As we prepare to leave our Pacific Street headquarters, we’ve asked people to share their memories of the building that has served as Goodwill’s Omaha home for the past 50 years.

Cyndi Hartman
GSSI
Lincoln Denney Federal Building

As a newly acquired contract employee my memories were a mixed bag. On my first PAC visit I saw a new dimension. We became part of a whole family, It was overwhelming at first to be a new fish in a vast pool of experienced sharks. How I admired all the expertise.

My first managers meeting was overwhelming, Frank spoke, and I truly felt appreciated and grateful to have become part of Goodwill Industries. He said we were the spokes that made the wheel turn. To listen to each department give a rendition of accomplishments, goals for growth was amazing. I wanted to succeed; I saw the vision first hand and believed in the support offered.
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As we prepare to leave our Pacific Street headquarters, we’ve asked people to share their memories of the building that has served as Goodwill’s Omaha home for the past 50 years.

Heather Carrico
Employment & Training – R.E.A.D.Y.
PAC

Being downstairs in the START and EF programs, we had great camaraderie that will never be matched! We all shared many tears and laughter with each other through all different phases of our lives.

We knew we could count on each other to cheer each other on, bring humor to lighten our sometimes heavy loads, encourage, and learn from each other and to be there in whatever was needed for each other at the time both professionally and personally.

I will always cherish those years and hold them close to my heart.

As we prepare to leave our Pacific Street headquarters, we’ve asked people to share their memories of the building that has served as Goodwill’s Omaha home for the past 50 years.

Andy Bradley
Leadership
PAC

Quite a number of years ago, we won an award thru NISH for overall excellence regarding our custodial services at Offutt.

Because the award truly belonged to the folks actually doing the work, we decided to recognize our NISH crew in a very creative and dramatic way.

As you know, many NISH participants normally come here in the afternoon and wait for vans to take them on base. When we first started providing the transportation, we used school buses.

But on a day following the notification of our award, a whole convoy of limousines lined up in our drive and parking lot to take the AbilityOne crews to work in style. Then awaiting them upon their arrival was a special pizza party. The looks on their faces when they saw the limos – and then when they learned that the limos were for them! – is something I’ll never forget.

Certainly an exciting – and unexpected – day for them. And a memorable day for all of us who witnessed it.

As we prepare to leave our Pacific Street headquarters, we’ve asked people to share their memories of the building that has served as Goodwill’s Omaha home for the past 50 years.

Dolores Estrado
Administration
PAC

My favorite PAC memory began in October 1990. I remember walking in the front door and got a whiff of freshly baked cookies. The aroma was enough to make my toes curl. As I walked further, I would inhale that oh so wonderful sugary butter smell.

The aroma grounded me and it was so hard to move forward. It smelled like Christmas and happiness and warmth and that was just the sugar cookies. The chocolate chip cookies with all that chocolate was enough to send me over the edge…in becoming a cookie-holic. I knew I needed help. The huge cookies were priced at 20 cents each or 3 for 50 cents. Some days you were able to buy a bag of broken cookies for 50 cents. Ahhhhhhhh the good old days!!!
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As we prepare to leave our Pacific Street headquarters, we’ve asked people to share their memories of the building that has served as Goodwill’s Omaha home for the past 50 years.

Bobbie Tvrdik
Leadership
PAC

MEMORY #1

The Kitchen. When I started working at Goodwill 21 years ago I was a size 8; we won’t even discuss what size I am now – suffice to say it’s much more. The aroma that came out of that kitchen was incredible. Even if you weren’t hungry, the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies or roasting turkey certainly changed your mind and appetite! One of my favorite meals was actually sold as a snack – chili and cheese POURED over nacho chips – Yum!!!!

We went through several cooks over the years and each of them had their own specialty – soups, cookies, brownie sundaes (always with a diet coke to cancel the calories), enchiladas, hamburgers, roasted turkey. It was all wonderful and so are the memories!
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