals the opportunity to earn a living and the chance to succeed in life. Goodwill provides opportunities for individuals with barriers to self-sufficiency through a variety of job opportunities and employment programs, including AbilityOne, YouthBuild AmeriCorps, Employment Solutions and Work Experience.

Goodwill is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)3 agency governed by a local board of trustees and a member agency of Goodwill Industries International of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Goodwill is also affiliated with the federal AbilityOne program, which provides jobs for people with severe disabilities at federal facilities. Goodwill is accredited by CARF, the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission. Learn more at GoodwillOmaha.org

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